Minnesota-raised turkeys 'Peach and Blossom' pardoned by Biden at White House
The turkeys were picked for having good behavior at the farm and are the prettiest of them all. Peach and Blossom are from a farm in Northfield, and they were in the nation’s capital ahead of The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation at the White House on Monday.
President Biden pardons 2 turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving holiday
Peach, and the alternate turkey Blossom, were raised in Northfield, Minnesota, and continue a White House tradition going back to the Truman administration in 1947.
NORTHFIELD, Minn. – It’s a yearly White House tradition that’s been going on throughout multiple presidencies, and the final turkeys President Joe Biden has pardoned were raised in Minnesota.
The turkeys were picked for having good behavior at the farm and are the prettiest of them all. Peach and Blossom are from a farm in Northfield, and they were in the nation’s capital ahead of The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation at the White House on Monday.
The National Thanksgiving turkeys, Blossom and Peach, wait before being pardoned by U.S. President Joe Biden during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on November 25, 2024 in Washington, DC.
(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
How the birds were selected
"We started 40 birds back in July, and we've been slowly preening and primping them," said John Zimmerman, National Turkey Federation Chairman.
That’s the process of how Peach and Blossom were selected for their big debut. The road to how Zimmerman picked the two best turkeys started with tests.
"We want birds that can handle being around large crowds of people, different people, yelling, people, screaming, people, you know, kids doing all sorts of things," said Zimmerman.
President Joe Biden (R) pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey Peach, alongside Chair of the national turkey federation John Zimmerman and his son Grant during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on November 25, 2024 in Washington, DC.
(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)
He got help with some of those tests from his son and children in the neighborhood. But Peach and Blossom’s taste of music was also tested.
"Different lighting schemes and lots of music, lots and lots of music. We've exposed them to every type of music; country, rock, patriotic music, whatever. So just to get them used to different stimuli," said Zimmerman.
Then comes the beauty pageant.
"Part two was picking out the birds that are the best looking, so making sure their feathers are perfect, and they're well-behaved," said Zimmerman.
A photographer takes a photo of Peach and Blossom, the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, on the South Lawn of the White House before they receive a Presidential Pardon from US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC, on November 25, 2024.
(ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP / Getty Images)
Following Monday's pardon, Peach and Blossom will return to Minnesota as agricultural ambassadors and live out their lives at Farm America in Waseca, Minnesota, according to Zimmerman.