Credit: KTHV
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders continued a Thanksgiving tradition Wednesday, pardoning two turkeys, “Lilly” and “Sprinkles,” during a ceremony celebrating Arkansas’s turkey industry.
The birds were raised by Caroline and Adeline Dixon of Morrilton, and members of Conway County 4-H members whose turkeys won grand champion and reserve grand champion at the county fair.
Sanders also proclaimed November 2329 as Arkansas Turkey Week and highlighted Butterball’s donation of 58,000 pounds of turkey to food banks across the state.
“Thanksgiving is about recognizing our blessings and helping others,” Sanders said, noting many families struggle to afford a holiday meal.
Arkansas is the nation’s third-largest turkey-producing state, raising about 25 million birds each year. The poultry industry generates $6.7 billion annually, with turkey production contributing $288 million to the state economy.
Industry leaders and state officials praised the hardworking farmers, processors, and young agricultural leaders, including the Dixon sisters, who help sustain Arkansas’s largest agricultural sector.
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