The Fourth of July has become synonymous with the barbecues and summer fun. While there are numerous variations on the menu for an Independence Day cookout, you can almost count on traditional favorites such as hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken, ribs, garden salads, potato salad, chips and watermelon. When you tuck in to that all-American fare this weekend, remember to thank the truck drivers and logistics professionals who made it possible:
- There’s a 1-in-6 chance the beef on your backyard grill came from Texas. The Lone Star State is the leader in the production of cattle and calves.
- The chicken on your barbecue grill probably came from one of the top broiler-producing states: Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina and Mississippi.
- The lettuce in your salad or on your hamburger was mostly likely grown in California, where nearly three-fourths of all USA-produced lettuce is grown.
- Your fresh tomatoes most likely came from Florida or California, the states responsible for more than two-thirds of U.S. tomatoes.
- 95% of the ketchup we pour on our hamburgers and hot dogs is processed in California.
- As for potato salad, potato chips or fries, Idaho and Washington produce about one-half of the nation’s spuds.
- Having watermelon for dessert? Six states – California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Arizona and Indiana – produce about 80% of our country’s watermelons.
- And the apples in your apple pie? They most likely came from Washington or New York, the two top apple-producing states.
I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering already! The entire Matchmaker team wishes you a happy, safe, and delicious Fourth of July weekend. Stay tuned for our next Thought for the Weekend on Friday, July 12th. Meanwhile, enjoy this story that perfectly illustrates how our patriotism is linked to summer fun:
Stan took his four-year-old son, Nick, to several baseball games where the national anthem was sung before the start of each game. When the father and son attended church the Sunday before Independence Day, the congregation sang “The Star-Spangled Banner”. After everyone sat down, little Nick suddenly yelled out at the top of his lungs, ‘Pla-aaaay ball!’
God Bless America this weekend (and always),
~Bob
