COLUMBUS, Ohio – There will be two fewer Ohio turkeys bound for a Thanksgiving dinner table next week after they receive the traditional Presidential pardon.
Two birds from a western Ohio farm have been chosen for the annual turkey pardon, which will take place Nov. 26 at the White House.
Cooper Farms, located in Ft. Recovery, is providing a special flock of 20 birds that will soon travel to the nation’s capital, two of which will be spared to gobble another day.
The honor of supplying the birds is bestowed upon the chairperson of the National Turkey Federation — a position currently held by Gary Cooper, chief operating officer of the family-owned poultry operation.
Cooper Farms is the largest turkey producer in Ohio and the 12th largest in the U.S.
According to the Ohio Poultry Association, Ohio ranks ninth nationally in turkey farming, producing more than 219 million pounds of turkey each year, valued at more than $158 million. The industry is responsible for the creation of 2,183 jobs and $71 million in earnings, the association says.