When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Minnesota turkey growers were already thinking about the 2020 holiday season. Northern Pride, LLC, a turkey processing facility in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, adapted to meet demand, but it wasn’t easy. Turkey grower and co-op member John Burkel said it started with employee safety. “Our management team spent a lot of time trying to figure this out.” The seasonality of the cooperative allowed farmer-owners to learn from larger agriculture processors. “We had temperature checks, surveys and brought Sanford Health into the process early on. It took us more time to get started in the morning, but employee safety is important.” Processing moved forward and by mid-summer, the realization hit: Thanksgiving would look different. “What does that mean for bird sizing?” asked Burkel. “What is the demand going to be for larger size birds?” Northern Pride tried to process birds a week earlier than usual. Hear the story.