Turkey is a staple on many Thanksgiving tables, and Kirkwood is one of the most popular turkey brands. But who actually makes Kirkwood turkeys? In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the Kirkwood turkey brand, including who produces these famous birds.
The History of Kirkwood
Kirkwood is a brand of Cargill, one of the largest privately held corporations in the United States. Cargill produces and markets food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services across the world. The company was founded in 1865 by William W. Cargill in Conover, Iowa.
William Cargill first entered the turkey business in 1920 when he constructed turkey hatcheries and feed mills in Albert Lea, Minnesota. In 1938, the company officially entered turkey processing by acquiring a processing plant in Mount Morris, New York. This plant was originally called Morrell Turkey Farms and was renamed Cargill Turkey Products.
In 1966, Cargill constructed a new turkey processing plant in Huron, South Dakota. This state-of-the-art facility allowed Cargill to increase turkey production significantly. In 1968, the Kirkwood branding was introduced by Cargill for its turkey products. The Kirkwood name came from Kirkwood Farm, which was Cargill’s breeder farm near Windom, Minnesota.
Over the years, Cargill expanded and upgraded the Kirkwood brand. New products were introduced, including luncheon meats, smoked turkey, turkey burgers and deli turkey. Seasonal offerings like whole turkeys, turkey breasts and roasts were also marketed under the Kirkwood label.
Today, Kirkwood remains one of Cargill’s flagship turkey brands, synonymous with high-quality turkey products. Cargill produces around 100 different Kirkwood turkey items through processing facilities in South Dakota, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota and California.
Kirkwood Turkey Production
Cargill utilizes a vertically integrated production model for Kirkwood turkeys. This means they control every phase of production from the parent stock farms to the hatcheries to the contract grower farms and finally to processing.
It starts with seven Cargill primary breeder farms that supply fertilized eggs. These pedigree breeding turkeys are raised under tight biosecurity protocols to produce healthy, robust hatching eggs.
The eggs are transported to Cargill’s hatchery in California, Missouri. After hatching, the poults (baby turkeys) are sent to over 200 contract grower farms in Minnesota, South Dakota, Arkansas and Missouri. These independent family farmers provide housing, feed and daily care of the birds.
Cargill provides the feed, veterinary care, transportation and flock supervision. Their turkey production specialists work closely with growers to monitor flock health and nutrition. Growers are paid based on the weight gained over the growth period.
After about 18 weeks for hens and 22 weeks for toms, the mature birds are transported from the grow-out farms to a Cargill processing facility. The main plants for Kirkwood turkey are located in Huron, South Dakota and Springdale, Arkansas.
At the processing plants, the turkeys are humanely processed under USDA inspection. Highly trained employees process the birds into fresh and cooked turkey products. State-of-the-art food safety systems help ensure wholesomeness and quality.
The finished Kirkwood turkey items are quickly packaged, frozen and shipped to retailers across the nation. Kirkwood turkeys and turkey products can be found at major grocery chains, club stores, foodservice operations and institutions.
Kirkwood Turkey Products
As a full-line turkey brand, Kirkwood offers a wide selection of retail and foodservice products:
- Whole Turkey: Fresh and frozen whole turkeys in a range of sizes.
- Turkey Breast: Boneless turkey breast roasts and tenderloins.
- Deli Turkey: Sliced oven-roasted and smoked turkey for sandwiches and wraps.
- Turkey Sausages and Hot Dogs: Premium turkey franks and breakfast sausage links.
- Luncheon Meat: Oven-roasted turkey breast deli slices.
- Ground Turkey: Fresh and frozen ground turkey in various fat levels.
- Turkey Burgers: Juicy, grill-ready frozen turkey burger patties.
- Turkey Bacon: Fully-cooked turkey bacon strips.
- Turkey Cold Cuts: Lunchmeats like turkey pastrami, smoked turkey and oven-roasted turkey.
- Turkey Pot Pies and Entrees: Convenient frozen turkey meals.
This wide selection of products allows customers to purchase high-quality Kirkwood turkey year-round. The brand offers exceptional taste and juiciness thanks to its premium breeding stock, stringent growing practices and careful processing protocols.
Why Kirkwood Turkey?
There are several reasons why Kirkwood has become one of America’s most popular turkey brands:
- Reputation – The Kirkwood name has been associated with quality turkey products for over 50 years.
- Fresh Taste – Kirkwood turkeys are never given growth hormones or steroids and are minimally processed to preserve a just-cooked flavor.
- Juiciness – The natural feeding and growing methods produce tender, succulent turkey meat.
- Convenience – Kirkwood offers fully-cooked products like deli turkey, burgers, bacon and entrees for quick, easy meals.
- Versatile – Kirkwood’s wide range of products allows you to enjoy turkey year-round in various recipes.
- Trusted Brand – As a brand of Cargill, one of the world’s largest food providers, Kirkwood has a reputation for safety and integrity.
With high standards across breeding, raising, processing and distribution, Kirkwood offers quality and taste consumers can count on. The wide product selection and cooking ease also appeal to busy households looking for quick wholesome meals.
Where to Buy Kirkwood Turkey
Kirkwood turkey is sold at major supermarkets across the United States. Some of the major retailers offering Kirkwood branded turkey include:
- Albertsons
- Food Lion
- Giant
- Harris Teeter
- H-E-B
- Hy-Vee
- Kroger
- Publix
- Safeway
- Sam’s Club
- ShopRite
- Stop & Shop
- Target
- Walmart
- Wegmans
- Whole Foods Market
Kirkwood turkey is also available through foodservice and restaurant distributors. Institutional buyers like schools, hospitals, hotels and military bases purchase Kirkwood turkey for menus and meals.
Around the holidays, Kirkwood whole turkeys and turkey breasts are prominently featured at grocery stores. Kirkwood’s Honeysuckle White brand also offers free-range and organic turkeys for specialty markets.
Nutritional Information
Turkey is prized as a lean, low-fat protein source. Here is the nutritional profile of Kirkwood oven-roasted turkey breast per 3 ounce serving (85g):
| Calories | Fat | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 1g | 13g | 780mg |
As you can see, turkey breast is very low in fat and calories while providing 13 grams of satisfying protein. Turkey is also an excellent source of nutrients like:
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Vitamin B6
- Phosphorus
- Zinc
- Selenium
Due to its stellar nutrition stats, turkey is recommended as part of a healthy diet by organizations like the American Heart Association. The versatility of Kirkwood turkey products makes it easy to enjoy their nutritional benefits.
Food Safety
As a large turkey producer, food safety is a top priority for Cargill. Their turkey processing facilities utilize leading-edge equipment and safety processes, including:
- Water reconditioning to stop cross-contamination
- Steam vacuum systems to deeply clean equipment
- Antimicrobial rinses to reduce pathogens
- Advanced food safety testing at all stages
Employees follow strict safety protocols including protective clothing, hand washing, sanitizing foot baths and prevention of cross-contamination. Regular safety audits are conducted internally and by third-party inspectors.
By controlling production from the breeder farms through processing, Cargill is able to maintain tight oversight over Kirkwood’s food safety. Consumers can be confident they are serving wholesome turkey to their families.
Animal Welfare
Turkey health and welfare is another priority for the Kirkwood brand. As a vertically integrated company, Cargill establishes humane animal practices across every stage of production including:
- Guidelines for proper housing, space and lighting on grow-out farms
- Daily flock monitoring by trained personnel
- Strict protocols for careful catching and transportation
- Controlled atmospheric stunning at processing plants for reduced stress
- Third party auditing of animal welfare practices
Cargill also works closely with animal welfare experts and organizations to continuously improve turkey raising standards. By controlling each production phase, they can enforce humane practices from start to finish.
Environmental Sustainability
In recent years, Cargill has focused on enhancing the sustainability of Kirkwood turkey production through initiatives like:
- Converting turkey barns to energy-efficient LED lighting
- Installing low-energy ventilation fans in grow-out barns
- Upgrading processing plants with energy-saving equipment
- Reducing packaging materials through lightweighting innovations
- Recycling programs across all facilities to reduce waste
Their environmental goals include improving energy and water efficiency by 15% and reducing waste by 20% at turkey processing plants by 2025. As a major turkey producer, Cargill has embraced sustainability as an important business priority.
Kirkwood in the Community
The Kirkwood brand has a long history of community support and charitable works. These include:
- Donating over 200,000 lbs of turkey meat annually to food banks and hunger relief programs.
- Raising over $3.5 million for the March of Dimes through the Honeysuckle White Turkey Trot race series.
- Sponsoring Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month to raise awareness of food insecurity.
- Partnering with The Salvation Army to provide turkeys to families in need.
- Funding scholarships for students studying agriculture and poultry science.
Cargill also has employee volunteer programs where workers can give back locally. The Kirkwood brand’s community involvement highlights their commitment beyond just producing quality turkey.
Conclusion
Kirkwood turkey has become a fixture on American tables, known for premium quality, taste and nutrition. As a wholly owned brand of Cargill, one of the world’s largest food producers, Kirkwood controls every phase of turkey production from breeding to processing.
Their state-of-the-art facilities and sustainable practices enable them to deliver consistently excellent turkey products. With a wide range of offerings from whole birds to breakfast sausage to smoked deli meat, Kirkwood provides options for enjoying delicious turkey any day of the year.
So when you sit down to your next turkey dinner, you can feel confident about the wholesome ingredients and ethical company behind the famous Kirkwood name. Their dedication to quality, safety, sustainability and community makes them one of America’s most beloved turkey brands.