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Peas and Carrots, the two domestic turkeys for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon were treated to a hotel luxury at the Willard InterContinental Hotel prior and after an introductory news conference held by the National Turkey Federation in Washington D.C. on Monday.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the White House every year shortly before Thanksgiving.
The President of the United States is presented with a live domestic turkey by the National Turkey Federation, usually of the Broad Breasted White variety.
Peas and Carrots arrived in D.C. and began their stay at the Willard InterContinental Hotel near the White House on Sunday.
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The potential Presidential Turkey Pardon turkeys hatched on June 28, 2018, and the flock had numerous visitors to the farm to prepare them for interaction with people for the White House ceremony.
The turkeys’ names were announced on Monday and a White House social media poll was launched to pick which turkey will serve as the National Thanksgiving Turkey.
Which turkey should be pardoned during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony?
After the pardoning, Peas and Carrots will live at Virginia Tech’s “Gobblers Rest” exhibit.
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— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) November 19, 2018
One of the South Dakota 40-pound turkeys will become the National Thanksgiving Turkey and the other it’s alternate.
President Donald Trump will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in a ceremony in the Rose Garden on Tuesday.
After the pardoning by President Trump, the pair is expected to live out their days at Gobbler’s Rest, an agricultural outreach and educational facility at Virginia Tech University, where students and veterinarians care for the turkeys.
A statement from the White House reads: “Peas and Carrots traveled to our Nation’s capital all the way from South Dakota! They were raised on a farm near Huron, S.D., under the supervision of National Turkey Federation Chairman Jeff Sveen and by turkey grower Ruben Waldner.
“The Presidential Flock of 50 turkeys was hatched in July, and Peas and Carrots were selected to travel to Washington, D.C., where one will become the National Thanksgiving Turkey and the other its alternate.
“The “Presidential Flock” is raised much in the same way as turkeys marketed for U.S. customers—protected from weather extremes and predators in a barn, free to strut about with constant access to water and a feed mix of corn and soybeans.
“The flock is prepared for potential stardom at the White House from an early age, with the birds becoming acclimated to the sounds of a crowd, bright camera lights, and having to stand comfortably on a table during the presentation. The turkeys will also prepare for their visit by interacting with children and families on stops around the Huron community.
“Upon arrival in Washington, Peas and Carrots got some rest at The Willard Hotel, adjacent to the White House grounds, ahead of the pardoning ceremony.
“After the pardoning, the turkeys will make the journey to their new home at Virginia Tech’s “Gobblers Rest” exhibit in Blacksburg, Virginia. At Gobbler’s Rest, students and veterinarians within Virginia Tech’s Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences care for the turkeys.
“The National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate are available for the public to visit and learn about the university’s teaching, research and outreach programs in animal and poultry sciences and veterinary medicine.
“Turkeys have been sent as gifts to American Presidents from as early as the 1870s, sometimes arriving in elaborate crates and costumes. By the 1920s, the influx of these turkeys had increased so greatly that President Calvin Coolidge discouraged Americans from sending them, reported a 1923 New York Times article. Eventually, however, the tradition resumed, and President Coolidge received not only turkeys, but quail, ducks, geese, rabbits, and a deer.
“The most unusual gift was a raccoon, which was not served for dinner but became a Coolidge family pet.
“In the 1940s, farmers and manufacturers began to send birds to the White House as a means of promoting the poultry industry. President George H. W. Bush was the first to formally grant the bird a Presidential pardon, taking a cue from the animal rights activists picketing nearby.
“The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a time-honored American tradition, which is marking its 71st year since the ceremony first took place in 1947”.