Reynolds spares teen’s turkeys from Thanksgiving table

DES MOINES — In the brisk November air, Freedom and Flourish strutted Monday across the lawn of the Iowa Governor’s Mansion at Terrace Hill, as the two turkeys were spared from being the main attraction at this year’s Thanksgiving festivities.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds carried out the annual tradition of pardoning a pair of turkeys, declaring them “free to roam” and praising Iowa’s turkey industry and its role in the Thanksgiving holiday.

The turkeys, from the Moline Farm in Manson, were named after Iowa’s new slogan “Freedom to Flourish.” They will be sent to a non-commercial farm in Southeast Iowa, the governor’s office said.

The birds were raised by 15-year-old Ava Moline, the daughter of Iowa Turkey Federation President Brad Moline. Ava and her brothers, Coy and Logan, co-own Golden Prairie Turkeys in Manson. The siblings are fifth-generation turkey farmers.

“What I truly love about Ava and her brothers’ story is it’s such a great example of the Iowa farming tradition,” Reynolds said. “The Molines are fifth-generation turkey farmers, and their family legacy is something we all respect.”

Brad Moline thanked Reynolds for her support of the turkey industry at the ceremony.

“We’ve had some challenging years over the years, and this past one’s been another one, but with their support and guidance, the turkey industry is alive and well and strong in the state of Iowa,” Moline said.

Iowa farmers raise about 12 million turkeys a year, according to the Iowa Turkey Federation. The industry has a $10.64 billion economic impact.

The event was held virtually last year because of the prevalence of avian influenza, or bird flu, in commercial flocks in Iowa.

The virus has cropped up again in counties around Iowa and other states this fall. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, there have been 14 cases of bird flu in Iowa flocks since Oct. 20, with three detections in commercial turkey flocks.

The disease has spread this fall from wild birds migrating south for the winter, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said. The spread is “on par” with last year, but Naig said officials decided the ceremony could be carried out safely.

“This is an important moment for the turkey industry,” he said. “It’s something that’s got tradition and history to it. It can be safely done from a biosecurity standpoint.”

Despite the bird flu cases seen this fall, Naig said there will not be a major impact on turkey prices for Thanksgiving dinner. Prices are expected to be lower this year than last because the virus is not as widespread, and turkeys produced for Thanksgiving were processed before the uptick in cases.

“Those birds have been harvested and processed and in the supply chain for quite some time now,” he said. “So there really is no immediate impact on Thanksgiving.”