NC's turkey industry continues to grow, but small Triad farms say they’re fighting to keep tradition alive

GIBSONVILLE, N.C. — North Carolina ranks among the top turkey-producing states in the country, trailing only Minnesota, and its industry continues to surge. In 2024, the US Department of Agriculture said farmers in the state turned out 27 million birds.

But farmers across the Triad say the vast majority of those turkeys come from massive commercial operations, not the small local farms trying to sustain a more traditional approach.

At Asgard Farm in Gibsonville, owner Allison Aday said her farm raised about 45 turkeys this year, a number limited by shipping challenges and the intensive care the birds require.

“Most small farms are gonna be processing their turkeys on the farm, and they are definitely more difficult to process than, say, a chicken,” Aday said. “We really don’t have, espe