National Turkey Federation Chair John Zimmerman shares his prep tips for the biggest “live” turkey event of the year.
Sweeter than Thanksgiving pie, this American success story plays out like the plot of our favorite childhood movies about farm life. Through perseverance and passion, an independent turkey farmer from Minnesota gets to experience one glorious moment of visibility and honor for a lifetime of effort, with his young son/partner by his side, soaking it all in.
Together, National Turkey Federation Chairman John Zimmerman and his nine-year-old son, Grant, raised and trained the nation’s two turkey icons of 2024, joining Peach and Blossom at the White House for the official Presidential pardon the Monday before Thanksgiving. This iconic event kicks off the Thanksgiving holiday for the nation, with lots of press offering a rare chance for our turkey producers to strut their top-notch, 40-plus-pound stuff for all to enjoy.
So, why is everyone at Asido beaming with pride at this news? Zimmerman credits the addition of Waste Away® — long one of our premier products — for the exceptional quality of his flock of 150,000 top turkeys.
“In the holistic view of animal health, Waste Away® plays a role in reducing the competition of negative bacteria,” he says. “As a part of a larger treatment package, it helps maintain bird health on my farm. We use Waste Away® on the litter, and then we use the litter in the crop fields [corn and soybeans] as part of our crop fertility plan.”
Each chair of the National Turkey Federation only serves a one-year term, so this was Zimmerman’s one-and-only shot at the spotlight. No pressure.
The Zimmermans sought perfection, so the tiniest blemishes of outward beauty were disqualifiers. These tom turkeys with red and blue markings must have no feathers askew, no surly dispositions.
Not only must the toms look terrific, they’ve got to be excellent spokesmodels. The ideal candidate has to stand with confidence and poise on a table for several minutes, surrounded by people and noise. Bonus points for a bit of feather puffing and tail fanning. Peach and Blossom, named in honor of Delaware’s state flower, played their roles to perfection.
Zimmerman says that he and Grant watched YouTube videos and consulted with past participants to create their somewhat unusual training plan. Hoping to condition the likely candidates for their performance, the Zimmermans played classic rock music for the flock and plugged in some flashing Christmas lights. Grant, sometimes accompanied by friends, spent hours sitting in a small chair among the birds, picking them up occasionally, so they’d be unflappable at the ceremony.
Of course, having his son at his side the whole way made the event even more special for this fifth-generation family farmer (the second generation to farm turkeys, too).
“Grant spoke at the press conference, and then met the President — that’s pretty daunting for a nine-year-old,” Zimmerman says. “The fact that he was able to do it very well, I’m feeling overwhelming pride. It’s great to get to involve your family and your son in an adventure such as this — he got to sit in President Biden’s chair in the Oval Office. He presented a presidential turkey challenge coin to the President and got the President’s challenge coin back. It was all so incredible, so special.”
The lucky birds were chauffeured to the nation’s capitol, riding like tourists in an SUV with a big sunroof, minding their manners at hotels. After the ceremony, the two pardoned turkeys will heave a sigh of relief and live out the rest of their natural lives at Farmerica, an agriculture interpretative center in southern Minnesota.
Though organizers call this the 77th annual pardon, this unique event was sporadic until 1989. Here are a few highlights:
- Abraham Lincoln was said to have pardoned his son’s pet turkey. No explanation needed.
- The National Turkey Federation began supplying fine birds to the First Family in 1947, so Harry Truman was the first to receive a turkey. Unfortunately, no pardon — the family happily consumed it.
- This year’s presentation marks the 77th anniversary of a tradition that has continued now through 14 successive administrations.
- “Pardoning” as a custom began with President George H.W. Bush in 1989 on the 200th anniversary of President George Washington’s Proclamation of a Day of Thanksgiving.