By Jordan Kendall
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
As Americans prepare to celebrate a Thanksgiving unlike any in recent memory, local farmers and industry officials say that fewer turkeys will be eaten tomorrow compared to past years and those that do make it to the dinner table are likely to be smaller than normal.
Beth Breeding, the vice president of communications and marketing for the National Turkey Federation, said in an email that an estimated 40 million turkeys will be eaten this Thanksgiving – down from the 46 million birds consumed in 2019.
In addition, the US Department of Agriculture has reported that there have been about 7 million fewer turkeys produced in 2020 than the year before.
In Maryland, three turkey farmers interviewed last week said that while the demand for larger turkeys has declined, turkey farmers across state are seeing increased sales for smaller ones.
At Sho Nuf Turkey Farm in Fulton, for example, owner Chris Bohrer said he would expect to sell between 16,000 and 20,000 turkeys for a typical Thanksgiving.
He said that between retail, bulk, and wholesale he has sold 16,000 to 17,000 this year and that people are downsizing their turkeys from previous years. Sho Nuf was founded by Ellsworth and Mary Elizabeth Iager in 1938 and is now in its third generation of raising turkeys.
“We’ve seen an uptick in the smaller size turkeys,” Bohrer said. “People who buy 15- to 18-pound turkeys are buying 10- to14-pound turkeys. Everybody’s dropping just a bit smaller.”
Springfield Turkey Farm in Sparks has seen increased sales to individual families.
“We normally deliver 2,000 or so to restaurants in the Baltimore area and many haven’t opened,” said David Smith, whose family has owned the 67-acre Baltimore County farm since the 17th century. “Those that are have reduced the number of turkeys they’re taking. The impact has been one where instead of selling wholesale it’s going retail to families, and that’s better for us.”
Smith said that he would expect to sell 700 turkeys for a normal Thanksgiving. This year they ran out of whole turkeys about a month before Thanksgiving but are also selling half turkeys, which are selling well.
Ellie Mocker, who owns Holly Hill Ranch in Brandywine, said that the pandemic has led to an increase in demand for local meats, which has benefited small farms such as hers.
Holly Hill Ranch, which began in 2016, raises a variety of species, including chicken, turkey and duck. Mocker said she owns a small farm so would only expect to sell 10 turkeys each holiday. She said she has reached that number this year and has also seen an increase in demand for her other products.
“People seeking local farmers have increased and we’re seeing more interests and more sales, not just with turkeys but all the animals we raise, so I think we’re doing alright compared to some folks,” Mocker said.
One of the changes this year is the process of buying turkeys. For families that buy directly from turkey farmers, protocols had to be changed to satisfy CDC guidelines.
At Sho Nuf, turkeys were prepackaged this year and were wrapped in plastic instead of paper to minimize airborne exposure. Bohrer said they have also sped up processing the turkeys compared to previous years. In a normal year, he said, they would finish processing the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This year they finished about a week before the holiday.
Bohrer said that when families come to Sho Nuf, they come for the experience. Because of the pandemic, he said, some of the normal activities aren’t available for customers.
“This is more of an experience to come here and get your turkey. You see the birds, you see the other livestock. It’s a family tradition and experience,” Bohrer said. “This year it’s turning more into a business transaction. We don’t have the extra experiences like having apple cider and cookies. You buy your turkey and you leave. We just can’t do that with social distancing restrictions.”
The pandemic has also led to reductions in staff compared to previous Thanksgivings. Smith and Bohrer have had to reduce their staff to minimize the risk of COVID-19. Mocker runs the farm with her husband, so she did not reduce staff.
“Our staffing would normally be 20 people in addition to the people who live on the farm,” Smith said. “Because of concerns with COVID, it’s been cut to 10 people, so they’re putting in longer hours as well as the farmers here full time.”
The Maryland Department of Health released guidelines for celebrating Thanksgiving this year. The department advised avoiding large gatherings of more than 25 people and minimizing travel outside of the state.
As more Americans choose to have smaller gatherings this year, Smith’s family will be one of them.
“While we’re a family farm and we have three families living on the farm, instead of having one big dinner we’re all having separate ones,” Smith said.