June 7, 2007

Virginia is for turkey lovers in June

RICHMOND—How about a turkey sandwich with that glass of milk?

Along with being Dairy Month, June is Turkey Lovers Month, and there are many reasons to celebrate in Virginia. Last year turkeys contributed more than $260 million to the state’s economy.

“The modern turkey industry was born in Virginia in the last half of the twentieth century,” said Tony Banks, assistant director of commodities and marketing for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “Virginia’s turkey industry is an integral component of Virginia’s agricultural portfolio.”

Virginia ranks fourth in the nation for the number of turkeys raised each year. In 2006 Virginia producers raised more than 21 million turkeys—weighing in at about 554 million pounds—on more than 300 farms.

The Shenandoah Valley is Virginia’s top turkey-producing region, and Rockingham County is the nation’s second-largest turkey producing county.

The commonwealth is home to six poultry processing plants that employ more than 5,000 people. The plants are owned by Cargill, George’s Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods and Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative Inc. The poultry industry indirectly supports about 36,000 related jobs outside of the industry, many within the Shenandoah Valley.

In the United States, poultry meat consumption has risen from 34 pounds per person in 1960 to 100 pounds today. That’s good news, because turkey is a nutrient-dense, lowfat, high-protein food with less than one-fifth of the maximum daily recommended intake of cholesterol. It’s also naturally low in sodium. A 3-ounce serving of roasted, skinless turkey breast contains 26 grams of protein, 45 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of fat, no saturated fat and only 120 calories.

According to the National Turkey Federation, the top three reasons for preparing turkey at home are taste (69 percent), nutrition (52 percent) and value (44 percent).

Contact Banks at 804-290-1114.