Penn State’s Poultry Science Club president shares secrets of the annual turkey sale

By all indications, this Thanksgiving thing is really catching on.

Last fall, the Penn State Poultry Science Club’s annual turkey harvest sold 450 birds in almost three hours, which was good for the students and less so for poultry.

Proceeds from the sale make up the bulk of the club’s annual fundraising (try substituting a plate of white meat for candy and flowers on Valentine’s Day and see how that goes).

This year’s sale will begin at noon on Monday at the Penn State Meats Lab. Provided there are any turkeys left over, the bird bazaar will reopen for business again on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Joshua Cassar, president of the Poultry Science Club, recently explained more about the turkeys’ year-round care and the challenges of preparing for the harvest.

Q: How many turkeys were raised this year?

A: Roughly 1,200 antibiotic-free turkeys were raised on the farm this year; though due to capacity restraints of our processing facility we plan on harvesting roughly 450 turkeys for our Thanksgiving turkey sale. A thank you goes out to Dr. Michael Hulet for donating the birds for our fundraiser.

Q: Are all of those for Thanksgiving?

A: All the birds will reach maturity in time for Thanksgiving. For the birds that we cannot process, we send to an independent processor.

Q: What are some of the students’ responsibilities regarding the turkeys throughout the year?

A: The student workers at the farm are responsible for the care of the birds, including feeding and watering. Once we near Thanksgiving, the entire club will be responsible to assist in the processing and packing of the birds all the way through our sale on Monday. Our faculty and staff are generous enough to train and teach the students the proper food safety procedures and techniques throughout the process.

Q: From an educational standpoint, what do you think is the most valuable aspect of this experience for students?

A: Our club is comprised of students from all aspects of agriculture. Not all of the students have experiences working with the harvesting of live birds. This opportunity provides hands-on experience to see the topics we discuss in our coursework.

Q: Is there a secret to raising a quality bird?

A: If you ask me, a quality bird isn’t necessarily organic or all-natural, but rather a bird that is well-fed and has plenty of room to move about while still being in a clean and healthy environment. We also play soft-rock for our birds — if that is the secret you are looking for.

Q: What makes these turkeys different from their counterparts available in supermarkets?

A: Being an advocate for the industry, you can get just as good-tasting and quality bird from the grocery store. I will argue though that our fresh antibiotic-free bird price is competitive at $2 per pound, and all of our profits will support Penn State Poultry Science Club functions.

Q: In the week leading up to the sale, what are some of the challenges of getting prepared?

A: Timing is everything. This year we have had a few projects come to term at the same time as the preparation of our harvest. Furthermore, with the relocation of our sale to the Penn State Meats Lab, we have been figuring out the logistics of that. Organization and coordination with the members of the club is important to ensure we have all the help we need.

Q: Where do the proceeds from the sale go and what are they used for?

A: All the proceeds of the sale help fund the Penn State Poultry Science Club for our yearly functions. The club will use some of the proceeds to assist students in attending our numerous trips, both domestic and international. All of our trips provide students with experiences and opportunities to learn more about the industry that you can’t simply learn in a classroom.

Q: When should people who want the best chance at getting a turkey start lining up at the Penn States Meat Lab on Monday?

A: Our sale will start promptly at noon, and it is first-come, first-served. Getting there early may not be a bad idea.

Q: In 2014 you sold about 350 turkeys in about 3 hours. Do you have a goal for 2015 sales?

A: Last year we were very fortunate in to sell out very quickly. Every year is different but I will add that we have advertised more this year than past years. As soon as we sell out we will post it on our club webpage for people to reference: agsci.psu.edu/clubs/poultry-science/activities/fall-activities/fall-turkey-harvest.

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 11:58 PM with the headline "Penn State’s Poultry Science Club president shares secrets of the annual turkey sale."