Minnesota Raises More Turkeys Than Any Other State, Powering Thanksgiving Across the Country

If you’re thawing a turkey this week, there’s a pretty good chance it came from right here in Minnesota. We don’t just dabble in turkey farming; we lead the entire country. And with about 46 million turkeys eaten every Thanksgiving in the U.S., Minnesota farmers play a massive role in holiday feasts across the country.

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Heading into Thanksgiving week, the University of Minnesota sat down with Kahina Boukherroub, an assistant professor in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), to unpack what makes our state such a turkey powerhouse.

Minnesota’s Turkey Industry Is Huge. Like Billion-Dollar Huge

According to Prof. Boukherroub, turkey farming pumps over $1 billion into Minnesota’s economy every year and supports more than 26,000 jobs. She says what really sets the state apart is the large number of independent family farmers behind the barns, the kind of operations that support small towns and keep local communities going.

And Minnesota birds don’t just stay here. About 13% of our turkeys head overseas, with Mexico, China, and Canada topping the list.

Today’s Turkey Looks a Lot Different Than It Did Decades Ago

Turkeys aren’t the same birds your grandparents raised. Breeding has shifted heavily toward sustainability and efficiency. Prof. Boukherroub explains that modern commercial turkeys convert feed into muscle far more efficiently than older breeds, meaning they need less feed, less land, and fewer resources to reach market weight.

Selective breeding has also focused on healthier birds with stronger legs and better disease resistance. More muscle, less environmental impact. Win-win.

The Industry’s Biggest Headache? Bird Flu

Minnesota producers are still battling Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the disease that keeps showing up in headlines and causing major flock losses. Prof. Boukherroub calls it the “paramount disease” in the turkey industry, and it’s become such a persistent problem that producers now treat it like an unfortunate constant.

The federal government steps in with compensation when HPAI is detected, but many other common diseases like E. coli and Avian metapneumovirus don’t come with financial backup, which means farmers are left to deal with the costs on their own.

Minnesota Scientists Are Studying Turkeys Like… Turkeys

This part is fascinating: scientists at the U of M emphasize that turkeys aren’t just oversized chickens. They have very specific health and biological needs, and studying them requires a full team of physiologists, virologists, microbiologists, immunologists, and veterinarians focused on preventing disease, strengthening turkey immune systems, managing outbreaks, creating better nutritional and vaccine strategies, and making sure research can be used fast on real farms.

The Unsung Turkey Moms Powering Minnesota’s Industry

Prof. Boukherroub’s own research focuses on turkey breeder hens, the birds responsible for producing eggs for the entire commercial industry. Her work explores everything from why fertility declines later in a hen’s laying cycle to how diseases disrupt egg production.

One of her big projects involves developing organoid models, tiny lab-grown replicas of reproductive tissues, to study how diseases like avian influenza impact hens without endangering live birds.

The Statewide Importance of Minnesota’s Turkey Industry

Beyond the Thanksgiving table, Minnesota’s turkey industry fuels small towns, supports thousands of jobs, drives demand for local corn and soybeans, and helps keep family farms alive across the state.

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And thanks to researchers like Prof. Boukherroub and the teams at CFANS, the future of turkey farming in Minnesota isn’t just big, it’s getting smarter, more sustainable, and more resilient.

So, while you’re basting that bird this week, know that Minnesota didn’t just raise it. Our farms, scientists, and family growers likely helped shape the future of turkey farming, too.