Two very lucky Foster Farms turkeys made the cross country journey last week from Modesto to Washington, D.C. to be pardoned by President Obama as part of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony, held last Wednesday in the White House Rose Garden. In front of a small gathering of friends, officials and multiple news crews, the National Thanksgiving Turkey, Apple, was pardoned, and then pet by the President as his two daughters watched with interest.
Apple and his alternate, Cider, were then transported to Mount Vernon, Virginia, home of the first president, George Washington where they will live in a custom-made pen. The famous fowls will continue to live at Mount Vernon as part of their livestock program on the operating farm on the grounds.
The two tom, or male, turkeys were selected from a flock of The Nicholas Strain birds, a breed which originated in California's Sonoma Valley. Prized for their thick, white, smooth plumage and brightly colored heads, Apple and Cider were carefully hatched and grown from a flock of 25, then selected during a thorough selection process at Foster Farms' historic Wellsford Ranch. "They had the best plumage," said Yubert Envia, Chairman of the National Turkey Federation and Foster Farms VP of Turkey who hand-picked the finalists. "They had the nicest tail feathers. They walked and strutted pretty well. And the table manners — they sat on the table pretty well."
From more than 200 submitted sets of creative and clever names, only two were selected to name the official National Thanksgiving Turkey and his alternate. The winning names, Apple and Cider, were submitted by second grader Katrina MacKinnon and her classmates from Catherine Lake's second grade class at May Grisham Elementary School in Orcutt (Santa Barbara County), California.
Katrina and her class brainstormed names, and submitted the top turkey names from her class as part of a statewide contest being hosted on the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom website. The winning names were selected by The White House from a list of finalists honed down by the National Turkey Federation and Foster Farms. Congratulations to Katrina and her classmates!
With only one week until Thanksgiving, two very lucky turkeys will soon be selected to travel to our nation's capital to be pardoned by President Obama. These two toms (male turkeys), accompanied by National Turkey Federation President, Yubert Envia and Foster Farms turkey grower, Ira Brister, will board an United Airlines flight on Sunday (November 21) in San Francisco bound for Washington, D.C.
Be sure to tune in to CNN to watch the official live pardoning ceremony from the White House Rose Garden, where the turkey's names will also be revealed. More than 200 pairs of names were submitted for the Presidential Turkey and his alternate by California students, and could be selected by the White House as the official names of this year's pardoned birds.
In their last weeks before the cross-country trip to the White House, members of the Presidential Turkey flock were busy traveling to nine selected schools across the western United States for special school assemblies. Schools in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Modesto, Turlock, Livingston, and suburban Seattle, Washington were chosen to partake in the educational and entertaining assemblies.
New Resource!
Just in time for Thanksgiving, a new Presidential Turkey video is available to download and share with your students! This fun and fact-filled video highlights the history of the Presidential Turkey pardoning is an excellent supplement when using the Presidential Turkey Activity Guide.
Help make this Thanksgiving even more special by sharing this background information about these historic birds.
Download this video (18 MB, QuickTime)
What's the price tag on your turkey dinner?
Use the American Farm Bureau Federation article, "Cost of Classic Thanksgiving Dinner Up Slightly in 2010," to compile a Thanksgiving price index. Calculate the price index for a given year by comparing the current total meal cost to total meal cost in the base year (1986).
Example: (Current total meal cost/Base year total meal cost) x 100
Name the Presidential Turkey
The Presidential Turkey and his alternate are waiting to be named! Ask your students to think of creative names for the 2010 Presidential Turkeys to be pardoned this Thanksgiving by President Obama and enter them online to be considered for the official names of the turkeys. Past names include "Courage and Carolina," "Pumpkin and Pecan," "May and Flower" and "Flyer and Fryer." Names will be chosen by the White House. Entries must be received by November 8, 2010. www.learnaboutag.org/turkeytour/name.php
The Turkey Tour Begins!
The following California schools were selected to host a 2010 Presidential Turkey Assembly:
During the next two weeks, these schools will welcome the 2010 Presidential Turkey candidates, along with Ira Brister, Presidential Turkey Grower and Yubert Envia, chairman of the National Turkey Federation. Students will receive the activity guide, Presidential Turkey pencils and Stickers from Foster Farms, and learn all about turkeys and the historical significance of this American tradition. Congratulations!
Photo Gallery
Have you noticed how much the turkeys have grown? Check out the photo gallery to see their development since hatching on July 10.
Turkeys have been an important part of American history since the birth of our nation in 1776. Check out the Presidential Turkey Activity Guide to discover how the turkey has become a prominent part of American history and culture.
You'll learn all sorts of interesting facts, dating back centuries into our nation's history. For example, did you know that George Washington and Benjamin Franklin both lobbied for the turkey to become the national bird before the eagle was finally selected? Or that Thanksgiving used to fall on the third Thursday in November instead of the fourth Thursday?
And, you'll never guess which president began the tradition of officially pardoning the turkey each year!
These, and many more historical fun facts await you to enjoy at home or in the classroom.
The Presidential Turkey Activity Guide is hot off the press! The four-page, full-color guide, developed by California educators and in coordination with California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and Foster Farms, introduces students to the history of our nation's Presidential Turkey tradition and engages them with activities about the popular poultry. It is aligned to California state content standards for grades 4-6 in English-language arts, history-social science, math, science, and health education.
Download the guide (PDF).
Although the presidential turkey flock is raised in a similar environment and under similar circumstances as all Foster Farms turkeys, they do get some special experiences that prepare them for their interaction with the President.
Two weeks ago, the turkeys began the socialization process, to get them accustomed to their role as public figures. The turkeys are handled daily and trained to feel comfortable when taken in and out of a carrier and are also trained to sit calmly on a table. The presidential flock regularly listens to the radio to become familiar and comfortable with different voices and sounds.
Before Thanksgiving, the presidential turkey and one alternate will be selected for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony. The turkeys will be selected by the National Turkey Federation Chairman, Yubert Envia. Hand-chosen from the flock of 25, the two birds will be selected for both their physical traits and socializing ability.
Valued physical traits vary from breed to breed. The breed of this year's presidential turkeys is Nicholas Strain, which originated in California's Sonoma Valley and is prized for its thick, white, smooth plumage and brightly colored head.
As a class, discuss why it is essential that the selected turkeys are well-socialized. If you were trying to socialize a turkey, what special experiences would you expose it to?
Sincerely,
Ira Brister
This week, the poults (baby turkeys) passed an important milestone--they are five weeks old. As you can see from the photos, they are starting to look like turkeys (and not just balls of fluff!).
As a grower, I am responsible for keeping our birds safe and healthy, ensuring they make it the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony in November. An effective biosecurity program is one way I protect the turkeys and maintain their health. Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk the flock being infected by disease. A good biosecurity program is essential in all poultry growing operations.
Infectious diseases can be transported to the flock by a variety of methods, which may include people and equipment that have been exposed to sick birds, wild birds, wildlife, rodents, or insects. You might be surprised by how seriously we consider this risk! Some of the most common interventions used in the industry are wearing clean protective clothing and foot wear, using disinfection stations at entry points of the farm for people and equipment, visiting hand sanitizer stations, and providing shower facilities for all persons entering the farm. Biosecurity is important because our birds cannot "catch" something if they are never exposed to it in the first place.
This week, research the root words "bio" and "security." What do these words mean separately? What do they mean when paired together? Also, don't forget to enter your school into a drawing for a presidential turkey visit and assembly!
Sincerely,
Ira Brister
Enter to win a school-wide assembly featuring:
Students will meet the 2010 presidential turkey candidates and learn about the historical significance of this American tradition. Ira Brister and Yubert Envia will teach students about the process of raising turkeys.
**Teachers and administrators who enter to win must be able to provide an assembly setting for their school. Tentative assembly dates are Nov. 8, 9, 15 or 16, 2010. CFAITC will provide classroom resources to support this unique learning opportunity.
Entries must be received by October 1, 2010.
Enter online at www.learnaboutag.org/turkeytour/entryform.php.
Hi! My name is Ira Brister, and I have the privilege of raising the 2010 presidential turkey for Foster Farms this year! We have hand selected 25 poults (baby turkeys) that were hatched on July 10. From this flock, two birds will be selected to fly to Washington, D.C., and presented to President Obama for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony. My staff and I have been busy ensuring the presidential flock—like all other Foster Farms flocks—is happy, healthy and raised with care. Growing turkeys is a 24/7 job and is a responsibility we take very seriously. The days can be quite long on the farm depending on the stage of development the turkeys are in.
Temperature, ventilation, and easy access to clean feed and water are critical in getting a flock off to a good start. The first two weeks of the young poults' life must be monitored on a regular basis—both day and night. We walk through the house several times a day to ensure that the conditions of the house are optimal. Our ranches are located in the Central Valley where temperatures can fluctuate as much as 45-50 degrees on any given day, therefore, timely adjustments have to be made for the heating or cooling of the house. In addition to the automatic feeders and waterers, we also provide hand feeding and watering for the young birds. After an intense few weeks, the birds are well-adapted.
I hope you enjoy the photos of the young poults and continue to check Agriculture in the Classroom's site for updates, including a chance to win a presidential turkey assembly for your entire school!
Sincerely,
Ira Brister
This year, California's very own Foster Farms has the great distinction of raising the 2010 Presidential Turkeys and, come November, will be presenting the National Turkey to President Obama for the official Thanksgiving pardon—an historic American tradition that dates back to 1947. Over the next four months, Foster Farms grower Ira Brister and his team have the honor of overseeing growth and development of the Presidential Turkey and its flock.
This fall, Agriculture in the Classroom is excited to bring you a Presidential Turkey curriculum as well as a chance to have your school win a Presidential Turkey visit and meet with the grower and Chairman of the National Turkey Federation, who will be making the official presentation to President Obama. Six schools will be awarded with this special opportunity.
Foster Farms will showcase turkeys from the Presidential Turkey flock at the Stanislaus County Fair in Turlock (running July 16-25, 2010). We hope you will share our enthusiasm about a CA poultry producer's role in raising the nation's official bird. The Presidential Turkey display will be located in the "Flavors of the Valley" exhibit which will be safeguarded by "Secret Service" representatives. Stop by to learn more, take a picture and pick up fun and informational goodies to share with friends and family.
Please visit this page again for more photos and turkey updates, including a chance to win a Presidential Turkey visit to your school!
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