Where Exactly Do Your Thanksgiving Meal Essentials Come From?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If any Minnesotan family is having turkey this Thanksgiving, there's a very good chance the bird was grown and processed in Minnesota.
According the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, Minnesota ranks number one with 45 million turkeys grown and processed in the state each year.
Wisconsin is the largest producer of cranberries in the world. According to the Wisconsin State Cranberries Growers Association, the state grows and produces 65% of the cranberries consumed in the United States market. Between 95% to 97% of those cranberries are not fresh, but rather canned or juice.
Wisconsin is also the largest producer of potatoes east of the Mississippi, according to the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association. It is third behind Idaho and Washington State.
Most sweet potatoes are grown in the warmer climates of the southeastern U.S. This time of year, the sweet potatoes at Cub Foods come from Mississippi, according to Cub's Produce Director Charles Russell.
Between 90% and 95% of the pumpkins grown for consumption in the U.S. are grown in an area surrounding Peoria, Illinois, according to the University of Illinois Extension. The area is good for growing pumpkins and, given pumpkins don't travel well, there are two large processing plants in central Illinois.