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Farm Sanctuary's Advocacy Campaign Team
Monthly Newsletter
Get a Leg up on Turkey ACTivism
 Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey as our national symbol rather than the bald eagle. Such a choice may have changed the course of history for these true American patriots. Take time this fall to give thanks for the turkeys and raise awareness in your community to the cruelty these birds endure to perpetuate a needless tradition.
Take ACTion for Turkeys
Only male turkeys (toms) gobble and this attracts the female turkeys (hens). Hens make trilling noises.Use your own unique voice to spread compassion this season. Here are a few ways you can speak up for turkeys:
Raise awareness in your community by leafleting with our new Thanksgiving’s Toll on Turkeys flier. Let people in your community know the truth behind industrial turkey production. Good places to leaflet include outside supermarkets, health food stores, and restaurants.
Set up a turkey table at a well traveled location in your community. Encourage your neighbors to adopt a turkey and dine with compassion this holiday with our Adopt-A-Turkey and Compassionate Recipe brochures.
Ask friendly establishments if they will offer Adopt-A-Turkey brochures to their customers. Don’t forget your doctor, dentist, veterinarian, auto repair shop, or anyone with a waiting room. Your workplace lunchroom is another great place to reach people.
Put Adopt-A-Turkey brochures in goodie bags for your holiday events or include them in your holiday mailings.
Blog about it. Post a note or video on Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project to your Web, Facebook, or Myspace page, or your blog site. Share facts about turkeys, the cruel truth about turkey production, and compassionate ways to celebrate the holiday.
Get Involved: Turkey Talk in the Media
Turkeys have color vision and very good hearing. Let them be seen and heard in your local newspapers, television channels and radio stations. Here are some ways you can make that happen:
Submit a letter to the editor about Thanksgiving’s toll on turkeys and encourage readers to adopt new traditions for the holiday. Use words of compassion to encourage a circle of thanks that extends out to our feathered friends. Get ideas from our sample letters.
Air a PSA on your local television station. Farm Sanctuary has two tom-terrific Thanksgiving announcements: "Give a Turkey a Reason to be Thankful" with actress Persia White and "Save a Turkey" featuring actor Corey Feldman.
Sponsor a happy and healthy Thanksgiving advertisement in your local newspaper. Learn more about how to run Farm Sanctuary’s “Start a new Thanksgiving tradition” ad in time for the holiday.
Be a positive voice for turkeys in the media. Post comments to online news articles about Thanksgiving. Call in to radio talk shows featuring turkey themed stunts or contests. Remember this is a time for compassion, so take a stand that will inspire others.
Food for Thought: a Turkey-Free Table
In order to raise a 30 pound turkey, you need as much as 75-80 pounds of feed. Here are some ideas on how to bring compassion to someone’s heart through their stomach…without needing so much grain.
Host a dinner FOR the turkeys or bring your friends and family together for a potluck. These are great opportunities for you to showcase tasty turkey-friendly dishes.
Attend a vegan Thanksgiving dinner hosted by your local veg society, veg Meet-Up group, or other compassionate members of your community. Tell them about Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-a-Turkey Project if they are not already in the know.
Urge community organizations from your church to your local soup kitchen to make their Thanksgiving feasts turkey-friendly, or at the very least, to offer vegan options. |
Pardon Me!
Each year the President of the United States “pardons” two Thanksgiving turkeys. Ever wonder what happens to them? Learn more and ask that the turkeys get a true pardon by being sent to Farm Sanctuary.
Take ACTion!
Adopt-A-Turkey
Tools & Resources
Adopt-A-Turkey brochure encourages people to celebrate turkeys this holiday and includes information and a form for “adopting” your very own rescued turkey.
Thanksgiving’s Toll on Turkeys flier describes the cruelty endured by turkeys on factory farms
Compassionate Thanksgiving Recipes brochure includes tasty recipes for all the holiday fixings needed for a compassionate feast (yum!)
Order your free Adopt-A-Turkey outreach materials today
Turkey fACTs
Turkeys originally come from North and Central America, and may have been here as far back as 10 million years ago—long before the pilgrims. Turkey did not become the quintessential Thanksgiving entrée until the 20th century when the industry developed a breed of bird that was easier to de-feather—mature turkeys have more than 3,500 feathers. Commercial turkeys are not able to fly and often have trouble walking as they grow abnormally large, but wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour, and run up to 25 miles per hour. Learn more about turkeys and the history of Thanksgiving at adoptaturkey.org.
Volunteer Opportunities
Join us for turkey leafleting and tabling in
New York City - click here
Join us for turkey leafleting and tabling in
Washington DC - click here
Conduct some easy online research for Farm Sanctuary during the next two weeks - click here
Join us for Halloween on Hollywood Boulevard leafleting for Yes on Prop 2 7 - 9 pm; costume required! click here | 
