Over 90% of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, and on Thursday, millions of them will eat turkey.
California isn’t the first state that comes to mind when considering the big turkey-producing states. However, according to the most recent estimate from Trace One, a company that specializes in regulatory compliance for the food and beverage industry, the Golden State contributes roughly 6.2 million of the birds annually, or 2.8% of the total nationwide.
Thirteen states, including California, account for more than 85% of the turkey produced in the United States. Together, North Carolina and Minnesota produce more than 2 billion pounds of turkey, making them the top producers.
In 2023, growers raised over 218 million turkeys nationwide.
With an average of 31.9 pounds per bird and a total production of around 200 million pounds, California is ranked 10th in terms of total turkeys raised and 11th in terms of turkey production per pound.
Since the 1960s, the average size of turkeys farmed in the United States has almost doubled, weighing 32 pounds. Even while the overall number of turkeys raised has decreased since reaching a peak of over 303 million birds in 1996, this tendency has helped sustain comparatively high production levels.
The primary causes of the increase in turkey size are better nutrition, selective breeding, and improved agricultural techniques. Smaller turkeys have advantages including better softness, even cooking, and faster thawing and cooking periods, but larger turkeys are more cost-effective per pound. Popular parts like wings, drumsticks, and thighs are more readily available when two little turkeys are prepared rather than one large bird for larger gatherings.
About 197.8 million pounds of turkey were produced in California in 2023, which is a tiny portion of the 6.99 billion pounds produced nationwide. Compared to the $6.57 billion national total, that amounted to $185.9 million for California.
Despite being a popular Thanksgiving meal, turkey production in the United States has decreased after decades of expansion.
Per capita production increased dramatically between 1960 and the mid-1990s, reaching a peak of 26.8 pounds per person in 1996. Since then, it has gradually decreased, falling by 25% to 20 pounds per person in 2022. After reaching a peak of 7.9 billion pounds in 2008, total production has subsequently leveled down at about 7 billion pounds per year.
There are a number of reasons for this drop in demand. Many Americans are consuming less meat, especially turkey, as a result of health concerns and dietary changes toward plant-based diets. Consumption has also been impacted by rising turkey prices, which went from $0.80 per pound nationally in 2018 to $1.40 per pound in 2023.
California is a remarkable exception to the general rule that turkey production is concentrated near or east of the Mississippi River.
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