Giving Thanks to North Carolina
Giving Thanks to North Carolina
The Tarheel state is a top producer of Thanksgiving menu items
North Carolina has continually been one of the top producers in the nation for some of the most popular Thanksgiving Day menu items such as sweet potatoes and the main dish - turkey.
The Tarheel state has led the country in sweet potato production for over 50 years, producing around 61% of all U.S. sweet potatoes. Unsurprisingly, this year North Carolina once again ranks first in the nation for sweet potatoes ahead of California and Mississippi.
According to the USDA, Farmers in North Carolina hauled in 1.8 billion pounds of sweet potatoes in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That huge harvest accounted for 64 percent of all sweet potatoes grown nationwide.
Fun fact: Since 1989 the NC SweetPotato Commission has spelled sweet potato as one word unless used as a quote that spells it as two words.
As far as the main dish, North Carolina ranks second in the nation for turkey production per the NC Poultry Council.
Just how many turkeys does the number two state in the nation produce? According to statistics maintained by the National Turkey Federation, North Carolina turned out 30 million turkeys in 2021.
North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) announced that, for the first time, CALS will be home to the official National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate after they are presented to President Biden during the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation at the White House on Nov. 21.
More To The Story
Thanksgiving Day wasn’t an official celebration in North Carolina until 1849.
In 1848, North Carolina Governor William A. Graham asked the state legislature to institute an annual remembrance day “for the forgiveness of injuries—for acts of good neighborhood and especially for the charitable remembrance of the Poor.”
The legislature issued a joint resolution recognizing Thanksgiving in January 1849. Later that year on Nov. 15, Governor Charles Manly proclaimed that day would be known as the state’s first Thanksgiving.
The first proclamation of a Thanksgiving celebration dates back much earlier to 1777. That year, the state’s first governor, Richard Caswell, received a request from lawmakers who were meeting in Philadelphia at the time to join in a “general thanksgiving to Almighty God.”
Caswell delivered a proclamation that Nov. 28, 1777, would be known as a day of “General and Solemn Thanksgiving.” A celebration was later held in New Bern on Dec. 18.
Other proclamations for a Thanksgiving holiday were made in April 1758 by Governor Arthur Dobbs. He designated that June 7 would be observed by colonists as a day to give thanks to God” in the midst of surrounding impending dangers.”
Dobbs issued another proclamation in 1758 for a public Thanksgiving on the first Wednesday in December. In 1759, he announced Oct. 31 would be a day for giving thanks.
Thanksgiving observances continued to change dates in North Carolina as well as in other states until the first nationally recognized Thanksgiving was established in 1784 following the end of the Revolutionary war. The original day chosen was Nov. 26.
The final date which we now celebrate - the last Thursday in November - was put into place by President Abraham Lincoln.
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