Credit these 7 states for producing your favorite Thanksgiving foods. Special thanks to Minnesota.

Thanksgiving turkeyPhoto byPhoto by Monstera at Pexels

If you're fortunate enough to gather with family for a traditional Thanksgiving feast this week, you have many different states to include in your gratitude journal. That's because the foods traditionally served at Thanksgiving are produced all over the country. Here's the breakdown.

Minnesota is the country's biggest turkey producer

That bird at the center of the table? It may just have come to you from The North Star state. According to a report from the US Department of Agriculture, Minnesota produced more than 40 million turkeys in 2020/2021, compared with the next largest producer, North Carolina at 30 million. Interestingly, North Carolina produced more pounds of turkey, which tells you they're producing bigger birds.

Wisconsin may be on your Thanksgiving table twice

The US boasts the world's largest cranberry harvest and Wisconsin is the front-running producer. So much so that the state apparently has a cranberry trail that generates "a bounty of festivals, unique destinations, and tours all centered on the fruit."

But that's not all. If you're enjoying green bean casserole, that too may be courtesy of The Badger State, which produces 36% of the country's green beans. In fact, Wisconsin produces more green beans than the rest of the top 5 growing states combined.

Idaho's piping in with the potatoes

Idaho is hands down the country's leading producer of potatoes, with Washington a distant second. According to AgFunder: "Idaho produces 13 billion pounds of potatoes per year — most of these are russets, where high starch make them ideal for mashing."

If sweet potatoes are more your thing, then it's North Carolina you likely need to thank. In fact, the state grew 64% of the entire country's harvest in 2021.

Iowa's got your corn

The cornfield in Field of Dreams is in Iowa for good reason - Iowa produces the most corn in the country. In 2019, that amounted to 13.1 million acres.

Credit Illinois for that pumpkin pie

Illinois is America's big leader in pumpkin production. The USDA asserts that: "In 2021, Illinois maintained its leading position in pumpkin acreage, harvesting more than twice as many pumpkin acres as any of the other top States, at 15,900 acres." That's enough to carve one, use several for decoration and still enjoy your slice of pie.

Georgia's here with the pecans

If you're one of those families that give guests a choice in pie flavors, Georgia may also be appearing at your Thanksgiving dinner table. While 15 states grow pecans, Georgia produces a full third of the country's harvest. That's a whopping 88 million pounds.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone around the country.

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