Championship Sunday Menu: Football, Food and Farming

Regardless of which team you’re rooting for, your football party will be the real winner this Sunday thanks to a team of 2 million farm families working on your behalf. Pro football championship Sunday ranks among the top days of the year for food consumption in the United States. As you watch your favorite team and eat your favorite snacks, here are some facts about how that food makes it to your home.

• Almost 1.5 billion chicken wings are consumed during the big game, according to the National Chicken Council. More than 164,000 farms raise chickens and eggs.
• More than 8 million pounds of corn tortilla chips will be eaten during the game. The United States is the world’s largest corn producer, at more than 15 billion bushels a year.
• Pizza ranks in the top three of all gameday snacks. Where does the crust come from? Farmers plant almost 50 million acres of wheat every year, which is also used in breads, cookies, pretzels and cakes.
• America’s families purchase more than 25 million pounds of cheese for the big game, according to estimates by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Dairy cows produce more than 226 billion pounds of milk every year.
• Veggie trays are the lowest calorie snack among the favorites, with tomatoes often featured. The average person in America consumes 31.4 pounds of tomatoes per year. It’s the second-most consumed vegetable, behind potatoes.

Farmers are meeting the food needs of America’s families while continually improving the land and water for future generations. They have voluntarily enrolled 140 million acres in conservation programs. That’s more than the size of California and New York combined.

“Farmers are proud to grow the food America’s families rely on for Championship Sunday, and every other day of the year,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “We all benefit from one of the most affordable and abundant food supplies in the world. It’s made possible by hardworking farm families and supported by strong agricultural policies in the farm bill. As we all enjoy this year’s big game, we encourage lawmakers to get a new farm bill past the goal line and bring a win home to every family in America.”