Cargill helps turkey farmers 'give back'

Cargill is kicking off this season of giving with a new "Taking Care of Communities" initiative for the independent farm families that raise its turkeys across the United States. The company’s Wichita-based turkey and cooked meats business is distributing “Giving Cards” – gift cards preloaded with $250 each, totaling more than $100,000 – to contract turkey farmers who will donate the cards to any charities of their choice in their respective communities. These farmers raise turkeys for Cargill’s Shady Brook Farms® and Honeysuckle White® brands.
“We’re quickly approaching the time of year when American families celebrate their blessings and give thanks for what they have. At Cargill, we’re celebrating too, because there is a lot of hard work, dedication and focus required to deliver the traditional holiday turkey to dinner tables across America,” said Tim Maupin, vice president of agriculture operations. “Contract turkey farmers have a significant role and impact on the success of our business and supporting their communities is something we strongly believe influences the success of their business, the community and Cargill.”
Similar to retail gift cards, the “Giving Cards” can be used to benefit any 501(c)(3) public charity in the U.S. Our farmers can choose to donate to one or several organizations.
“We are incredibly thankful for the continued commitment by independent farm families that raise Cargill turkeys for wholesome, nutritious, delicious, high-quality and affordable protein. We look forward to learning about the organizations they are passionate about and donate to this holiday season,” stated Maupin. Farmers are encouraged to utilize the funds by Dec. 1. Any amounts not redeemed will be returned to a fund that Cargill’s turkey business will use for donations to additional organizations.

Turkey cooperative Norbest changes corporate structure

Norbest, Utah’s largest turkey producing, processing and marketing cooperative has changed its corporate structure to a limited liability company. It has also added two significant equity partners, and changed its name to Norbest LLC.

In the deal, J.D. Heiskell & Co. and AMERRA Capital Management LLC, will each acquire minority interests in the newly formed Norbest LLC, which will own substantially all of the assets of Moroni Feed Company and Norbest, Inc. The remaining equity in the new company will continue to be owned by the 37 turkey growers who previously owned Moroni Feed Company. The amount of the investment was not disclosed.

“This is the most significant change in the history of Moroni Feed and its member turkey growers, which collectively have been a core employer in central Utah for nearly 100 years,” said Moroni Feed/Norbest President and CEO Matt Cook, who will retain those positions in the new Norbest LLC. “Though no longer the nation’s longest-running turkey cooperative, this investment allows us to create a new, forward-looking company that is able to seek out growth opportunities while benefiting Utah’s turkey growers and the state’s economy.”

The turkey growers who are members of Moroni Feed will continue to be part owners of the new firm and will now grow turkeys for the new company under production contracts instead of cooperative agreements. This means growers will have limited financial exposure due to fluctuating prices and will be compensated based on performance measures in their contracts. Production contracts will help stabilize the growers’ income and enable them to invest capital to improve efficiency and increase volume.

“We need more turkeys to be able to grow our business and our previous business model made that difficult,” Cook noted. “Adding production volume will allow us to make more efficient use of our underutilized processing facilities; this was a key driver in the decision to seek out investors,” Cook noted.

UK’s Kelly Turkeys building processing plant in Virginia

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  Andrea Gantz

  U.K. company Kelly Turkeys is building a new turkey processing facility in Virginia, the company's first in the U.S.

  From WATTAgNet:
  U.K.-based Kelly Turkeys has plans to build its first turkey processing plant in the United States. The new facility will be located in Albemarle County, Virginia.
  The new turkey processing facility will require a $1.4 million investment and is expected to process 10,000 turkeys annually. About 33 new jobs in the region will be created to staff the plant.
  Kelly Turkeys initially announced its expansion into the United States in August 2014, when the company revealed that it had purchased a 106-acre farm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia to raise free-range turkeys.
  Company spokesman Paul Kelly said at the time the company hopes to create a niche market in the United States, where the market is dominated by frozen turkeys. Kelly said he was confident that his company’s turkeys could compete, comparing the high-end turkeys to a fine wine for which U.S. consumers are willing to pay a premium.
  The KellyBronze, the company’s trendsetting traditional bronze turkey in the U.K., has already been successfully test marketed in Virginia.
  The expansion into the U.S. will also help the company tap into the Thanksgiving turkey market, as the holiday is not observed in the U.K.

Turkey producer David Jaindl honored by Boy Scouts

David Jaindl, owner and president of Jaindl Farms, received the 2014 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America, Minsi Trails Council, during the Lehigh Valley Leadership Dinner May 28 in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania.  Jaindl was recognized by area Scouts, friends, family, business, and community leaders for his significant achievements and service to the Lehigh Valley community.
Jaindl is the owner and president of Jaindl Farms, which breeds, hatches, grows and processes 750,000 turkeys annually, as well as farms more than 10,000 acres of land in the Lehigh Valley. His other business interests include Jaindl Turkey Sales, Jaindl Land Company and Schantz Orchards. Jaindl is actively involved in many philanthropic endeavors including: the Jaindl Foundation, the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley, Team Pennsylvania, Cedar Crest College, and Lehigh Valley Health Network. Jaindl resides in Orefield, Pennsylvania, with his wife Jackie and their five children. Adam, Jake, Luke, Josh and Joanna are all actively involved in the family business.

NTF past chairman, family earn Turkey Promoter of the Year award

The Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council (MTRPC) has honored John and Joni Burkel and their five children with its 2014 Turkey Promoter of the Year award.
John Burkel continued a long-standing tradition when he stepped into the role of the National Turkey Federation (NTF) Chairman in 2013 - making him the 11th Minnesotan to serve in this prestigious role. As part of that role, Burkel and his family set about to raise the National Thanksgiving Turkey that would get pardoned by President Obama prior to Thanksgiving in November 2013.
"John and his family raised the bar for future Thanksgiving media campaigns with the work they did," said MTRPC President John Zimmerman, Northfield, Minn.
The Burkel family did numerous media interviews with reporters and photographers across the U.S. and were deeply involved in the Presidential Turkey Project coordinated by MTRPC. The Burkels were featured on the front cover of the Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, CNN, a White House blog and many more media outlets. They also welcomed school visits to their farm and took every opportunity to promote turkey to a variety of audiences. This was all in addition to Burkel's regular NTF business as Chairman and his day-to-day responsibilities on his Badger, Minn., turkey farm and with his family, which includes wife Joni and kids Vanessa, Andrea, Alex, Jack and Emily.
Said Zimmerman: "For the Burkel family's willingness to give the nation a glimpse into their farm and family, and as a token of our appreciation, we present you with our Promoter of the Year award."
The award was presented at the MTRPC Annual Meeting on March 19 in Saint Paul, Minn.

Turkey producer David Jaindl honors veterans by hosting benefit

Jackie and David Jaindl of Jaindl Farms recently hosted a Tough Mudder Event at one of their farms, with most of the proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Turkey producer David Jaindl, owner of Jaindl Farms, has honored veterans in his own special way, by hosting a Tough Mudder event at one of the company's farms in Heidelberg Township, Penn. Jaindl's motivation to host this event, which attracted 22,000 participants and 8,000 spectators was stimulated by Tough Mudder's commitment to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Jaindl decided early on to commit all of his net proceeds received from the Jaindl Farms Tough Mudder event to charity with the "lion's share" going to the Wounded Warrior Project. The mission of Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The organization raises awareness and enlists the public's aid for the needs of injured service members. It helps injured servicemen and women help one another, and provides unique direct programs and services to meet their needs.
In the fall of 2013, Jaindl contacted the Wounded Warrior Project headquarters, located in Jacksonville, Florida and reached retired United States Marine Corps Lt. Denis M. Oliverio, director of Major Gifts.  Given the level of this gift, Oliverio felt it would be appropriate to make the trip to Pennsylvania to receive the contribution in person. Oliverio is not only employed by the Wounded Warrior Project, but is a wounded warrior himself.


David Jaindl, right, owner of Jaindl Farms, presents a gift in the amount of $50,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project. Lt. Denis Oliverio, left, accepted the donation on behalf of the Wounded Warrior project.


While in Pennsylvania, Oliverio spoke briefly about his experiences during an assembly for history students at Parkland High School in South Whitehall Township and then accepted the contribution from Jaindl.  Local dignitaries were also present.
A check for $50,000 was presented to Oliverio from Jaindl on behalf of the David Jaindl family. The contribution was strongly supported by Jaindl's family and staff, many who are service veterans themselves and who collectively spent more than 600 hours to prepare the land for the Tough Mudder event.
"Wounded Warriors such as Denis deserve our sincere appreciation.  It is important to take the time to honor our servicemen and servicewomen, not only on Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, but every day. There is no more worthwhile cause than the Wounded Warrior Project," said David Jaindl.  "With this gift, we give them our thanks."

Kelly Turkeys honored at Pig & Poultry Marketing Awards ceremony

Kelly Turkeys' KellyBronze turkey product received the Taste of Excellence Award at the Pig & Poultry Marketing Awards at the London Marriott County Hall by the River Thames.
Commenting on the second successful event for Kelly Turkeys at the awards, the judges stated: "This year Kelly Turkeys surpassed itself with another succulent bird - we were impressed by how well it cooked, the tenderness of the meat, and the overall texture and taste. Again the provenance of the KellyBronze turkeys must not go overlooked, and only adds to the flavor of this product."
The presentation was made to Kelly Turkeys managing director, Paul Kelly, and sales and marketing manager, Philip Regan, by Andrew Loftus, agriculture manager of Morrison's Supermarkets, which sponsored the award.
In 2012, Kelly Turkeys was runner-up for the award for health and welfare standards.
Paul Kelly recently spoke about the importance of taste in their breeding program when 150 poult customers visited their headquarters at Danbury, Essex. He stated: "Taste is where we see the traditional Christmas market going, with consumers able to differentiate between products in terms of flavor and eating quality as well as the lifestyle of the birds." 

North Carolina Poultry Federation named Grassroots Champion

The North Carolina Poultry Federation has been presented with the National Turkey Federation's Grassroots Champion Award for its outstanding grassroots advocacy in support of the U.S. turkey industry.
The North Carolina Poultry Federation held its first quarterly board meeting on March 20 at the North Carolina State University Club in Raleigh. During the meeting, the group approved its budget, heard an update on the Fair Share formula, heard a state legislative update, and received news from the North Carolina State University Prestage Department of Poultry Science. 

Turkey Promoter of the Year award goes to producers, caterers

The Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council has honored Doug and Linda Hedlund of Roseau, Minn., with its 2013 "Turkey Promoter of the Year" award.
The Hedlunds are second generation turkey farmers who raise 60,000 turkeys annually for the farmer-owned Northern Pride Cooperative out of Thief River Falls, Minn. In addition to their farm, however, Doug and Linda took over managing concessions at the Roseau hockey arena 33 years ago. About 15 years ago the two added turkey wings to the menu. When those proved to be a bit too labor intensive, they switched to a bone-in turkey breast sandwich served on a hamburger bun, which remains an extremely popular menu item today.
The Hedlunds also cater weddings, graduations, reunions and company picnics.
"Doug and Linda have done an outstanding job showing that turkey is a delicious option all year-round, said said Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council Executive Director Steve Olson.  "Their passion for promoting turkey through their concession stand and catering business is inspiring and we appreciate the work they are doing on behalf of the turkey industry."
The award was presented at the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council Annual Meeting on March 13 in Saint Paul, Minn. 

Turkey organization presents Ranelius Award to Purina Feeds employee

The Minnesota Turkey Growers Association presented its prestigious Ranelius Award to longtime Land 'O Lakes (now Purina Feeds) employee Grant Shold, Sauk Rapids, Minn., at its annual meeting on March 13 in Saint Paul, Minn.
"The Ranelius Award is the most prestigious honor given by the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association," said Duane Jaenicke, 2012-13 association president. "It signifies leadership and dedication to the industry based on contributions made to enhance Minnesota's turkey industry, and Grant Shold is well deserved of this special honor."
Shold grew up on a farm near Albert City, Iowa, where his family raised cattle, hogs and turkeys. He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in poultry science, and afterwards, served four years in the Air Force. Following that, he went to work for Land O' Lakes as a poultry production specialist, which had responsibility for selling poults, feed and buying turkeys for Land O'Lakes' four processing plants.
His 38 years of work with Land O' Lakes took him to Willmar, Albert Lea and finally Sauk Rapids, Minn., where he worked different positions - all with the focus on turkeys. Since the mid-1990s, he has worked in sales for the Land O'Lakes Purina Feed division and he covers turkey and gamebird feed sales in central and northern Minnesota, North Dakota, southeast Iowa and Central Wisconsin. Shold is planning his retirement this fall.
"Grant knows turkeys and has been a dedicated friend to the turkey industry in the upper Midwest for several decades," said Jaenicke. "We will miss him and wish him well in his upcoming retirement, and we thank him for the many years of service he has given us."
Shold served on the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Board of Directors for six years (2007-2013) and has also received the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Allied Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
Shold and his wife, Donna, have been married 32 years. They have three children and two granddaughters, all of whom live close by.
The Ranelius Award is named for Sven Ranelius, a founding father of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, often described as a quiet, unselfish person who was very dedicated to the turkey industry in Minnesota. Nominees are evaluated on two central criteria: their contribution to the industry over a period of time; and the quality of that contribution.

Butterball named North Carolina Exporter of the Year

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services named Butterball as the 2013 North Carolina Exporter of the Year.
“From 2009 to 2011, we saw turkey exports nearly double in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Butterball makes up a significant percentage of those exports and is deserving of this honor.”
Company representatives were recognized at a presentation during the annual Ag Development Forum at the State Fairgrounds Jan. 31. The Exporter of the Year award acknowledges agribusinesses that have excelled in exporting agricultural products around the world.
Butterball, headquartered in Garner, N.C., exports more than 100 million pounds of turkey products to more than 50 countries annually. In addition, the company develops new products that cater to international markets and customs. As a result, Butterball is able to export 15 percent of its annual volume through products the U.S. market cannot absorb.
Joel Coleman, general manager of international sales, and Scott Singleton, international sales manager, accepted the award on behalf of Butterball.

US turkey production continues up in third quarter

U.S. turkey meat production in the third quarter of 2012 was 1.48 billion pounds, up 4 percent from 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
The increase was due in almost equal parts to an increase in the number of turkeys slaughtered and to gains in the average weight at slaughter, said the USDA. The number of turkeys slaughtered in the third quarter was 63.5 million, an increase of less than 3 percent from 2011; the average weight at slaughter was 29.2 pounds, a gain of just under 1 percent from third-quarter 2011.
Turkey meat production in the fourth quarter of 2012 is forecast at 1.55 billion pounds, which again would be a substantial increase from the same period a year earlier, up 3.7 percent, according to the USDA. Most of this increase is expected to come from a higher number of turkeys slaughtered, with only small gains in average weights. Turkey production in 2013 is forecast at 5.79 billion pounds, which would be a decrease of 3 percent from 2012 numbers. The decline in turkey production is expected to come from the combination of high feed prices, larger beginning stocks and lower year-over-year prices for whole birds in fourth-quarter 2012 and in the first half of 2013.

Turkey cold storage

Relatively strong turkey meat production increases in the second and third quarters (up 2 and 4 percent) boosted cold storage holdings of turkey to 521 million pounds at the end of September, up 2 percent from 2011 numbers, according to the USDA report. The growth in overall stocks of turkey products hides a disparity in the direction of stocks level changes for whole birds compared with turkey products.
Stocks of turkey products totaled 217 million pounds at the end of the third quarter, a decrease of 6 percent from the same time in 2011. This stock decrease has been partly due to strong exports of turkey products, especially in the third quarter of 2012. Stocks of whole birds have been moving in the opposite direction — at the end of September, stocks of whole birds were estimated at 305 million pounds, up 9 percent from 2011.
Overall turkey cold storage holdings at the end of 2012 are forecast at 250 million pounds, about 18 percent higher than in 2011. As with third-quarter 2012, almost all the increase is expected to come from larger holdings of whole turkeys, with little or no increase in stocks of turkey products, said the USDA.

US turkey eggs up, poults down in May

U.S. turkey eggs in incubators on June 1 totaled 28.9 million, up 1% from the same time in 2010 and up 4% from May's 27.8 million eggs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Turkey poults hatched during May totaled 24.1 million, down slightly from May 2010 numbers. Poults hatched were up 2% from the April 2011 total of 23.7 million poults. The 23.7 million net poults placed during May were down 2% from the number placed during the same month a year earlier. Net placements were up 1% from the April 2011 total of 23.4 million.

Butterball donates 160 pounds of turkey to healthy living event

Butterball LLC donated more than 160 pounds of turkey pot roast to the Salud Family Health Centers for a Dia de los Niños celebration aimed at raising awareness about the importance of healthy living.
“Butterball is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with groups like Salud Family Health Centers, who are committed to building a healthier community,” said Tony Seta, Butterball's celebrity chef for the event. “It’s important that consumers have access to nutritious, wholesome meal options that are also affordable. Turkey is a great option because it is a relatively affordable form of protein." Seta used the turkey meat to prepare a turkey taco recipe for the approximately 400 guests who attended the celebration on April 29.
Dia de los Niños also provided nutritional education and demonstrations, with more than 30 booths from local Longmont, Colo., groups. “There are many youth within our community that do not receive immunizations, dental checks or health screenings that are essential preventive measures for a healthy lifestyle,” said Kirk Bjella, AmeriCorps member of Salud Family Health Centers. “We fill the gap by providing these services at affordable rates. Further, we work to educate the community on available resources, thus increasing the community's ability to deal with health issues that arise.”

Butterball donates 75,000 pounds of turkey over Thanksgiving holiday

Butterball LLC donated 75,000 pounds of holiday (whole) turkeys to benefit those in need over Thanksgiving.
The turkeys went to soup kitchens and military facilities near the company's plants and corporate locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri and North Carolina. Overall, Butterball has donated 330,000 pounds of turkey to charitable organizations in 2010. “We are honored to help make the holidays a bit brighter and more celebratory by providing folks with turkeys to enjoy as the centerpiece of their meal,” said CEO Keith Shoemaker. “The reality though is that this is only a drop in the bucket. You always wish you could do more, and I know that there are others in the meat and poultry industry that are making donations and working to provide hunger relief. We are thankful for the opportunity to join with individuals and organizations in our communities to support the valiant nonprofit organizations that help meet the needs of the community every day.”

Turkey farmer burns droppings as experimental fuel

Reports say Minnesota turkey farmer John Zimmerman will try using turkey droppings as a fuel in an experimental gasifier unit developed by the University of Minnesota.
Zimmerman plans to heat both his turkey barns with the new gasifier, which smolders manure to produce gases that are burned for heat. The burned remains, biochar, will be used to amend the farm’s soil.
Xcel Energy is providing funding for the experiment.

Ontario official assists in organic turkey conflict

Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Leona Dombrowsky, is getting involved in the disagreement between conflicting rules for raising organic turkeys, according to reports.
Turkey Farmers of Ontario (TFO) states turkeys must be confined indoors to protect against avian influenza from wild birds. This contradicts the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA) mandate that organic birds be raised outdoors. The disagreement could cost some farmers their organic certification.
Dombrowsky has asked the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission to work with the involved agencies to accommodate the free-range organic production of turkeys.

Production down for US turkeys

Turkey production in the U.S. for the first six months of 2009 is down 9.4%, totaling 2.8 billion pounds, compared to the same period in 2008, according to the most recent Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook from USDA's Economic Research Service.
The drop in production of turkey meat was primarily due to a decline in the number of birds slaughtered. During the first half of 2009, the number of turkeys slaughtered decreased 9.5% compared with the first half of 2008. There was also a small reduction in the average weight of birds going to slaughter.
During the first six months of 2009, the number of turkey poults placed for growout totaled only 141 million, down 9.6% from the same period in 2008.

Avian flu found in Minnesota turkeys

An unidentified commercial turkey flock in central Minnesota has been quarantined by the Board of Animal Health after routine testing discovered a strain of the avian flu virus, labeled H7N9, according to an Associated Press news report.
Minnesota Board of Animal Health Assistant Director Dale Lauer stressed that the avian flu strain found at the Meeker County farm was different from the strain that has caused problems in birds and humans mostly in Asia.
Lauer, a veterinarian, went on to inform that the strain of virus found at the farm didn't pose a threat to the general public but could cause mild symptoms in poultry workers, including mild eye infections and mild respiratory problems.
According to him, the quarantined flock was showing no signs of illness, but if left unchecked the virus could morph into a form that could be more pathogenic to the state's commercial poultry flocks. Minnesota is the nation's top turkey producing state.
Surrounding poultry farms in a three-mile radius have also been quarantined and will undergo the same routine testing and observation as the primary site.

NTF seeks measurable outcome in food safety

National Turkey Federation's chairman of the Technical and Regulatory Committee, Bob Reinhard addressed the House Agricultural Committee, urging that changes in food safety should ensure measurable improvement in public health.
NTF Committee Chairman Bob Reinhard addressing the House Agricultural Committee.
Reinhard pointed out that FSIS pathogen testing data has shown measurable progress in food safety for the turkey industry through its Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point program and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures.
He added that a food safety system should not only focus on blame assessment and punishment following a problem, but should coordinate with the industry and take measures to prevent food safety problems from arising.