Chapter 1: The Decline of Local Turkey Farming

In the 1960s, my small farming community in Washington State produced around 100,000 Thanksgiving turkeys annually. Fast forward to today, and that number has dwindled to just a handful — I raised nine myself. Once, turkeys were the backbone of numerous family farms and rural economies across America. However, the shift toward producing inexpensive food has led to a concentration of turkey production among a few large corporations, sidelining family farms.

Earl Butz, the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, infamously encouraged farmers to "get big or get out," and today’s turkey industry might be viewed as a testament to that philosophy. Yet, as we gather for Thanksgiving dinners during a global pandemic, it’s essential to consider the fragility of our food systems. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that climate change and population growth will increasingly threaten food security. In 2015, Roger Johnson, then-president of the National Farmers Union, urged the USDA to recognize how consolidating food systems could jeopardize food security.

Most Americans likely won’t ponder these vulnerabilities as they carve their turkeys this Thanksgiving, but perhaps they should.

The modern turkey signifies our success in producing affordable, abundant food, yet it also reflects the destruction of regional food systems and our overall food security. My neighbor Al Sherman recalls how his family ventured into turkey farming. His father, after making a modest profit raising turkeys, decided to expand the operation in the 1930s. Back then, the fertile soils and temperate climate of Whidbey Island made it an ideal location for turkey farming. The Shermans employed a pasture-based system, rotating their birds across fields, and supplemented their diet with locally sourced wheat.

Their operation grew to include a hatchery, allowing them to raise up to 3,000 baby turkeys weekly, benefiting local farmers by utilizing turkey manure as fertilizer.

"We always had the best crops after those turkeys," my father often remarked.

The Shermans became recognized as the go-to turkey producers in the Pacific Northwest, even participating in local children's television shows around Thanksgiving. While they were the largest local producers, many others contributed to a thriving local economy built around turkey farming, from hatcheries to processing facilities.

However, as time passed, they began to feel the squeeze of market pressures. In 1935, when they started, a 16-pound turkey cost about $3.21 (around $61 today). By 2020, that same turkey averaged only $19.39, showing a significant decrease in price over the decades.

The push for cheaper turkeys began in the 1950s, according to Frank Reese, a farmer dedicated to preserving traditional turkey breeds. Geneticists sought to create larger birds with fast growth rates, leading to the broad-breasted turkey. This breed matures significantly quicker than heritage breeds, but comes with serious health complications.

Broad-breasted turkeys often face heart and joint issues due to their rapid growth, and they are unable to reproduce naturally, requiring artificial insemination. As Reese points out, these concerns are largely overlooked in commercial production.

The transition to mass production meant that producers like Sherman had to adapt. They invested in breeding programs and learned to artificially inseminate turkeys as demand for the larger, white-feathered birds grew. By 1970, after incurring substantial losses, Sherman was eager to exit the turkey business, which by then had become financially untenable.

The turkey landscape has shifted dramatically, with most turkeys now raised in large, climate-controlled warehouses in states like Minnesota, where feed is cheapest. This centralized approach to production has led to a loss of local economies and traditional farming practices.

Video Title: Food Theory: STOP Eating Thanksgiving Turkey! - YouTube

This video delves into the implications of modern turkey production and its impact on food security. It highlights the disconnect between traditional farming and current mass production methods, emphasizing the need for a more sustainable approach to food systems.

The current food system has become entrenched in the notion of cheapness, often at the expense of quality and sustainability. Heritage turkey farmers like Reese continue to promote traditional practices, raising birds on pasture and selling them at a premium price that reflects the effort and care put into their production.

As we reflect on the changes in turkey farming, it's clear that the lessons learned from recent disruptions in the food supply chain should prompt consumers to rethink their expectations. The pandemic has shown us the fragility of a consolidated food system that lacks flexibility. Farmers, including my neighbor Al Sherman, recognize that the market continuously pressures them to produce more at lower costs, often sacrificing quality and sustainability.

Ultimately, the story of turkey production serves as a microcosm of agricultural evolution in America, where the drive for efficiency has led to significant changes that we must now reconsider.