A National Thanksgiving Tradition with a Personal Twist

A Thanksgiving tradition that we have shared as a nation since 1947 is the delivery of live turkeys to the White House each year. The birds were originally destined to become Thanksgiving dinner, but in 1989, President George H.W. Bush began the new tradition of granting the birds a Presidential Pardon.

In 1950, the official Thanksgiving turkey was delivered to President Harry S. Truman by Mr. and Mrs. Warren Johnson, the grandparents of Successful Farming Editor Emeritus Betsy Freese. Warren Johnson was president of the National Turkey Federation that year.

At Johnson’s small turkey farm in Oxford, Pennsylvania, all the processing was done on site and by hand with local labor. “On Pop-Pop’s farm, turkeys walked 100 feet from their pen to the processing plant,” Freese says. “They were the finest Thanksgiving turkeys on earth.”

EDITOR’S TAKE:

The “Presidential Pardon” of a turkey actually spares the bird from a certain death. Once pardoned, they are transported to a farm where they live out their life in peace and comfort knowing they received special treatment. But while one may escape that doesn’t mean the White House will not enjoy a traditional turkey dinner, just not that one particular bird. Yes, I was there in Washington, D.C., working at USDA, when the first pardon was officially granted. The news spread quickly around the nation and a new tradition was born.

What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Does the family gather at your home or one of your other family members each year? Do you watch sports, tell stories about the family or just enjoy playing table games? Whatever your traditions might be, it’s rewarding to keep them going. Pass them on to future generations and know that they will remain special for a long time. It’s just like CAD has become a tradition for your dealership.  All of us at The Certified Ag Group® wish you and your family a very joyous and memorable Thanksgiving 2025!