Sifter

Thanksgiving is here, and it’s time to do the annual American gorge-and-sleep routine. So what kind of production goes into ensuring that the United States is united in turkey feasting? Well, the preliminary estimate of turkeys raised in the U.S. in 2004 is 263 million—and that’s no baloney. Here are some other T-Day statistics compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The value of U.S. imports of live turkeys, almost all from Canada, between January and July 2004: $11.4 million

The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2004: 658 million pounds

The total weight of sweet potatoes produced in the U.S. in 2003: 1.6 billion pounds

Total production of major pumpkin-producing states, which include Illinois, California and Ohio, in 2003: 805 million pounds

The total volume of wheat, used in bread, rolls and pies, produced in the United States in 2004: 2.2 billion bushels

Quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American, most likely around Thanksgiving, in 2002: 14 pounds

Cost per pound of a frozen whole turkey in December 2003: $1.05 per pound

Number of places in the United States named after the traditional Thanksgiving main course: Three: Turkey, Texas, Turkey Creek, La., and Turkey, N.C.