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From the farm to your feast, take a look at where these four staples of the holiday meal may have originated. Esri has produced a vivid map atlas illustrating where did your Thanksgiving dinner come from?
Turkeys
Turkey farmers want to be where the corn and soybeans are. Geographically, then, big turkey producers are located near to processing plants and the cheap foods that will feed their livestock (Which explains the dots few and far between in regions like Utah and Texas).
Minnesota grows more turkeys than any other U.S. state, accompanied by North Carolina, Arkansas, and Indiana.
There is also a large and vibrant industry of small scale production, as the smattering of dots on the map indicate. In fact, it’s not unusual to have turkey farms with a relatively small number of hogs and small-scale beef production too.
Cranberries
Cranberries are cool-weather wetland plants, which reveals why Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Oregon are the leading producers of Cranberries.
Sweet potatoes
With a hot and moist climate and fertile soil, North Carolina estimates for more than 50% of the sweet potato production in the U.S.
Potatoes
Idaho and Washington provide more than 50% of the total U.S. crop.
Green beans
A comparatively small amount of fields estimate for a large proportion of green bean crop. Florida and Wisconsin are the head producers.
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts have erupted in demand, although consumption can vary broadly around family dinner tables. With mild temperatures and frequent fog, California is well-suited to its cultivation and rules in terms of brussels sprouts production.
Pumpkins
Illinois at least double as many acres in pumpkin production as any other state, and approximately 80% of Illinois’ pumpkins are prepared into pie fillings and other products.
Pecans
It’s not unusual that pecan pie is a popular Thanksgiving dessert in the South, as the tree is native to the region. Roughly 1/3 of the nation’s crop comes out of Georgia. At the same time, New Mexico is the number two producer of pecans.
