See how Florida agriculture ranks when it comes to the crop commodities that go into making a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

 

It’s Thanksgiving time, and it’s the opportune time to consider the contributions of those in Florida agriculture and ag across the country. Without agriculture, much of the traditional dishes that are a part of Thanksgiving traditions would not be possible. As part of your appreciation of and thanks to agriculture, we’ve put together a quick look at how Florida ranks in the traditional ag commodities that go into Thanksgiving dinner.

Florida Agriculture and Thanksgiving

 

There are many different ag commodities that go into Thanksgiving dinner. Florida agriculture is responsible for some, and others are produced mainly in another state, according to 2016 data compiled by the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Commodities include:

Turkey. It’s called ‘Turkey Day’ for a reason. Florida ranks 29th in Turkey production with .3 of the market share. North Carolina leads the country in turkey production with 16.1 percent of the market share.

Snap Beans. Green bean casserole is a savory Thanksgiving Day dish. Florida leads the country in snap bean production with 24.5 percent of the market share.

Apples. Apple pie is a Thanksgiving Day favorite. Washington leads the country with 69 percent of the apple market share. Florida does not grow enough apples to rank.

Pumpkin. While pumpkins for pies—another Thanksgiving favorite—and pumpkins for carving and ornaments are usually different, both are grown mainly in Illinois, which has 25.2 percent of the market share.  Florida does not grow enough pumpkins to rank.

Sweet Corn. Corn is a favorite just about any time of year, but it’s a common harvest icon, which coincides with Thanksgiving’s harvest themes. Florida and California continually vie for the top spot. In 2016, California had 24.6 percent of the fresh sweet corn market, and Florida had 24.1 percent.

Cranberries. Cranberry relish and cranberry sauce are staples at Thanksgiving. Wisconsin leads with 60.7 percent of the market; Florida does not grow enough cranberries to rank.

Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potato pie is the favorite Thanksgiving dish of many people. Florida is fourth in sweet potato production with 5.8 percent of the market, and North Carolina leads with 48.5 percent.

Potatoes. Though mashed potatoes are a common dinner side, they are also made for Thanksgiving dinner. Florida ranks 11th in the potato industry with 3.1 percent of the market, while Idaho is first with 24.1 percent.

We at Griffin Fertilizer would like to thank those in Florida agriculture. We hope you spend this day with family and friends seeing the rewards of your labor that we all reap.

Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.

 

Photo courtesy of George GrimmHowell.