Kicking off this year's holiday season will be a couple of  real turkeys. That is, turkeys raised  by National Turkey Federation chairman Ron Kardel and his wife Susie  on their farm near Walcott, Iowa. They have produced the birds for this year's National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation at the White House.

The Kardels will be accompanying the birds to the White House this week and presenting them to President Donald Trump, who will pardon them in a tradition that dates back many years.
 

Following their trip to the nation's capitol, the turkeys will reside at their new home on the campus of Iowa State University.

Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead caught up with the Kardels this week to find out more about what goes into raising turkeys capable of such public display, how the birds are named and even a bit about  how the pandemic has impacted the turkey industry this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.