A good many Missourians think of Thanksgiving and turkey going hand in hand as they sit down to that annual tasty feast. But for hundreds of Missourians and their families, turkey is more than good eating … it’s their livelihood.
John Bryan is the Vice President of Missouri Operations for the Poultry Federation. He says there are approximately 400 farmers in Missouri raising about 21-Million turkeys a year, making Missouri the fifth-largest turkey growing state in the country. And, you might think there’s some down time after the holidays, but that’s the case, because producing turkeys is a full time job.
Bryan says most of the turkeys produced in Missouri each year are consumed in the United States, but there are large export markets for our birds – primarily in Mexico, China, Russia, and Canada.