Celebrity turkeys Blossom and Peach survive anther Thanksgiving

Since shortly after being pardoned by former President Joe Biden last year, Waseca County’s famous resident turkeys, Blossom and Peach, have been living the high life at Farmamerica. They even get special attention from the facility’s Program Coordinator, Kari Wadd.

 

“With the changing of the season, the drop in temperature can be hard on them, so we have to move them into a special heated shed in the winter,” Wadd said, then clarified that “cooler temperatures” are “anything below 55 degrees.” Since the high-profile birds are of such interest to the public, they are usually a part of just about everything that goes on at the farm. “We include them in all school tours and make them available to every visitor who comes out here because they’ve brought life to the turkey industry. They’re walked every day, and when they’re not otherwise occupied, they can just roam around the grounds if they wish.” According to Wadd, the whole team out at Farmamerica pitches in on the turkeys’ care, but the primary caregiver is Wadd, who pointed out that she also earned a special title over the past year, “Presidential Turkey Caretaker.”

 

Since the birds arrived at Farmamerica, there have been a few times they’ve been needed elsewhere, said Wadd, “The turkeys made their way to Waseca for the 2024 Waseca County Chamber Farm & City luncheon in March. They also get moved over to the visitor center for different events when we have them.” The turkeys need their nails trimmed up to twice a year. Their bedding is kept meticulously clean, so that their feathers and legs are clear of debris. Baby wipes are used to wipe feathers and skin, since their gentle cleaning liquids don’t cause irritation or affect the bird’s natural oils.

 

But the two “presidential” turkeys aren’t the only celebrities. Farmamerica also has Georgie the Kune Kune Pig. Two female companion turkeys have also been added, Frankie, a two-year veteran turkey of the farm, and Buddy, a second lady turkey who was added over the summer.

 

It may surprise some to learn that Minnesota is the turkey capitol of the United States with an output of 40 million turkeys annually. The typical lifespan of those 40 million farmed turkeys is no more than 24 weeks. In contrast, Blossom and Peach get to live out the rest of their natural days with no concerns about Thanksgiving. According to Willmar area farmer and 2024 chair of the National Turkey Federation John Zimmerman, who raised them, the anticipated lifespan for their breed is about four years. President Biden said Peach lives by the motto "keep calm and gobble on." Blossom's motto was "no foul play, just Minnesota nice."