US EditionHow Minnesota got a (turkey) leg up in the industry
Minnesota produces 34 million turkeys in 2024, supplying 16% of U.S. production and supporting a $1 billion industry across 600 farms statewide, officials said.
- In 2024, Minnesota produced 34 million turkeys, supplying about 16% of U.S. output, and its turkey industry generates roughly $1 billion annually, accounting for 14% of state agriculture.
- A network of about 61000 turkey farms and independent contractors built the industry, with Clinton pole barns enabling year-round flocks and local feed lowering costs.
- Disease experts note metanumo survival ranges from 10% to 70%, while avian flu requires whole-flock culling, leaving farmers uncertain about infection sources, according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and University of Minnesota.
- Erica Sawatzke and other growers stress that every flock is tested before transport, supporting veterinarians, truck drivers, feed companies, and energy companies with growing export interest from Colombia and India.
- Jennie-O, founded in Willmar in 1940 by Earl B. Olson, helped establish Minnesota's processing base along with Turkey Valley Farms and Northern Pride Inc., while the 1940 Armistice Day Blizzard spurred housing innovations shaping production.
16 Articles
16 Articles
How Minnesota got a (turkey) leg up in the industry
ST. PAUL — Erica Sawatzke, a sixth-generation turkey grower with Oakdale Farms in Douglas County, said her family used to travel the state to “show” turkeys in the ’30s when the business first came to Minnesota. The practice of showing turkeys has since dwindled, but Sawatzke’s family has stayed in the business as it’s climbed to national dominance over the decades. Her dynasty is just one of 600 turkey farms across the state that work to produc…
How Minnesota got a (turkey) leg up in the industry
ST. PAUL — Erica Sawatzke, a sixth-generation turkey grower with Oakdale Farms in Douglas County, said her family used to travel the state to “show” turkeys in the ’30s when the business first came to Minnesota. The practice of showing turkeys has since dwindled, but Sawatzke’s family has stayed in the business as it’s climbed to national dominance over the decades. Her dynasty is just one of 600 turkey farms across the state that work to produc…
How Minnesota got a (turkey) leg up in the industry
ST. PAUL — Erica Sawatzke, a sixth-generation turkey grower with Oakdale Farms in Douglas County, said her family used to travel the state to “show” turkeys in the ’30s when the business first came to Minnesota. The practice of showing turkeys has since dwindled, but Sawatzke’s family has stayed in the business as it’s climbed to national dominance over the decades. Her dynasty is just one of 600 turkey farms across the state that work to produc…
How Minnesota got a (turkey) leg up in the industry
ST. PAUL — Erica Sawatzke, a sixth-generation turkey grower with Oakdale Farms in Douglas County, said her family used to travel the state to “show” turkeys in the ’30s when the business first came to Minnesota. The practice of showing turkeys has since dwindled, but Sawatzke’s family has stayed in the business as it’s climbed to national dominance over the decades. Her dynasty is just one of 600 turkey farms across the state that work to produc…
How Minnesota got a (turkey) leg up in the industry
ST. PAUL — Erica Sawatzke, a sixth-generation turkey grower with Oakdale Farms in Douglas County, said her family used to travel the state to “show” turkeys in the ’30s when the business first came to Minnesota. The practice of showing turkeys has since dwindled, but Sawatzke’s family has stayed in the business as it’s climbed to national dominance over the decades. Her dynasty is just one of 600 turkey farms across the state that work to produc…
How Minnesota got a (turkey) leg up in the industry
ST. PAUL — Erica Sawatzke, a sixth-generation turkey grower with Oakdale Farms in Douglas County, said her family used to travel the state to “show” turkeys in the ’30s when the business first came to Minnesota. The practice of showing turkeys has since dwindled, but Sawatzke’s family has stayed in the business as it’s climbed to national dominance over the decades. Her dynasty is just one of 600 turkey farms across the state that work to produc…
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