HOLIDAYS: Conway County Judge pardons 4-H raised turkeys
Nov. 23, 2022
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Turkeys raised as part of Conway County 4-H turkey project
- Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart, Morrilton mayor Allen Lipsmeyer pardoned two birds
- Arkansas ranks third in the nation in turkeys production, producing more than 27 million turkeys per year
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(Newsrooms: With additional art at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAggMi)
MORRILTON, Ark. — While many turkeys will be featured as a main course this week, Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart and Allen Lipsmeyer, mayor of Morrilton, pardoned two lucky birds raised by Ridge Row 4-H Club participants as part of Conway County’s Turkey Week, which began Nov. 20 and ends Nov. 26.
Caroline and Adaline Dixon, members of the Ridge Row 4-H Club, raised the two turkeys – named Lily and Sparkles – “since they were one day old,” according to Caroline. Both Caroline, 8, and Adaline, 5, showed their turkeys at the Conway County Fair.
In a chilly morning outside the Conway County Courthouse on Nov. 21, community members, elected officials, 4-H members and their families gathered for the Turkey Promotion Event. Shannon Autrey, extension Family and Consumer Sciences agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, used Arkansas grown pecans and turkey to prepare turkey salad and rice grown in the Arkansas River Valley to make wild rice soup for tasting.
Later that day, Governor Asa Hutchinson pardoned two turkeys at the state capitol in Little Rock, but Caroline said she was glad to showcase her bird in Conway County.
“I would have been way more nervous, because I would have been in front of more people,” she said.
According to the Conway County Turkey Week proclamation, Arkansas ranks third in the nation in turkeys raised, producing more than 27 million turkeys per year, which adds approximately $443 million in value to the state’s economy annually. Butterball, one of the largest turkey companies in the country, has a grower in Conway County.
Before pardoning Lily and Sparkles, Hart addressed the crowd, sharing his history in agriculture.
“My background is in agriculture, that’s where I come from,” he said. “I milked cows for 25 years. In Conway County and in a lot of this state, agriculture still has a huge footprint and a huge impact. A lot of people’s livelihoods depend on this. I’m just really proud to be here today.”
Lipsmeyer said attending events like the turkey pardon was “one of the most fun parts” of his job as mayor, and that “it’s good to see the kids and the work ethic that they get out of doing this project.”
“These two birds would normally be in harm’s way,” Hart said. “But because of this pardoning session, these two birds are going to get a get-out-of-jail-free card. These are very beautiful animals, and I’m sure these ladies put a lot of what I call time, talents and treasures into this effort. We much applaud them for that.”
Alicia Hugen, Conway County Extension staff chair, said 4-H members “greatly benefit from all the 4-H project areas,” including livestock.
“4-H livestock projects teach responsibility, financial aspects, and the pride of ownership,” she said. “The Conway County Turkey project participants receive one day old poults and raise them to exhibit at the county fair. The 4-H’ers see the growth and development of their livestock projects, and we see the growth and development in our youth.”
Arkansas 4-H is a youth development program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture. The program teaches participants life skills through the “learn by doing” model. Program participants gain knowledge through non-formal, science-based, experiential education activities.
For more information about 4-H, contact your local county extension agent or visit 4h.uada.edu.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_
501-671-2061