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Turkey stealing the show
It truly is about being thankful. No matter what your version is of our nation's first Thanksgiving season, today we should use it as a time to be thankful--not only for a bountiful supply of healthy, safe food, but for all of the aspects of our life that we take for granted. The turkey in some ways has certainly become the animal that we can use to gather around and give thanks. It could be said that, according to Ben Franklin's wishes, the turkey should have been our nation's symbol instead of the bald eagle. Well, you must admit that if 27 percent of the total turkey consumption occurs on three holidays, the three days of the year that our families are closest together, it is the turkey that should be the center of attention. A few interesting turkey facts that you may not know: In 2006, the average American ate 16.9 pounds of turkey. Ninety percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving. Turkey consumption has increased 108 percent since 1970. In 2006, turkey was the number four protein choice for American consumers behind chicken, beef and pork. The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds. A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat. About 50 years ago, Kansas turkey breeder Frank Reese Jr., 50, had a concern about the lack of diversity in the breeds of turkeys being raised in commercial production. As commercial flocks have focused on the demand for consistent, high quality turkey, the industry has generally produced a specific breed--putting other breeds at risk for extinction. Reese and his Heritage Turkey Project garner national attention about this time every year. This is one of the few times that people are willing to feed both the story and the nutritious protein to their friends and family. The demand for heritage turkeys continues to grow, to the point where people are already placing their orders for Thanksgiving 2008. Price is not a major purchase point decision with these folks, either. A heritage turkey costs $7 per pound to purchase. After the addition of shipping costs, it is not hard to have $20/lb invested in this holiday dinner turkey. I am not at all critical of anyone who wants to do this. In fact, the more people are willing to pay ,the better off we all are. More and more people are willing to pay premium prices for premium turkeys and their scarcity only adds to their cachet. Scott Beyer, an associate professor of animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, estimates that there are 300 or fewer small-scale heritage turkey farms in the entire United States. All of that information actually makes more sense to me than what the President of the United States does by "pardoning" a turkey. Last week, a live turkey was presented to President George W. Bush, who actually sent the bird to Walt Disney World with a red carpet entry. Visitors to the Magic Kingdom can see the bird on Thanksgiving Day. It will also serve as grand marshal of the holiday parade, before joining the resort's permanent live-animal collection. Once again, elected officials are completely disconnected from reality. The fact that demand for Heritage turkeys is on the rise is so that our nation can get back closer to the origins of food. Meanwhile our nation's president sees fit to give a turkey the opportunity to be a grand marshal in a parade. As a point of clarification, the Presidential Pardon does not date back 60 years, as the press continues to report. But, in fact, President Ronald Reagan was the first to use the word pardon in a sentence regarding the turkey given to him by the National Turkey Federation. It was the first President George Bush who held a press conference to grant an official Presidential Pardon to a fowl meant to be served up with stuffing and cranberry sauce. The pardoned turkey lives for less than six months, after his missed opportunity to be the center of attention and to proudly serve in the role he was born to carry out, so why deny him that pleasure? There is nothing foul about the fact that the citizens of the United States of America have much to be thankful for. We continue to have the safest, most affordable and abundant supply of food in the world and we continue to have ready, willing and able citizens willing to risk their lives in the military to protect our freedom. So, to reiterate my initial sentiments in agreement with Ben Franklin, it might be fitting that the turkey be the symbol of pride in America, because it is the turkey that seems to be the center of attention on this special day of Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving! Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com. Date: 11/21/07
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