More than 1 in 4: The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages you purchase originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 17.6 million market hogs and pigs on March 1, 2008. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation's total. North Carolina (9 million) and Minnesota (6.7 million) were the runners-up.
6.8 billion pounds: Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2007. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation's total production. The other top beef-producing states are Nebraska (4.7 billion pounds) and Kansas (4.1 billion pounds).
6: The number of states in which the revenue from broiler chickens was $1 billion or greater between December 2006 and November 2007. Those states are Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau
