| [00:00.10] |
From VOA Learning English, |
| [00:02.78] |
this is the Agriculture Report. |
| [00:05.96] |
On Thursday, |
| [00:08.33] |
most Americans will gather around a table |
| [00:11.46] |
with family and friends to give thanks. |
| [00:14.74] |
Traditionally, a turkey is at the center |
| [00:18.06] |
of the table on Thanksgiving Day. |
| [00:21.14] |
Turkeys are grown in many areas across the United States. |
| [00:27.12] |
Last year, near 70 percent of the birds |
| [00:30.80] |
came from one of seven states: |
| [00:33.67] |
they were Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, |
| [00:38.82] |
Virginia, Missouri, Indiana and California. |
| [00:44.27] |
And estimated 46 million turkeys were raised in Minnesota. |
| [00:50.17] |
The United States Department of Agriculture says |
| [00:55.12] |
253 million turkeys were raised from January 2013 through September. |
| [01:03.71] |
There is a pleasant surprise |
| [01:07.09] |
about the cost of serving a turkey meal this month. |
| [01:11.32] |
Each year, the American Farm Bureau Federation |
| [01:16.06] |
prepares a study of the prices and sales of foods |
| [01:20.50] |
served on Thanksgiving. |
| [01:22.67] |
The group says the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal |
| [01:27.24] |
for ten people this year is forty-nine dollars and four cents. |
| [01:32.76] |
That is forty-four cents less than last year. |
| [01:37.29] |
Scott Aronson of Maryland says he had to buy a large turkey |
| [01:44.44] |
because of all the people coming to his home on Thanksgiving day. |
| [01:49.26] |
"Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. |
| [01:52.65] |
This year we will be hosting 16 people with a 23 pound turkey." |
| [01:57.43] |
Some Americans like to purchase their turkey directly from a farm. |
| [02:03.99] |
This can cost more than buying one at store. |
| [02:08.03] |
Nicole Roza said it is worth the extra money |
| [02:12.05] |
because Thanksgiving comes just once a year. |
| [02:15.59] |
Last year, she spent 70 dollars for a 7 kilogram farm turkey. |
| [02:21.61] |
Some people may choose to buy a turkey directly from a farm, |
| [02:26.20] |
because they are told what the turkeys have been feed. |
| [02:30.63] |
Polyface Farm in Virginia Shenandoah Valley, for example, |
| [02:36.38] |
says its turkeys are raised on pasture, |
| [02:40.32] |
that lets the animals eat many kinds of grasses and other bird feed. |
| [02:46.78] |
In addition, they eat oats, corn and whole roasted soybeans. |
| [02:53.02] |
This year, Polyface Farm has already presold about 12 hundred turkeys. |
| [03:00.24] |
The orders come from restaurants, |
| [03:03.06] |
small businesses, farm customers and other buyers. |
| [03:07.44] |
Many countries have a smaller supply of turkeys than the United States, |
| [03:13.09] |
or perhaps, they have none of the birds. |
| [03:16.16] |
Turkeys do not grow in some parts of Africa for example. |
| [03:21.04] |
And in other areas, the animals can be very costly. |
| [03:25.83] |
A precooked, ready-to-serve turkey can cost |
| [03:30.05] |
as much as 100 dollars in places like Singapore. |
| [03:34.24] |
And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Special English. |
| [03:41.04] |
I'm Jerilyn Watson. |
