The Turkey On Your Thanksgiving Table Is Probably From North Carolina
When you think of agriculture from the Tar Heel State, you might think cotton, tobacco or chickens. But let’s talk turkey. The turkey on your Thanksgiving table is probably from North Carolina.
Poultry is huge business in our state. You can’t argue with facts. According to the North Carolina Poultry Federation, poultry ranks number one in the industry and created hundreds of thousands of jobs. According to our source, The Shelby Star, 148,000 people are employed in the poultry agriculture industry in North Carolina. It has an economic impact of almost 40 billion dollars.
Chickens and turkeys tally up to almost 50 percent of North Carolina’s farms. The Shelby Star tells us that 5,700 families in North Carolina are poultry farmers. We love our chicken and we love our turkeys. North Carolina ranked second in the United States for turkey production. Other top turkey producing states are Minnesota, Arkansas, Indiana,Missouri,Virginia,Iowa, and California.
State veterinarian Dr. Mike Martin is reported in the Shelby Star, “It’s an incredibly important industry to North Carolina, one that we’re involved in all segments of the market, and it’s one that we work with industry very closely to protect and develop,”.
Turkey tracking started in North Carolina in 1929 officially. Turkeys, of course, have been produced here since North Carolina was a colony. The turkey on your Thanksgiving table is probably from North Carolina. To learn more get details from the Shelby Star right here.
4 Types Of People You Will Find At Thanksgiving Turkey Trot
Prior to sitting at the table and indulging in an extravagant meal, it has become a tradition in many communities to partake in the annual Thanksgiving 5K. Perhaps you have to earn your forthcoming calorie intake! The Thanksgiving Turkey Trot race is also where you find four extraordinary kinds of people who enter this road race for very different purposes.
To take an overarching look at this holiday, Thanksgiving offers a coming home of all sorts. College students return to their stomping grounds to showcase how cool they have gotten in a matter of weeks. The person who you once knew as the quietest person in the room, is now a candidate for the loudest. Then, you have those who partied a bit too much the night before, and have no business running down the block, much less in a “race.” In fact, they may not even remember they were in just a few short hours. Let’s not forget those that also believe the Turkey Trot is a performance stage. Whether it’s to flex your running skills or outfit skills, clearly this race is for all eyes to be on you.
On Your Mark, Get Set… Hold On
Yes, much of this feature is tongue-in-cheek. However, most of these Thanksgiving 5k races take place within a tight-knit neighborly community. Furthermore, in the spirit of giving, often they benefit a great cause. For example, it can be a local non-profit, or as a benefit in the honor of a local hero. Still many participants show up to have a fun time. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. Yet, let’s not lose sight of the hard work organizers put forth in an effort to achieve a goal. Ultimately, that is to impact something near-and-dear to your area.
In no particular order, here are the four types of people you will run, bump, stumble into, or hide from at this year’s Thanksgiving Turkey Trot.