As families plan their holiday menus, one nonprofit is urging people to consider a different kind of Thanksgiving tradition, one that doesn’t include turkey on the table.
For nearly 40 years, Farm Sanctuary has encouraged Americans to “adopt” a turkey rather than eat one. Co-founder Gene Bauer says the Adopt-a-Turkey program invites participants to donate toward the care of rescued turkeys living on the organization’s farms.
“Where they actually honor turkeys instead of kill and eat turkeys,” Bauer said.
Bauer says the donations support the rescue and care of farm animals and can also be part of a broader effort to make more conscious and healthy food choices.
“The way factory farming operates, animals are treated very badly and human beings as consumers are eating foods that are making us sick,” he said.
Participants don’t take home a live turkey. Instead, they receive an adoption certificate and a photo of the turkey they’re helping support.
“These are living, breathing animals that have feelings and who deserve to be treated with compassion,” Bauer said. “We’re always happy to see people show kindness to turkeys or other farm animals who are too often denigrated and called dumb or other things.”
Bauer notes that 46 million turkeys are slaughtered each Thanksgiving, a statistic the organization hopes will inspire people to rethink their holiday choices.
“Our food choices every day can either help us to live healthy, humane lives or it can do the opposite,” he said. “I encourage people just to think about their food choices.”
Those interested can learn more or adopt a turkey at farmsanctuary.org.
WSB Radio’s Graham Carroll contributed to this story.
Sign Up
