Raising a Healthy Flock

Iowa turkey farmer leads with innovation, sustainability and passion

By Ann Thelen

When Ron and Susie Kardel were raising their three children, they offered simple advice when deciding a career path: “Do what you love. You might make more money doing something else, but you need to love your work.”

For Ron, a sixth-generation turkey farmer from Walcott, his love has always been farming. His appreciation for the craft from a young age now fuels a passion for raising healthy turkeys and advancing the industry by using modern technology.

Humble and hardworking, he uses his limitless energy to advocate for Iowa’s turkey farmers as chairman of the National Turkey Federation (NTF) and vice chairman of the board for Iowa-based West Liberty Foods. From testifying before Congress on Capitol Hill about issues important to the turkey industry to supporting his local community, Ron is an inspiring leader for agriculture.

Ron Kardel has a passion for raising healthy turkeys and advancing the industry.

Photo by Joseph L. Murphy

A rich history rooted in sustainability

“I’ve worked in the turkey industry since 1979 and farm on my family’s homestead, which dates back to the 1850s,” Ron explains.

On the farm, he annually raises 120,000 male turkeys (called Toms), which translates to 4.2 million pounds of deli-style meat. Toms are raised for deli meat, and female turkeys (called Hens) are processed as full birds that are typically enjoyed at Thanksgiving.

Ron is also one of five owners of a farming operation in Ellsworth, where 555,000 Toms are raised each year. In addition, he is a founding member of West Liberty Foods, a farmer-owned cooperative located in the town of its same name.

The rich history of the multigenerational farm isn’t something he takes for granted. “My priority as a farmer – like every farmer I know – is to leave the land better than when I started farming,” he says. “Sustainability has become a buzzword, but it’s something we’ve been doing since the beginning. It would be impossible to be a sixthgeneration farmer without a philosophy rooted in sustainable agriculture."

In addition to raising turkeys, the Kardels grow soybeans and corn, which are converted into highquality feed rations for the flock. On average, each turkey consumes one bushel of corn and one-third bushel of soybeans in its lifetime.

In Ron’s early days of farming, crop rotations – alternating a variety of crops, such as corn, soybeans, alfalfa or oats in each field – were common. Each crop requires different levels of nutrients, so planting soybeans in a field one year and then a different crop the next year was good for yields and soil quality.

Today, fields are also filled with terraces to prevent erosion and buffer strips along the edge so that applied nutrients don’t escape into water sources. Turkey manure from the barns helps achieve the Kardel’s sustainability goals. Manure provides soil with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are needed to grow productive crops.

Ron and Susie Kardel are committed to sustainability as sixth-generation farmers.

Photo by Joseph L. Murphy

In Iowa, 11 million turkeys are raised annually on 130 farms. Many are multi-generational farm families.

Photo by Joseph L. Murphy

“When describing the importance of soil conservation efforts, I use the analogy that if you borrow your neighbor’s car, you don’t return it dirty and on empty. You return it with a full tank of gas and washed. That’s how I want to leave the soil for the next generation – even better than when I started,” Ron explains.

Turkey comfort and care

Inside the barns, turkeys strut around freely, protected from wild animals that are predators and may carry harmful diseases. Ron uses technology to keep his turkeys comfortable during Iowa’s changing seasons. During the winter, heaters keep the barns warm. In the summer, computercontrolled mechanical curtains rise and lower when temperatures vary to ensure a consistent, comfortable environment in the barns. When Iowa has excessive heat and humidity, automatic sprinklers mist the turkeys with water to keep the flock cool and comfortable.

A constant source of feed and clean water is available for the flock. The farm adheres to strict biosecurity standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is audited annually to ensure the standards are implemented.

Ron works diligently to clear up lingering misconceptions about turkey production. “Turkeys don’t receive hormones or steroids. Doing so became illegal in the 1950s,” he explains. “In addition, the only time that a turkey is given an antibiotic is if he is sick, and then it must be prescribed and monitored by a veterinarian. A turkey cannot have any traces of antibiotics in its system when it goes to market.”

Prior to a flock leaving the farm, fat samples are sent to a private lab to be tested for pesticides and drug residues. A flock can’t go to market until these samples are negative. Blood is also tested for avian influenza before turkeys can leave the farm.

Mel Herkelman has worked with the Kardel family for more than 25 years, helping raise healthy turkeys for the industry.

Photo by Joseph L. Murphy

Making a turkey a mealtime mainstay

Throughout the year, Ron enthusiastically works to help consumers know that turkey has a place at the table not just during the holidays or on a sandwich.

“Turkey is rich in protein, making it a healthy and delicious food that we want to be a mainstay in people’s diets,” he says. “Plus, its flavor profile lends itself well to be complemented by a variety of seasonings, such as teriyaki, Mediterranean or barbecue.” At West Liberty Foods, more than 1 million pounds of deli meat – from turkey and other sources, such as pork, beef and chicken – are processed each day. The nearly 25-year-old company is the number one supplier of deli meat to Subway.

From farmhouse to White House

This year, the Kardels plan to be part of an annual White House tradition of raising and presenting the National Thanksgiving Turkey to the president of the U.S. Typically, the turkeys are picked from the chairperson of the NTF’s home state and occasionally from the chair’s own farm. The presentation, which has been observed since 1947, signals the beginning of the holiday season of national thanks, historically representing agriculture’s plentiful harvest and the contributions of America’s turkey farmers.

The turkey vying to be the National Thanksgiving Turkey and his alternate were hatched in July and started receiving daily care on the Kardel’s farm. To help them prepare for the crowds and media in the nation’s capital, the turkeys listen to music and are trained to stand on a table.

Ron hopes to introduce the turkeys to local school groups and increase awareness of how turkeys are raised and the role of turkey farmers in Iowa.

“I want the community to be involved and to feel part of this special occasion. Being connected with a wonderful community is important to us, and it takes a village to make it successful.” he adds.