There’s a Turkey in the White House!
By Dan Toland
The election has come and gone, and while there’s a lame duck currently in office, there will soon be a turkey at the White House. No, we’re not talking about the next President of the United States, but rather the time-honored tradition of pardoning an actual live feathered gobbler from being a Thanksgiving meal at the residence of our nation’s leader. But where do these turkeys come from? How do they get chosen? And what all is involved in the adventure and media frenzy it takes to get them there?
On a recent episode of the Shooting the Shift podcast, we hosted Gary and Cole Cooper of Cooper Farms, along with Shift•ology’s Cassie Jo Arend for a peek behind the feathers as they shared their experience of raising a turkey to be pardoned by President Obama in 2014. Below is a snapshot of that journey. Watch or listen to the entire episode here.
- Watch the entire episode above
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- Learn more about Cooper Farms
History of the Presidential Turkey
While turkeys had been delivered to the White House since at least the 1940s, the actual pardon tradition took root with President Ronald Reagan, who decided rather than eating the turkey, he would instead let it live out its life. Cooper Farms earned the honor of providing the turkey in 2014 through the National Turkey Federation, an organization that represents U.S. turkey farmers, processors and partners, selects turkey farmers for this unique duty based on a rotating leadership role within the group.
Cooper Farms had four years advance notice, and took full advantage of the unique opportunity, even going as far as to build a special barn to raise the birds.
Selecting and Training the Star Turkeys
The Coopers started with a group of 40-50 turkeys of many different varieties and, after careful observation and selection, narrowed the flock down to two Broad-Breasted White turkeys that would make the journey to D.C. They dedicated time to training the turkeys to handle the unique demands of the event. Every day, “we’d go in there and we’d pick up a couple of birds, sit them on … trying to train them,” Cole said.
Cole’s young son, Case, basically grew up with the turkeys, and was always around them, helping tame and train them to be around people. “Case could be around… they knew him, and he’d kind of touch them, push them over here… and everybody just thought that was the neatest thing,” Gary said.
From Northwest Ohio to the White House
Pre-pardon activities took place months in advance of the event, with Cole taking the turkeys to schools throughout Ohio, local students visiting the “Mini Cooper” built to house the birds, and many local, regional and national media interviews.
When it was time to take the birds to see the President, Cole and his brother, Luke, rented a van, loaded them up and hit the road, complete with a variety of tunes and noises to entertain the birds. We’re told country music was a favorite, while loud rock music was not so much.
The turkeys’ stay in D.C. was filled with quirky moments. They stayed at the historic Willard Hotel, just across from the White House, where they were given a taste of luxury. “We moved them into the Willard Hotel fairly fast,” Gary recalled. “It’s a five-star hotel… they had their own room with their own beds and TV and everything.”
On the day of the event, the Coopers escorted the turkeys to the White House and, despite a thorough security detail and slight mix-ups, they were cleared for the big event and the hours of training were put to use for a successful pardon.
After the event, the President remarked to Gary that the turkeys weren’t the nicest looking things, butCooper responded proudly, “In reality, they’re very patriotic,” pointing out the turkeys’ red wattles, white feathers and blue heads.
Connecting Farm to Plate
But the entire experience wasn’t just about Cooper Farms, it was also an opportunity to educate students and the public about turkey farming. The Cooper team organized school tours
and community events, introducing children to live turkeys. “We really sat down and talked about how we wanted to amplify the message,” Arend said. “We talked to kids so they could then go talk to mom and dad. Many had never seen a live turkey, let alone a Presidential one.”
For the full scoop on this remarkable journey and to hear more behind-the-scenes moments, check out the entire episode — it’s sure to add a new layer of perspective to the annual tradition and your Thanksgiving holiday.
