See also: Massachusetts Food Festivals

MASSACHUSETTS TRIVIA & FACTS

FARMS & FARMERS
Massachusetts: land area of 4,992,934 acres.
Farmland is 517,879 acres or 10.4% of total land.
Organic agriculture accounts for about 4,099 acres.
Number of Farms: 7,691
Principle Farm Operators:
Men: 5,465 Women: 2,226
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
[2007-2008 latest available data]

POPULATION & HUNGER
Massachusetts has a total population of: 6,587,536
Urban population: 6,560,628
Rural population: 26,908
Food insecure households*: 11.9%
Households with very low food security*: 4.5%
*Food insecurity - Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Very low food security - At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
(Population & Food Security data: 2011)

In 2003 the Boston Cream Donut was designated as the Official Donut of Massachusetts, and Boston Cream Pie is the Official State Dessert (Designated on 12/12/1996).

The first Dunkin Donuts and the first Howard Johnson's were both in Quincy, Massachusetts.

The official state cookie of Massachusetts is the chocolate chip cookie, invented in 1930 at the Toll House Restaurant (designated in 1997).

The Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) was made the official state berry in 1994, and Cranberry juice is the official state beverage of Massachusetts (designated on 5/4/1970).

The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2008 is 689 million pounds, up 5 percent from 2007 and slightly below 2006. Wisconsin is expected to lead all states in the production of cranberries, with 385 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts (190 million). US Census Bureau, October, 2008

When the first colonists migrated to North America, they brought apple seeds with them. The first recorded planting was in 1629 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In 1996 Johnny Appleseed was recognized as the Official Folk Hero of Massachusetts.

The navy bean is the official Bean of Massachusettes, and in 1993 the state legislature declared it the original bean of Boston Baked Beans

The official state fish of Massachusetts is the Cod fish. It has been a symbol of the Commonwealth for more than 200 years.

The Wild Turkey was designated the state game bird of Massachusetts on December 23, 1991.

The corn muffin was designated the official state muffin of Massachusetts in 1986.

In 1974 the Lady Bug was designated as the Official State Insect of Massachusetts.

World's Largest Pancake Breakfast
In 1986, an event that bills itself as the World's Largest Pancake Breakfast was revived for the 350th anniversary of Springfield, Massachusetts. The breakfast has been held every year since then. Hundreds of volunteers help with the event. In 1999, more than 71,233 servings of pancakes were served to more than 40,000 people. If you stacked up all those pancakes, they'd be more than 2 miles high!
Library of Congress Local Legacies Project

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