Meet Peach and Blossom, two lucky birds expected to get a mealtime reprieve Monday from President Joe Biden during the White House’s annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon.
The Minnesota-born turkeys weigh 40 and 41 pounds. They were hatched on July 18 in Northfield, Minnesota, and raised on a farm by John Zimmerman, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, and his 9-year-old son, Grant, who introduced the birds at an event in Washington.
Zimmerman told reporters Sunday that raising the birds meant added training for being calm in a city environment. The event at the White House generally includes a speech from the president, a few jokes and the clattering of dozens of cameras along side the normal city traffic noises.
“In order for these birds to be prepared for the hustle and bustle that they will experience in DC, we’ve been getting them used to lights, camera and even introducing them to a wide variety of music, everything from polka to classic rock. Grant and some other kids from our neighborhood, some of them who could join us here today, have done an amazing job helping raise these turkeys to feel comfortable and ready for the big event at the White House,” Zimmerman said.
More:Presidential turkey pardons: An illustrated guide to the Thanksgiving tradition
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The about 17-week-old turkeys gobbled and strutted around the famed Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel during the press conference. The birds stay at the hotel ahead of their short White House visit.
After being pardoned by Biden at 11 a.m. ET Monday, the turkeys will return to live at Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretive center in Waseca, Minnesota.
Not every one is a fan of the 77-year-old tradition, with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals calling it a “humiliating meat-industry stunt that uses the White House as its public relations backdrop,” in a letter this week calling for Biden to stop it.
