- Bates Turkey Farm
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Bates Turkey Farm is a domestic turkey[1] manufacturer founded in 1923 and based near Fort Deposit, Alabama[2][3][4] A wedding gift of nine turkey eggs was the start of the operation.[5] (about thirty miles south of Montgomery, in Lowndes County).[3]
The farm is on approximately 900 acres (360 ha) of land and raises free-range turkeys (about 60,000 in 2008) under pecan trees on about 30 of those acres.[6] The farm purchases poults (baby turkeys) from a hatchery in Oakwood, Ohio.[4][5] The turkeys are fed a diet of "freshly ground corn, oats and soybean meal, along with some vitamins"[3] and each "needs 70 pounds of grain to reach slaughter size".[4] The Bates Farm services customers from a wide range of locations, including many that are far-flung, including California, Oregon,[2] and Alaska.[5] Because it is cheaper to raise turkeys in the Mid-West, nearer where the grain they eat is grown, other turkey farms in the state have gone out of business, leaving Bates as the sole remaining in Alabama.[1][3]
It is the supplier of Clyde, a series of turkeys that have been ritually pardoned by the governor of Alabama on Thanksgiving since 1949[5][7][8][1] (Clyde was first pardoned by "Big Jim" Folsom)[7] as well as a frozen turkey, which is eaten as the governor's Thanksgiving meal.[4]
In 1969, William "Bill" Bates opened his first Bates House of Turkey restaurant in Greenville; two more have followed, each serving an all-turkey menu and having turkey-themed decor.[4][3]
References
- ^ a b c Beyerle, Dana (November 22, 2010). "What happens to Clyde after he’s pardoned?". The Tuscaloosa News. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20101122/NEWS/101129918?tc=ar. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ a b "Farmer has year to crow about". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. November 27, 1992. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CTkdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5KUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6664,8623025. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "The stars of Thanksgiving well-treated". Lodi News-Sentinel. UPI. November 10, 1986. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=arM0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=YCEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=7208,1198790. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Turkey Day Is Nothing Special For Him". Times Daily. UPI. November 25, 1981. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9RwsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xJ0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3655,5914824. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Benn, Alvin (2006). "Bates Turkey Farm going strong: Lowndes turkey farmers have national reputation". Cooperative Farming News (Turner Publishing Co., Inc.). http://www.alafarmnews.com/1104archive/nov_turkey.htm. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ Thomas, Nick (November 25, 2008). "For kids: Down on the turkey farm". The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/The-Home-Forum/2008/1125/p17s01-hfks.html. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ a b Johnson, Bob (November 17, 2004). "Rileys pardon turkey, collect blankets for poor". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D0sgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kKYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6461,172983. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ "Riley pardons Bates’ turkey". The Greenville Advocate. November 20, 2008. http://www.greenvilleadvocate.com/2008/11/20/riley-pardons-bates-turkey/. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
External links
- "Bates Turkey Farm and Restaurant home page". http://batesturkey.com/. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
Categories:- Farms in Alabama
- Lowndes County, Alabama
- Poultry farming in the United States
- Restaurants in Alabama
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