As Americans across the country begin to prepare for Thanksgiving, there's one member that has made a traditional appearance to the table for decades. Your News Now took a trip to Cooper Farms to learn more about the trip turkeys make from the hatchery to the table.
Cooper Farms has been a staple in West Central Ohio dating back to 1938 in the small community of Oakwood with just 300 turkeys. The cooper family has been growing live turkeys, chickens, egg layers, and hogs and producing products for Kroger and Costco distributors for decades. Over the course of a year, over 6 million tom turkeys are raised, 18 million poults are hatched, gaining up to 46 pounds, and being shipped out to 195 family contract turkey growers.
Gary Cooper, Chief Operating Officer of Cooper Farms, says today there are a lot more turkey products on the shelves that there have been in past decades such as turkey burgers, turkey sausage, various deli items, in addition to your raw turkey products such as your regular tenderloins, drum sticks, and wings.
Officials add that there are no antibiotics added to the protein but instead, highlighting the cardiovascular health benefits and the high levels of magnesium and zinc. Many say this sheds light on the myth as to why Benjamin Franklin worked so hard to convince the country to make the turkey, the national bird. For that, we can all be thankful.
