N.C.'s time to shine ... still

One of our favorite pastimes here is to gloat about the importance of North Carolina agriculture and "exports" during the holidays. It's hard to argue, after all. 

Think of your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, and there's a very good chance a large part of it hails from our state. 

To wit:

1. N.C. ranks first in the nation in sweet potatoes/sweetpotatoes
2. We are second in turkey production
3. We rank third in pork production
4. We are also fourth in broilers (chickens)
5. When it comes to pecans, N.C. ranks fifth.

And though you can't eat them, Christmas tree production continues to be a major economic engine here, particularly in the western part of the state. North Carolina traditionally is among the top 2 states for trees. 

Speaking of ... if you can, by all means support WNC tree farmers this year and buy a real tree.  

Image courtesy of FeedtheDialogue.com

DYK? Sweetpotato is one word

One source of pride in our state is how integral the state's agricultural and food resources are to the holidays, as we have noted before. 

It's almost impossible to have a Thanksgiving meal without some part of North Carolina touching the dinner table. 

• Turkeys!
• Christmas trees!
• Ham!
• and ....
• SWEETPOTATOES.

What's that? We spelled that last one wrong? Not so fast, my friend.

According to John Hart with Southeast Farm Press, the one-word spelling is correct since the "industry says is not a potato, but a root vegetable. The one-word name sweetpotato, Hart tells us, is more scientifically correct."

In fact, the official NC Sweetpotato website states the same:

The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission deliberately spells sweetpotato  as one word unless directly quoting a source where it is spelled as two words  i.e., sweet potato).  The one-word spelling was officially adopted by the National Sweetpotato Collaborators in 1989.  Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) must not be confused in the minds of shippers, distributors, warehouse workers, and above all consumers with the equally unique and distinctive potato (Solanum tuberosum) or the yam (Dioscorea sp.) which are also grown and marketed commercially in the United States. Please join us in using the scientific one-word spelling of our state vegetable, the North Carolina Sweetpotato!

There ya have it. Enjoy that sweetpotato pie this Thanksgiving!

Happy holidays from N.C.!

Thanksgiving is this week, so now is as good a time as any to reflect on the many ways the Old North State impacts the holiday season ... namely through agriculture and forestry products.

It's almost impossible to have a Thanksgiving meal without some part of North Carolina touching the dinner table. To wit ...

In a streak that would make John Wooden's UCLA basketball run look "ok," North Carolina has dominated the production of sweet potatoes since ... 1971! This is mostly due to the "hot, moist climate and rich, fertile soil [that is] ideal for cultivating" sweet potatoes. According to USDA data, N.C. harvested nearly 95,000 acres of sweet potatoes in 2016, nearly 30,000 more acres than California, Louisiana and Mississippi combined!

North Carolina is the second largest turkey-producing state in the nation (behind Minnesota). Gobble gobble, y'all!

Maybe you prefer ham this holiday season? North Carolina is in the top four when it comes to pork production.

And, finally, some of y'all early birds already have your Christmas trees up. There's a great chance it came from North Carolina whether you live here or not. Nationally, N.C. ranks second (behind Oregon) in tree production; however, the Tar Heel State is first traditionally when it comes to Fraser firs. And as if that's not good enough, more White House Christmas Trees have come from our fair state than any other.


(Photo by Craig Adderly, Pexels.com)

It's the holiday season, y'all!

We like to puff our collective chest out here in North Carolina. And mostly for good reason. One area in which our fair state excels is agriculture. And this time of year, boy oh boy, is it a good ag time of the year.

As we are on the cusp of Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's a good time to take stock of where N.C. ranks among the typical holiday trimmings, such as turkey, sweet potatoes and even the literal trimmings (Christmas trees).

How does N.C. rank?
Sweet potatoes -- We're No. 1! We're No. 1! In fact, half of the U.S. supply of sweet potatoes come from our state.
Turkeys -- The Old North State is currently second, behind Minnesota.
Christmas trees -- No. 2 behind Oregon.
Pork (Ham) -- Also second. However, Duplin and Sampson counties are the top two hog-producing counties in the United States.

Nothing Compares. Indeed.

[Image from Pinterest]

It's the most North Carolina time of the year

(Since I'm lazy and just copying my own past posts, the numbers may be old and in need of updating. Paging geeks and stat wonks!)

This is quite honestly one of our "go-to" blog posts each year, but it's for a good reason. As we've said before, the time from around Thanksgiving to the end of the year could quite possibly be called North Carolina's Time to Shine.

[A]s you're digging into turkey and sweet potatoes, and decorating that Christmas tree, you are probably doing some of the best economic support for the Old North State that is possible. And the good news is that families all across the rest of the nation are doing it too.
We published this a few years ago. While the numbers may be off some, they're probably not off by that much.

At that time, the state was the second-largest turkey-producing state after Minnesota. (And probably is still.)
And then there are the sweet potatoes.

North Carolina has been the number one producer of sweet potatoes in the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture. "Today more than 40% of the natinal [sic] supply of sweet potatoes comes from North Carolina."

And, finally, the holiday season closes out with Christmas trees.

"The North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested and first in the nation in terms of dollars made per tree," according to the N.C. Christmas Tree Association.

"The North Carolina Fraser fir has been judged the Nation's best through a contest sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association and chosen for the official White House Christmas tree nine times (more than any other species) 1971, 1973, 1982, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2005, and 2007 [and 2008]."

AN UPDATE! The News & Observer just today has an article about how this has been a "bumper crop" year for North Carolina's Christmas tree industry.

Let's go to reporter (and fantastic neighbor) Josh Shaffer:

North Carolina counts 1,600 growers turning out roughly 5 million trees a year, a statistic that ranks the state’s harvest second nationwide behind Oregon. This year’s 19-foot White House tree came from Peak Farms in Ashe County. ... 

Farm income from Christmas trees totaled $85 million last year, though analysts say prices have been trending down for several years due to competition from fakes.

Real-tree dealers face heavy competition from artificial trees, which coupled with the down economy has put pressure on lower prices, said John Frampton, forestry professor at N.C. State University. But the industry expects the same slow uptick that much of the economy is seeing.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/28/2512301/theres-a-bumper-crop-of-christmas.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/28/2512301/theres-a-bumper-crop-of-christmas.html#storylink=cpy

So there ya go. Happy ThanksgiviNg and Christmas, everyone!

It's the most N.C. time of the year

We typically highlight this just about every year on this blog (though we apparently forgot to last year -- sorry!), but right around Thanksgiving is when we start to get into the most N.C. time of the year?

What does that mean? you ask? Well, first of all, thanks for asking. What it means is as you're digging into turkey and sweet potatoes, and decorating that Christmas tree, you are probably doing some of the best economic support for the Old North State that is possible. And the good news is that families all across the rest of the nation are doing it too.

We published this a few years ago. While the numbers may be off some, they're probably not off by that much.

At that time, the state was the second-largest turkey-producing state after Minnesota. (And probably is still.)

And then there are the sweet potatoes.

North Carolina has been the number one producer of sweet potatoes in the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture. "Today more than 40% of the natinal [sic] supply of sweet potatoes comes from North Carolina."

And, finally, the holiday season closes out with Christmas trees.

"The North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested and first in the nation in terms of dollars made per tree," according to the N.C. Christmas Tree Association.

"The North Carolina Fraser fir has been judged the Nation's best through a contest sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association and chosen for the official White House Christmas tree nine times (more than any other species) 1971, 1973, 1982, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2005, and 2007 [and 2008]."

Update: According to this article, N.C. is still second for Christmas trees. Damn you, Oregon! We're gunning for ya!

It's the most N.C. time of the year

I meant to reference this subject last week -- you know, BEFORE Thanksgiving -- but, alas, t'is better late than never.

Granted, these numbers are a couple of years old (too much work to research the new ones), but the point is still valid.

"I've always found it somewhat fascinating that beginning with Thanskgiving, millions of Americans will indulge in goods that are dominated by the state of North Carolina," yours truly wrote almost [two years ago] ...

At that time, the state was the second-largest turkey-producing state after Minnesota. (And probably is still.)

And then there are the sweet potatoes.

North Carolina has been the number one producer of sweet potatoes in the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture. "Today more than 40% of the natinal [sic] supply of sweet potatoes comes from North Carolina."

And, finally, the holiday season closes out with Christmas trees.

"The North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested and first in the nation in terms of dollars made per tree," according to the N.C. Christmas Tree Association.

"The North Carolina Fraser fir has been judged the Nation's best through a contest sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association and chosen for the official White House Christmas tree nine times (more than any other species) 1971, 1973, 1982, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2005, and 2007 [and 2008]."

N.C. as the center of the universe -- '07 edition

We wrote last year that, if you think about it, North Carolina plays such an important part on the holiday season.

"I've always found it somewhat fascinating that beginning with Thanskgiving, millions of Americans will indulge in goods that are dominated by the state of North Carolina," yours truly wrote almost a year ago today.

At that time, the state was the second-largest turkey-producing state after Minnesota. (And probably is still.)

And then there are the sweet potatoes.

North Carolina has been the number one producer of sweet potatoes in the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture. "Today more than 40% of the natinal [sic] supply of sweet potatoes comes from North Carolina."

And, finally, the holiday season closes out with Christmas trees.

"The North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested and first in the nation in terms of dollars made per tree," according to the N.C. Christmas Tree Association.

"The North Carolina Fraser fir has been judged the Nation's best through a contest sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association and chosen for the official White House Christmas tree nine times (more than any other species) 1971, 1973, 1982, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2005, and 2007."

A 20-foot Fraser was chosen this year for W's house.