SeeCalifornia.com

On Tuesday, November 21, 2017, President Trump pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey in the 70th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. Pictured are images of turkey pardons from past presidents of the U.S.

Don’t tell anyone, but selecting the turkey is a political process in which turkey growers around the nation vie for the publicity and bragging rights.  California is one of the nation’s largest turkey growers and our turkeys have been selected previously, but not this year. The 2017 turkey(s) come from  Western Minnesota under the supervision of National Turkey Federation Chairman and five young women from the Douglas County 4-H chapter.

The National Turkey Federation also brings two turkeys from Jaindl’s Turkey Farm of Orefield, Pennsylvania, for the First Family to donate to non-profit Martha’s Table in Washington, D.C.

After the pardoning, the 2017 turkeys (one star, and one back-up,)  join last year’s turkeys at Virginia Tech Gobblers Rest exhibit, where students and veterinarians care for the turkeys. One year the pardoned turkeys were shipped to California to live out their lives in Disneyland. We took pictures of them in a fenced area near the Mad Tea Party ride and they definitely looked out of place, even though it is called The Happiest Place on Earth!