COLUMN: Carillon Flashback, July 13, 1983 – Loewens talk turkey with university ag students

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/10/2023 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When David P. Loewen tells people he’s the oldest turkey producer in Manitoba, he’s quick to point out that he means he has been providing the main course for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners longer than anyone else.

Loewen started raising turkeys on his father’s farm on a ridge near Blumenort, way back in 1947.

Over a hundred agricultural students from the University of Manitoba dropped in on the Loewen farm as they toured southeastern Manitoba as part of their summer course work early in July.

The class spent a little over an hour at Greenridge Farm in Blumenort where they talked turkey with Dave P. and his son Roy, who told his audience Greenridge Farm has been in the Loewen family for five generations since 1874.

He outlined some of the innovations of turkey farming on the family farm that have enabled them to simplify their operation, and increase their flock. The Loewens raise around 32,000 birds; 19,000 being turkey toms.

When Dave Loewen got his first turkeys in 1947 he felt that looking after 30 turkeys was “too much” and decreased his flock for a while. In the 1950’s, the turkey business took off in a big way and Loewen took on a bigger flock and Greenridge Farm has kept on growing ever since, in spite of the difficulty in raising this difficult bird.

Roy said, tongue-in-cheek, that probably the stupidest creature ever created by God was the turkey … and next to that had to be the people who try to raise them.

Loewen said getting the poults through their first seven weeks of life is a job only for the strong and patient. Keeping the poults alive has its challenges. These include getting them to eat, getting them to stop eating once they start, and keeping them warm and in out of the rain.

Turkeys have tendencies toward laziness. Roy Loewen complains. He spent many a day breaking away from other activities or social engagements when it would start raining, since he had to hurry to the farm and bring the turkeys in.

“Basically, too lazy to bother walking a few steps into the barn they would die of exposure.”

After the first seven weeks, turkeys are transferred out of the brooder barn to the outside. The Loewens have just completed construction of a 90,000 bird semi-confined pole barn. The birds are able to roam to the outside fence, and for the most part are protected from predators, like farm dogs and foxes.

Loewen said the Nicholas White turkeys being raised on higher quality protein feed now are ready for market in 17 weeks in contrast to the black-feathered variety grown in the 1950’s that took 28 weeks to mature.

The turkey is no longer a specialty to be served just at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the holiday bird has become everyday fare. Tradition is probably not the only reason for the popularity of the turkey. The turkey is a most efficient meat producer and averages one pound gained for every 3.25 pounds of feed.

Blumenort has been dubbed the “turkey capital” of western Canada, due to its concentrated industry of turkey production, as well as the eviscerating plant in the village.

The summer farm tour is part of the University of Manitoba’s two-year Agriculture Diploma course taught by professors Jack Nesbitt and Paul Stelmaschuk.

– with files by Sue Barkman