Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 19, 1992 TAG: 9203190012
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JOE HUNNINGS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
If you're like the folks questioned in a recent national survey, half of you said wheat.
That's right. A recent Gallup Poll revealed that when it comes to the origins of their food, Americans aren't exactly outstanding in their fields. Not only do half of us think oatmeal is made of wheat (it's made from oats, in case you wondered), but half of us don't realize white bread is made from wheat.
Our ignorance makes sense to some degree: Fewer than five of every 100 Americans now grow up on a farm. Most of us think food simply comes from a supermarket.
The following quiz - you can't flunk, don't worry - is aimed at teaching all of us a little bit more about agriculture today. This is an appropriate time, since this is Virginia Agriculture Week.
The next time those Gallup people call you up, you can answer with confidence that yes, rice cakes are definitely made of rice.
\ How much corn in a bag of corn chips? Yes, corn chips are made of corn - about 62 percent corn, 75 percent if they're tortilla-style. Yet when you plunk down your $2.49 for a 16-ounce bag, only about 25 cents goes back to the farmer. More goes to the folks who produced the oil they were fried in than to the guy who grew the corn.
\ How big is an acre? An acre is 43,560 square feet - a football field without the end zones.
\ How many 16-ounce bags of corn chips can you get from an acre of corn? About 5,600 bags. The U.S. States harvests 6.9 billion bushels of corn every year, enough to supply every man, woman and child with an eight-ounce bag of corn chips daily.
\ Which U.S. state produces the most milk annually? Hint: It's not Alaska. Wisconsin is the winner, and Virginia is 19th in milk production.
\ What's America's favorite dessert? Ice cream. Each of us eats about of 14.3 quarts of it each year; our favorite flavors are vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan and strawberry, in that order.
\ Which has more vitamin C, an orange or a bell pepper? Believe it or not, the bell pepper has more vitamin C.
\ How many farmers are there in the U.S. today? There are 2.1 million farms, and if you figure at least two people earning a living on each of those farms, you'd have 4.2 million farmers, about the population of Louisiana. A farmer today grows enough food to feed 120 people; in 1957, one farmer grew enough for 27 people.
\ How many ears of corn in a hamburger? Wait a minute. You thought you knew hamburgers were made of beef. You're right - but most beef cattle are finished on grain, and there are about four ears of corn represented in just one burger.
\ How many burgers do you get from one cow? About 1,600 quarter-pounders come from an average 1,100-pound steer.
\ Why are dairy cows always black and white? It's not because they belong in old-time movies. The familiar white-with-black splotched cows are Holsteins, the most popular dairying bred because they give the most milk per cow - about 4.5 gallons per day.
\ Which of these products provides the most cash income to Virginia farmers - tobacco, cattle and calves, cash grain? Cattle and calves is the correct answer, producing more than $408 million in cash receipts in 1990.
\ How many eggs does an average hen lay in a year? Forty years ago, an average hen laid 100 eggs a year. Today's chickens have more than doubled that average, producing about 240 eggs a year.
\ What's America's favorite fresh fruit? The average American eats more bananas - about 25 pounds a year - than any other fruit.
\ What food has grown the most in popularity over the past 20 years? President Bush may not like the answer, but it's fresh broccoli. Consumption increased 940 percent to about 3.5 pounds per person per year.
\ How much does a family of four spend for food per week? The typical family of four spends $100 a week, with $23 of that going for meals away from home. Altogether, Americans spend 10 percent of their disposable incomes on food, one of the lowest proportions in the world.
\ In 1990, Virginia ranked seventh in the country in apple production. Which Virginia county produced the most? With more than 81 million pounds harvested, the Shenandoah Valley's Frederick County was apple champ.
\ Where can you buy the cheapest sirloin steak in the world? Brasilia, Brazil, is the winner, with sirloin there costing just $1.25 a pound. The most expensive steak is in Tokyo, at a wallet-breaking $28.88 per pound.
\ What Virginia county ranks first in farm income? 1987 census information says Rockingham is first in the state with a farm income of more than $277 million.
\ How many sweaters do you get from one sheep? Five sweaters can be made from one sheep's annual wool.
\ What is the average size of Virginia farm? It's 196 acres, with an average value of $1,295 per acre.
by CNB