Nov. 26 - THANKSGIVING TRADITION

Gov. Tim Walz, left, laughs after Tom, Minnesota’s Thanksgiving turkey, made a wing-flapping entrance during the annual Thanksgiving tradition to celebrate Minnesota’s turkey industry. Paisley VonBerge, center, a regional vice president for the Minnesota FFA Association, calms the bird that she raised on her farm near Hutchinson.

In a news release by Gov. Walz, Minnesota has consistently ranked #1 in the United States for turkey production, with over 600 turkey farms and 450 growers raising 40 million birds annually. Minnesota accounts for 18 percent of all turkeys produced in the U.S. The $12 billion industry supports over 46,000 jobs across Minnesota.