Art of Aging: Pa. turkey farm has been serving First Family since 1950s

Tamala Edwards Image
Thursday, November 23, 2017
VIDEO: Pa. turkey farm has been serving First Family since 1950s
Watch Tamala Edwards report from November 23, 2017.

825,000 turkeys a year roam the Jaindl family farm today. But when it started in 1935, it was just five birds that David Jaindl's father, Fred, was showing at a local county fair when he was just five years old.

"My grandfather actually purchased five turkeys from my dad and five ducks from my aunt, my dad's sister. And the ducks died but the turkeys survived," David said.

A decade later, his father and grandfather officially went into business together, and it's always been very much a family affair.

"My dad and my mother had eight children. They all were involved in the operation at one, one time or another," David said.

David, like his father, started raising turkeys when he was just a boy.

"I went to work at 8 years old with my dad," said David. "By the time I was 9-10 years old, I was a productive worker, part time in summer time."

David's sister in law, nephew, his wife and their five children also work on the farm. And the family takes their turkey raising business seriously.

David's father, Fred, put his birds up against the nation's championship breeders in competitions throughout the 1950s.

"My dad won the grand championship every year though the '50s and last show they had was in '59. And in 1959, the National Turkey Federation, because he'd won every show, asked him if he would supply two turkeys to the White House," David said.

The Jaindl Grand Champion Brand has been served at the White House every Thanksgiving since.

Two of David's sons proudly showed us this year's presidential turkey.

The birds are sold under both the Whole Foods and Wegman's store brand. For Thanksgiving, their turkeys will find their way to 150,000 tables.

"It's rewarding. Part of what gets me out of bed in the morning is coming here, working with the family and working with a lot of my friends here who work at the farm," David said.

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