Behnke’s & the Beltsville Small White Turkey
Sonja & Roland Behnke in the early ’40s, with their Beltsville Small Whites
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I started my yearly tradition of pulling out my grandmother’s old cookbook and reading all the notes in the margins that she wrote about different turkey dinners. Oma (that is what we called her) always got her turkey from Maple Lawns in Fulton, MD…and for 35 plus years, so have I. What I did not know was that before she started buying her birds from her friends at Maple Lawn, my grandparents actually raised turkeys at Behnke’s.
While I am not really sure about the whole story, I did hear that these turkeys were some of the “Beltsville Small White Turkey” breed that the U.S Department of Agriculture Research Center in Beltsville bred from 1934 to 1941. The idea was to create a bird that would answer consumers’ demand for a turkey that would fit in small refrigerators for apartment dwellers, into small ovens, and feed small families.
The Beltsville variety started being used in the 1940’s and was recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1951. The Beltsville Small White also helped with the development of other strains of medium and small white turkeys. Today the Beltsville Small White is quite rare and only a few exhibition breeders have them. A research flock exists at the Iowa State University, but public access to this flock is pretty much non-existent.
My mother, Sonja Behnke Festerling, used to tell us stories about the turkeys and chickens chasing her and her brothers around the yard. Looking at this photo, I am not sure if they were in a fenced-in yard or not. But I think it is pretty interesting to know that our hometown of Beltsville is where these turkeys were developed.
I hope you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family and friends, and of course, your turkey dinner!
You can click here for more information on the Beltsville Small White.
by Stephanie Fleming, Behnke Nurseries
So interesting! Thank you for sharing. Did these Beltsville small white turkeys have a distinctive flavor? Can you suggest how many pounds they usually were?
Also, yesterday I saw plants I had never really heard of before which look so Christmasy, I had to buy a couple for the patio. They are apparently a cold-hardy groundcover called
“Gaultheria procumbens, Wintergreen”.
Can you tell me anything about your experience with them? They are apparently even edible. Thanks!
Turkeys are among the most personable, sociable animals I’ve ever known. I have had the great pleasure of interacting with them at various animal sanctuaries. The things that humans have done to change these noble birds are truly monstrous. Like dogs and cats, they are sentient beings who deserve our respect, appreciation and compassion not cruel exploitation. Respect turkeys and all animals: don’t eat them!
See: https://upc-online.org/turkeys/turkeysbro.html
Hi there! I understand your concerns and really respect them. Thank you for sharing your point of view as I am sure there are many others that share it too. My grandmother, Rose Behnke, use to say, if you get one letter about something, figure that many more feel the same way too. On the other hand, I want to share some of the history of the Small White Turkey, Beltsville and my grandparents.