WILLMAR, Minn. — Jennie-O Turkey Store has shared an image of the turkeys that will soon be traveling to Washington, D.C., as candidates to be named the National Thanksgiving Turkey. The two Jennie-O turkeys will be pardoned by President Biden as part of the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey tradition.
As previously reported by the West Central Tribune, the two turkeys, raised in Minnesota on a Jennie-O farm, will retire to a University of Minnesota Farm at its Twin Cities campus. This will help to show the importance of agricultural education and give students in the Department of Animal Science a better understanding of the turkey industry. At the University, the turkeys will receive daily care and access to veterinary services.
ADVERTISEMENT
Steve Lykken, president of Jennie-O Turkey Store and also a group vice president of parent company Hormel Foods, will present the turkeys to President Biden alongside a team of live production leaders at Jennie-O.
Lykken is also the current chairman of the National Turkey Federation, which selects the National Thanksgiving Turkey. The National Turkey Federation has overseen the tradition for more than 70 years, though the tradition was formalized in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush. The National Thanksgiving Turkey and the alternate are generally named by via White House contest.
The National Thanksgiving Turkey has helped to give another tradition to Thanksgiving, and another opportunity for people to reflect on the meaning of the holiday, according to Jennie-O Turkey Store Vice President of Live Production Jose Rojas.
The Trust Project
