Source: NCDA&CS, 6/13/18

Summer may officially start next week, but across the state the boys of summer have been filling stadiums with cheering fans for months. Agriculture figures pretty prominently in baseball from the uniforms to the snacks to the field. Check out a few facts below:

• Most uniforms are cotton-based. Cash receipts from cotton production in North Carolina were $159.6 million. The leading cotton-producing counties are Halifax, Northampton and Stanly.
• Baseballs and gloves use cowhide. One cowhide can provide 12 fielding gloves or 144 baseballs.
• Baseball bats are made from wood. The most popular trees used are maple, ash and birch.
• Hot Dogs are made from pork and beef. Carolina Packers in Smithfield produces Brightleaf hot dogs, which are the red hot dogs. The company celebrated 75 years in 2016.
• Finally, it’s hard to go to the ballgame without picking up a bag of peanuts. Chances are good that peanuts you pick up at the stadium were grown right here in North Carolina. Many Major League Baseball teams use Hampton Farms peanuts in Severn so look for the Got to Be NC logo on the bag. North Carolina peanut growers produced 342 million pounds of peanuts in 2016, which ranks us sixth in the nation in production. Leading peanut producing counties are Martin, Pitt, Halifax, Bertie, Edgecombe and Hertford. Most N.C. peanut farmers grow the Virginia-type peanut which are most often sold as cocktail peanuts or as the in-shell peanuts that are popular at ballgames.
• Sod producers are responsible for the green, healthy grass on the fields. Bermuda grass is the dominate choice for most baseball fields. Check out N.C. State University’s turf selector to find out the best sod for your field or home.

Our Got to Be NC Marketing program also hosts promotions with the Greensboro Grasshoppers and the Down East Wood Ducks in Kinston. Look for these promotions if you take in a game.  Our state is lucky to be home to 11 minor league teams. 

Finally, if you get a chance, thank a farmer for their role in America’s favorite past time.