There should be enough turkeys to go around this year and then some!  

Turkey Farmers of Canada Chair, Darren Ference, explained that they have been working hard through 2021 to make sure there will be enough birds for everyone.  

“We have a market analyst that helps us adjust for the market and we adjusted in July to have an increase that should have been coming to market just now prior to Christmas. There should be lots of old bird Turkey for your Christmas celebration.” 

He said that each grocery store has a different chain of suppliers so if people are finding it hard to find the delectable bird in their regular store, he suggests visiting another store because there should be enough to go around.  

2021 hasn’t come without its hardships though as Albertan Turkeys farmers felt the effect of this summer’s drought on top of COVID-19.  

“At the beginning of the pandemic, we had shutdowns in the foodservice industry and we had to decrease market to accommodate that. We have worked our way through that and now the holiday season is back to normal. We have replaced all and more of the supply that was there prior." 

Ference explained that they have been watching the markets with an eagle eye to make sure that demand was met.  

He said that he knows better than anyone the importance of having a good turkey on the table at Christmas. 

“Turkey farmers are all family-run operations. Some of them are multi-generational and we've been doing it for a long time. We enjoy our birds and spend a lot of time with them. I know everyone will enjoy their Turkey dinner for Christmas, I know everyone will find one!” he chuckled.