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8 Ag Families-Fall Turkey Typically many consumers purchase a turkey from a local grocery store. Store-bought turkeys come from farms where a hen a fe- male turkey lays an egg while housed in the layer house. The egg is then collected and in- cubated for 28 days until it hatches. Once the poult the young turkey hatches it is sorted based on the sex of the animal. Once the sex is determined it will be sent to a farm within the first 24 hours. Poults remain on this farm until they reach market age and weight. On the farm young turkey start out in a brooder house a barn for poults and stay there until about eight weeks of age. Once the birds have grown too big for the brooder house they are split into two groups in two separate build- ings called the Grow-out Building. When the turkeys have reached 20 weeks old or about 40 pounds for a tom male adult turkey they are now in market range and are sent to the pro- cessing plant. When in the processing plant the birds are randomly sampled to ensure qual- ity and safety of the animal. A whole hen will weigh approximately 16 pounds after process- ing with 70 percent consisting of white meat and 30 percent dark meat. The toms will weigh more than the hens. Turkeys that are pur- chased can be conventional free range antibi- otic free or organic. Although many may prefer buying a store- bought turkey others still prefer the more his- toric approach of hunting down their Thanks- giving centerpiece and enjoying the pride of providing for their family. The greater debate may not be how they received their turkey but how they prepare it baked deep fried grilled marinated and the list goes on. Yams Yams are a special crop that require almost a year to develop. Yams are often mistaken for sweet potatoes but yams have a longer grow- ing season and are grown in Africa and Asia be- cause its are a sub-tropical plant. Yams are then imported into the United States. Yams can be as small as regular potatoes or grow to be as large as 5 feet long. Yams are typically peeled boiled and mashed or dried to be ground and cooked into porridge. Sweet pota- toes grow from about 100 to 150 days and are grown primarily in the southern states how- ever North Carolina is the number one produc- ing state of sweet potatoes in the U.S. Sweet potatoes are usually peeled and boiled or baked. Potatoes Potatoes are the leading vegetable crop in the United States. For many people mashed potatoes or some form of potatoes are a main- stay for meals in the South. Potatoes are grown year round however 90 percent of the production harvested in the fall from what is planted in the spring. Seed potatoes are cut from sprouted whole potatoes usually certified seed potatoes and planted with their eyes up in rows. The top producing state is Idaho fol- lowed by Washington Wisconsin Colorado and North Dakota. Stuffing Stuffing is a side dish that finds its way on many tables during the Thanksgiving holiday. There isnt much information about how it made its grand entrance to the feast but some believe it was due to needing support for the birds hollowness after being cooked. Others believe the turkey was once stuffed with veg- etables to fill the hollow parts of the turkey. Stuffing can be cooked on the stovetop or in- side the turkey. Most stuffing recipes include herbs spices vegetables bread crumbs and some kind of liquid such as chicken broth stock or pan drippings. As you sit down to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade or a football game or settle in for a nap after all that turkey take a moment to be thankful. Whether its being thankful for your faith your family your freedom or the farmer who produced the food on your table you are fortunate and have so much to be grateful for. HowThanksgiving dinnerget sfromthefarmtothetable Foodfo r thought BY OLIVIA CLARK As you sit down to enjoy a feast at Thanksgiving have you thought about where the turkey and all the fixins come from Not only are there many people who dont know where all the delicious details of Thanksgiving dinner are grown but many dont know how it arrived on their plate. Take a look at the turkey and a few of Americas favorite sides to keep things a lit- tle more in perspective this holiday season.