My name is Janet Scanlon.

I'm the senior marketing manager here in the Willard.

And I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of you this morning.

So for over 200 years, the Willard has actually welcome has actually welcomed a great number of VIPs and has hosted a variety of very historic events.

But I would say, over the last decade or so, welcoming these two V.

I.

T.

S or very important, Turkey's has been a highlight that we look forward to each and every year for us.

I think it really, truly, um, kicks off the holiday season.

So we thank the National Turkey Federation for their hard work in continuing this tradition and for including our hotel in the festivities, year after year, we're truly honored and very humbled to be apart of this very cherished tradition.

So on behalf of the Willard, I'd like to extend a warm welcome again and to wish all of you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving.

And with that, I would like to turn it over to Ron Cordell, the chairman of the National Turkey Federation, to share insights on this fabulous flock this year.

So on.

Thank you.

Uh, well, this is fun, and it just beats lots of other stuff.

So I'm honored to be here representing the National Turkey Federation for the 73rd presentation of the National Thanksgiving turkey.

It's in My wife, Susie.

I'm 1/6 generation Iowa farmer, were from Walcott, Iowa, where we live is a farm that was homesteaded by my ancestors in 18 fifties.

So it's been in our family for a long time.

I think this event is great today because Lord knows 2020 has been a little challenge, Whether it's a cove, it, whether it's fires, whether it's, uh, economic turmoil, I think it's great to celebrate something that's happy, something that's for everybody, something it's for all of America.

So I think this is a fun deal, and it's fun for us.

I also wanna thank our company back home West Liberty Foods, for their support for the help that they provided me or us, And I'd also like to thank the Iowa Turkey Federation and Greta Irwin.

And Greta is now going to explain what's gonna happen to these turkeys and little hit.

It happens to be my alma mater on behalf of the Iowa Turkey Federation and are over 130 turkey farmers in Iowa.

I am proud to present the Iowa turkeys at Ron and Susie have so carefully raised on their family turkey farm in Iowa.

I'm gonna find you a little bit of information about the Iowa Turkey industry and as Ron mentioned where they're going to go live out the remaining of their lives, I was actually seventh in the United States and Turkey production.

We raise a little over 11 million turkeys.

We had almost $10 billion to the economic impact of the state of Iowa through the corn and soybeans that are turkeys will consume to the processing that we have in our state.

Ron is our eighth Iowan to present a turkey to the president.

It's a long standing pride in tradition that are Iowa Turkey farmers have had after these turkeys have visited here at Washington D.

C.

They will be drive back, toe Iowa and end up at Iowa State University.

Iowa State University is a land grant.

College has a long tradition in supporting agriculture in the state of Iowa, across the United States.

and across the world.

These turkeys will have an opportunity to interact with students in the animal science department in the veterinary department and just have an opportunity to represent themselves and the industry in Iowa.

So we're very excited to give the students of Iowa State University and opportunity to have a first hand experience with these turkeys.

Um, I will then let Ron, um, take over and he will share some more information about thes turkeys.

Okay, we need a drum roll.

The names of the turkeys are corn and Cobb, Iowa, fifth, right?

So now explode.

How the people can vote for which one will be presented to the president.

That would be great.

Absolutely So with the introduction of corn and Cobb for the first time, we're pleased to kick off the White House's social media polls where folks can go and vote to pick which Turkey will become the national Thanksgiving turkey and go to the White House to meet President Trump.

So that poll will be open for the rest of the day today.

For everyone to cast their votes, we encourage you to do so.

Now we're going to turn it over to Iran to take some questions from you guys if you have any right now, any questions?

Uh, this one is corn.

And the one on my right.

Is Cobb Any other questions?

Yes, sir.

Present.

Yeah, Well, covert has had an impact on every industry everywhere.

For us in the turkey industry, the biggest impact was the to cut down the restrictions on restaurants and food service items.

So that created a tremendous disruption in our supply because that meat did not go to to those establishments and so had to be rerouted or redirected through through other food channels.

Um, and in regards to the so yes, because of the virus because of cove in celebrations for Thanksgiving have changed drastically this year.

The industry tried to adapt tried toe, but things You can't change things in a heartbeat that were planned a year ago.

There's been an attempt.

Thio provide varying sizes of turkey's for the holiday, as well as things like bone in breasts and or just breast meat and so on.

But what I tell everybody in regards to this, especially given this year, is for God's sakes by one that's way too big.

And then you'll have leftovers that you can freeze that you can use for other dishes because we're all staying at home more than what whatever normal is or whatever normal will be.

So I think one is too big and the leftovers this year is going to be particularly important.

Thio, all families, any other.

We're on anything you want to share things like.

So I would like to wish everybody happy Thanksgiving.

So we'll be around for a few more minutes for you guys to get any additional shots of the turkeys.

And Ron will also be around in case you want to talk to him about his role is National Turkey Federation chairman and bringing these turkeys toe Washington.

But thank you guys very much for being here.

And for those who are watching online.

Thanks for joining us today.

Sure.

Yeah.

Party.

Yeah.