Even though farmers and big-brand turkey sellers like Butterball and Hormel Foods have identified the need for smaller turkeys this Thanksgiving, it’s a little too late to change course. John Peterson, who is the president of the Turkey Research and Promotion Council for Minnesota, told The New York Times, “For us to have any meaningful impact on changing anything for Thanksgiving, those decisions had to be made in March or April.” Instead, some farmers are making efforts to harvest turkeys earlier than usual, before the birds grow to their intended weight.
Fox News reports that even brands who saw the demand coming for smaller turkeys won’t have the supply they were hoping for, due to poultry production and supply chains being interrupted by the pandemic. Still, grocery stores are placing orders for smaller birds and increasing their orders for turkey breasts, as opposed to whole birds, per CNN. So, shop early this year and you might just score the right-sized turkey for your Thanksgiving table. If you still end up with a hefty bird, well, there are worse things than having leftover turkey in the fridge.
