Join us for an up-close look at a turkey farm near Northfield, Minnesota! On this virtual field trip, turkey farmer John Zimmerman will introduce us to his turkeys, show us where they live and what they eat. We’ll see what goes into raising turkeys that many families enjoy at Thanksgiving. This is a seasonal virtual field trip you won’t want to miss!
Zimmerman Turkey Farm
John Zimmerman is a turkey farmer in Northfield, Minnesota, who is a National Turkey Federation officer and currently serves on the National Turkey Federation Executive Committee. The Zimmerman turkey farm is a second-generation farm, and the Zimmerman family has raised turkeys since the 1950s! In 2024, two turkeys, Peach and Blossom, from John Zimmerman’s turkey farm were pardoned by former president, Joe Biden. Peach was the National Thanksgiving Turkey in 2024, with Blossom as the alternate.
The Zimmerman farm has around 8,000 male turkeys. The farm has five barns, and the turkey barn seen in the virtual field trip is 400 feet long, or around half an acre in size. This turkey farm uses technology in many ways to help care for the turkeys, including remote controlled robots capable of spreading vaccines and keeping the turkeys moving around.
Turkey Farming
Domestic turkeys are typically white, which helps keep the birds cleaner, especially when prepared for eating. Male turkeys are called toms and females are hens, and the two are raised separately. Eggs are hatched in specialized hatcheries. Turkeys grow quickly, eating about 2.2 pounds of feed for every pound of weight they gain. The tom turkeys in the virtual field trip are fully grown when they are around 19 weeks old and weigh about 40 pounds. Thanksgiving turkeys, however, are usually harvested earlier and average around 14 pounds. Turkey farmers take thorough care of their birds, paying close attention to the turkeys’ weight to keep track of their health and growth.
The cost of raising turkeys is $1.00 to $1.20 for every pound of turkey, 70% of which is spent on feed alone. Nearly every part of a turkey can be used. For example, feathers are high in calcium and can be processed into feather meal for feed or fertilizer, and Native peoples have historically used turkey feathers to make arrows. Turkey farming can involve challenges, including fixing equipment, but turkey farmers such as John Zimmerman take on these challenges and are proud of their work and their ability to feed people.
