Gov. Kim Reynolds pardons “Caitlin” and “Clark” a hen and a tom from a farm in Manson. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds pardoned turkeys “Caitlin” and “Clark” at Terrace Hill ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and thanked Iowa farmers for their contributions to the state.
The turkeys came from Moline Farms, which is celebrating 100 years of raising turkeys on their farm in Manson. Members of the Moline family stood next to the governor Tuesday morning as the spared turkeys roamed the grounds.
Reynolds said she bought a hefty 25 pound turkey from the Molines for her own Thanksgiving table and said she “always looks forward to this time of year.”
“Not only is it a time for us to really recognize our farmers and producers and all that they do to feed the world, but it’s kind of a kickoff for the holiday season,” Reynolds said.
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Last year’s birds, “Freedom” and “Flourish,” were also raised by the Moline family. Brad Moline is president of the Iowa Turkey Federation and, along with his family, was joined by other members of the federation and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.
According to the proclamation, Iowa ranks seventh in the nation for turkey production and annually raises 12 million turkeys, constituting a $10.6 billion industry.
On Monday, President Joe Biden performed his final turkey pardoning, and spared “Peach” and “Blossom.”
The first official presidential turkey pardoning dates back to 1947 with President Harry Truman. Here in Iowa, Reynolds said the tradition began in the 1970s, but until 1989, she said the gubernatorially recognized turkeys were “sent back to the farm.”
“Caitlin” and “Clark” who were presumably named after the Iowa-native professional basketball player, are safe from the butchering block.
“They are free to roam this Thanksgiving day, and they’ve got a lot of ground to do it on,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds ‘excited’ for upcoming administration
Following the turkey pardoning, Reynolds spoke with reporters about some of the expected policies from President-elect Donald Trump.
Reynolds said she is “excited” for the upcoming administration, which seems to be looking at “doing things differently.” She said Republican majorities in the Legislature show that Iowa is “a solid red state.”
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature and look how we can build on that foundation and continue to move Iowa forward,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds was recently the first sitting governor presented with the Tax Foundation’s distinguished service award, which she said was not only for her administration’s tax policies, but for reducing government spending and red tape in Iowa.
“I think, you know, I did DOGE before DOGE was popular,” Reynolds said, referencing Trump’s plan to form a Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. “We started that in Iowa two years ago — I think we’re a great example of what the federal government can look to.”
Reynolds said this election showed that voters care about securing the border and she trusts border security will return to what it was during Trump’s past term.
“I have full confidence in him … for what he’ll do with the border,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds also voiced her support for Trump’s pick of Brooke Rollins for secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“I worked with her extensively in the first administration,” Reynolds said. “She is a get-it-done person; I look forward to working with her.”
Reynolds said she expects a “much different energy policy” from the administration, and noted Iowa’s role in the biofuel industry.
“That’s probably the number one thing that they can do to start to reverse the inflation that we’ve seen over the last four years,” Reynolds said. “The cost of energy is a driver to everything.”
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