Hear from Gov. Kim Reynolds after the Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony on her family's holiday traditions.
Like any well-mannered bird, Iowa's latest pardoned turkeys were raised on rock 'n' roll.
Gov. Kim Reynolds pardoned two turkeys on Tuesday, Nov. 25 -- Wing-ding and Tailfeather -- as part of the annual pre-Thanksgiving ceremony at the governor's Terrace Hill residence.
The pair let out a hearty gobble as the governor shared their names.
"There we go. They love it," she joked.
She said the honored guests had "practiced their struts, perfected their poses and they have promised to be on their best behavior" for the big moment.
"A pardon is a pretty good deal for a turkey in November," Reynolds said.
Reynolds read a proclamation officially pardoning the turkeys, declaring them "free to roam." She noted that Iowa's turkey farmers raise approximately 12 million turkeys annually and the industry has a $10.6 billion economic impact.
The pardoned turkeys were raised by Josh Berg, president of the Iowa Turkey Federation, and his wife, Kelli, and their three kids.
The family in 2010 took over a retiring farmer's operation that was mainly focused on row crops and expanded it to include turkeys. They bought two turkey finisher sites and eventually built a new brooder facility.
The Bergs' operation is about 15 miles west of Tyson Foods' Storm Lake plant.
"I think honestly these are some of the best birds we've had," Reynolds said.
The turkeys' good behavior was attributed to their caretaker reportedly spending every day with them and blasting rock 'n' roll music.
Asked by a reporter to comment on their pardon, the turkeys sauntered away without a gobble.
Reynolds said Thanksgiving is about bringing family together and creating memories, and her family has created some "incredibly memories" at Terrace Hill. She told reporters she plans to make homemade noodles and a fresh cranberry salad for her family's holiday feast.
"Family is so important to me, and anytime that we can get together and just celebrate each other is a wonderful day and we're just grateful," Reynolds said.
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Des Moines Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com.