Issue 47.12
I was reflecting on the season we are in and got curious to know more about the things we passively associate with Thanksgiving. I thought it would be interesting to learn some facts. I researched various sources mainly from the USDA Agriculture Census to obtain this information.
There were 248 million turkeys raised in the U.S. in 2011, up 2% from 2010 amounting to about $4.3 billion and about 7 billion pounds of turkey. Minnesota is the biggest turkey producing state, at 46.6 million turkeys.
The average American consumes 16 pounds of turkey a year. About 88% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, while the remaining eat other types of dishes. There are 4 areas in the U.S. named after turkey.
When I eat turkey I often feel sleepy afterwards. Part of this feeling is because turkey has the makings of a natural sedative in it, called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body doesn’t produce. The body has to get tryptophan from food. Tryptophan helps produce niacin which helps produce serotonin, which acts as a calming agent in the brain and regulates sleep.
There are 2.4 billion pounds of sweet potatoes produced a year, mostly coming from North Carolina. Over a quarter of a million elephants would weigh less than that many sweet potatoes.
There are 7.5 million barrels of cranberries produced a year, up 10% from 2010; also, 1.06 billion pounds of pumpkins. Lucky for us that makes for a lot of pumpkin pies and cranberry sauce.
I’m sure many of you are like me and are grateful for this season to be able to reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for; family, freedoms, homes, etc. I’m also thankful for our clients, old and new and for the good people I work with in our business. Our unique process separates us from traditional wood refinishing. Our process involves no sanding, no mess, no odor, and most jobs completed in two to three days.
We hope you enjoy your holiday and keep us in mind for your next cabinet renewal or spice it up with something completely different by a color change. Contact us for a free consultation at 435-669-7080.