President Obama along with daughters Sasha and Malia, pardon Cobbler, the 2012 National Thanksgiving turkey, who was raised and trained on a farm in Virginia specifically for the presidential honor.
By Kent Politsch, Chief, FSA Public Affairs
As their names might suggest, Gobbler and Cobbler are a couple of turkeys. They got their 15 minutes of fame the day before Thanksgiving. One turkey received a presidential pardon and both were set free at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate a few miles from the ceremonious pronouncement.
Like anxious parents watching twins cross the stage for graduation, Craig and Nancy Miller of Rockingham County, Va., watched the birds strut their stuff from a far-reaching seat in the Rose Garden of the White House, home to President Barack Obama and family. Even the Millers’ two adult children flew from great distances to watch the spectacle, peaking over the heads of dozens of special guests.
The president and his daughters were the main draw, but the turkeys enlivened the event.
The Millers are the Virginia farmers who hatched to life Gobbler and Cobbler back on Friday the 13th in July. It was their lucky day. Everyone’s.
The turkeys were lucky because of the 40 birds born July 13 with this presidential honor in mind, it came down to them. The Millers were lucky because out of all the poultry farmers across the nation, Cargill, the sponsor, picked them to raise the special birds.
Craig Miller said from the 40 poults (that’s what baby turkeys are called) they narrowed the selection to ten. Some of them went on tour to county and state fairs, showing off as youngsters and getting a few minutes of fame themselves even though they were cut from the final selection. They had to be. Once they went public, they could not return back to the farm due to bio-security and disease control, an unfortunate kiss of fate.
“It came down to two or three that stepped to the forefront,” said Miller. Gobbler and Cobbler had the swagger and temperament to be stars.
Miller credits Bob Evans — a veterinarian, not a restaurant guru — for teaching Gobbler and Cobbler how to behave in the company of the Commander in Chief. Miller dubbed Evans the Turkey Whisperer. “He could make them do anything he wanted them to do,” Miller claimed. “If you could be proud of a turkey, I was. They behaved like show steers. Pretty amazing what [Evans] did with them.”
Gobbler (pictured above) now resides with Cobbler at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate after being pardoned by President Obama a day before Thanksgiving.
The bird doctor, aka Turkey Whisperer, had plenty of opportunity. Miller said Evans visited the creatures almost daily in the final few weeks. (They were 19 weeks at pardoning.) Plus, Evans was there for their hatching, not always an egg-zact science, so a veterinarian is a good guy to have around.
Miller has had a few cracks at it too, though. He raises three flocks of hens per year; each flock totaling 43,000 birds. He’s been doing it for 26 years. This allows Miller to view close to 130,000 birds per year sheltered in two 800-foot-long poultry houses.
The Millers farm 81 acres of their own and rent 300 more. They raise hay, some that they sell, and about 100 head of Angus cattle in addition to three flocks of turkeys.
Craig Miller, 50, is more than a farmer. About five years ago, he gave up another job he enjoyed. He coached girls’ softball at a local high school. He and his girls have a state championship and several regional trophies on display. He hung up his cleats after a 24-1 season. He says he misses it, but couldn’t keep up with all the responsibilities. (Sometimes work can be such a turkey!)
Craig Miller is also a clever guy.
The Millers had a problem with their huge poultry houses. Rainwater poured off the roofs and cut deep grooves into the soil as it washed it away. Miller said downpours caused serious erosion around the houses.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) came to the rescue. The Millers enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program administered by FSA. Miller said he was afraid fixing the erosion could be “a real ugly project, but it turned out to be beautiful.”
Miller said with counsel from the agencies, they engineered a system that routed the fast-moving water from the poultry house roofs 440 feet underground to a holding pond which captures up to 30 percent of the water for useful purposes while directing the remainder into harmless distribution. It was so clever it helped earn the Millers a handful of stewardship awards with another one pending.
Needless to say, Miller likes FSA and NRCS. In this case, the EPA likes all three.
And the mutual admiration between Craig Miller and FSA doesn’t stop there. The Millers have been regular and welcomed credit customers of FSA’s Farm Loan Programs, using operating funds to keep their businesses running smoothly and successfully.
The business that puts bread on the table, according to Miller, is the turkey flock. He has been raising turkeys for Cargill for about nine years. He says it was quite an honor to be chosen to raise the turkey pardoned by President Obama.
“Are you going to visit Gobbler and Cobbler at Mount Vernon?” he was asked. “Maybe the first of the summer,” he said.
Miller is a little worried about the birds. Commercial turkeys don’t handle the wild so well. It could be a melancholy reunion.
Oh, what about the other half of the Miller team, one that has been together for 25 years? It sounded like a strong partnership.
“Nancy works for a large-animal veterinarian clinic. Don’t know how a man can farm without an understanding wife. We make a real good team.”
Asked if they were saddened by the end of their honor, Craig Miller said not really. The pressure coming down the stretch was a bit much. He said he was actually relieved when the pardoning was over and he could return to being just another lucky Virginia farmer, something he’s proud to be. His one regret; he wished consumers knew how important his friends and their farms were to the country.
It’s okay, Craig. If turkeys can be pardoned, consumers can be forgiven. They may not understand how important agriculture is to them, but they certainly seem to enjoy the fruits…and turkeys…of your labor.
