National Turkey Presentation

NATIONAL THANKSGIVING TURKEY PRESENTATION

A true collaborative effort between CALS Communication team, Extension, the North Carolina Turkey Federation, the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation was a thrilling success to follow and announce. Our team followed it all from their farm in Monroe, North Carolina, to their luxurious stay at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., to their presentation with President Biden on the White House lawn, and to their retirement at the Poultry Education Unit on Lake Wheeler Road. It was one of the most popular social media stories we ever produced.

Media Outlets Who Picked Up Our Story:

NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is at White House, Washington DC.

November 21 at 11:43 AM . Washington D.C.

That’s it, folks! Our friends Chocolate and Chip are officially pardoned and will head home to NC State University this afternoon.

Meet Chocolate and Chip. �� �� As this year’s National Thanksgiving Turkeys, the Monroe, N.C. natives made the trip to Washington, D.C., for their red carpet moment. On Monday, the @natlturkeyfed presented Chocolate and Chip to President Biden at the White House National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. Now, they’re returning to NC State to live out their days in special private quarters at @ncstatecals’ Lake Wheeler Road facilities under the expert care of university poultry specialists and students — and the rest is gravy. “We’re honored and excited for the opportunity to care for the National Thanksgiving Turkey and his ‘wingman,’” said Peter Ferket, interim head of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science. “We’ve prepared a firstclass retirement home for our fine-feathered friends to live out their days in fame and comfort.”

Most Viewed @NCState Instagram Reel EVER

112K views 5,301 likes 1,998 shares 89,499 accounts reached

Video: How Does the Willard InterContinental Prepare Rooms For the White House Thanksgiving Turkeys?

Hosting the White House Thanksgiving turkeys brings a lot of preparation. We went inside the Willard InterContinental Hotel to see just how they got the rooms ready for the turkeys to roost. It included a layer of wood chips on the floor, fencing to keep the press in their place, just the right temperature for our feathered friends, and perhaps some down-alternative pillows.