Northwest Iowa — Northwest Iowa is sending some turkeys to Washington, DC. No, that’s not a commentary on the recent elections — it’s a big honor for the state’s turkey industry.
Iowa Turkey Federation spokesperson, Hailey Grant, says a northwest Iowa farm will supply the turkeys for the annual ceremony where the president pardons the big birds before Thanksgiving.
She says the name of the farm and its owner are being kept secret until later this week for security reasons to keep animal rights groups and others from going to the farm. While a national election chooses the politicians who’re sent to White House, the selection of the presidential turkeys are picked by one person.
The process is a little more complicated for the turkey producers than picking out a couple of birds and sending them out east.
The turkeys that pass the test end up getting pardoned.
Grant says the honor is a big boost for the turkey industry after being hit so hard last year by the bird flu. She says Iowa’s industry has rebounded and is back to 100 percent production. Most of the turkeys raised in Iowa do not end up on the Thanksgiving table, they are used for meat in sandwiches in fast-food restaurants.
