NEBRASKA TURKEY PRODUCERS PRESENT GOVERNOR
WITH TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY TURKEYS

(Lincoln, NE) In preparation for the holiday season, Nebraska turkey producers presented Governor Dave Heineman today with two holiday turkeys; a NORBEST-NEBRASKA GROWN® turkey and a NORBEST-NEBRASKA GROWN® Hickory Smoked turkey at the State Capitol in Lincoln. 

Tom Thulin, President of the Nebraska Turkey Federation, made the presentation to Governor Dave Heineman, saying, “We would like to continue the tradition of presenting turkeys to the Governor to kick off the holiday season. We are also grateful for the leadership role the Governor has taken in promoting Nebraska products both domestically and internationally, with an emphasis in value-added agriculture.”

Approximately 4.4 million turkeys are produced in Nebraska each year and processed by the Nebraska Turkey Growers Cooperative plant in Gibbon, the state’s only turkey-processing plant. The majority of those turkeys are packaged under the NORBEST-NEBRASKA GROWN label. Nebraska cash receipts from turkey production totaled more than $43 million annually in 2006. 

“There is no more appropriate time to recognize the important impact turkey production has on our state than Thanksgiving,” Gov. Heineman said.  “I’ll be donating them to the People’s City Mission here in our capital city to ensure that those in need can celebrate this holiday with a meal featuring Nebraska-grown products.” 

NORBEST is over 70 years old and is the world’s oldest and largest turkey marketing cooperative.  Additional information about Nebraska's turkey industry is available through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s Poultry and Egg Division by calling (402) 472-2051 or visiting www.nebraskapoultry.org.

Released by the Department of Agriculture

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