November 20, 2008

With Thanksgiving just ahead, student-produced turkeys from an academic partnership with Zacky Farms of Fresno are available at the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market at California State University, Fresno.

The University Agricultural Laboratory (University Farm) also will donate 25 frozen turkeys to Poverello House, which serves a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds of homeless people each year.

The Gibson Farm Market is selling this year’s crop of frozen young turkeys for $1.19 per pound.

The turkeys are from the poultry program in the Animal Science Department of the College of Agriculture Sciences and Technology. The dressed birds are packaged as part of a partnership with Zacky Farms. The partnership, in its second year, is one of many between the university and private industry to provide Fresno State agriculture students practical experience to match their academic training.

“The poultry learning facility on campus provides students with the opportunity for hands-on, real-life experiences in the raising of poultry,” said Dr. Michelle Ganci, a lecturer in the Animal Science Department who teaches the poultry course. “This is done by utilizing a modern facility and testing scientific methods for raising poultry, while ensuring excellent care for the birds we raise for meat.”

Ganesan Srinivasan, director of Agricultural Operations, said 25 frozen turkeys and 500 pounds of plums grown on campus will donated to Poverello House, a private, nonprofit, nondenominational organization in its 35th year.

The University Farm also donated four bins of student-produced plums to Community Food Bank.

The Gibson Farm Market, at the corner of Chestnut and Barstow avenues, is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. The market and the Fresno State campus will be closed on Thanksgiving and Nov. 28.

All proceeds from Gibson Farm Market sales benefit Fresno State's agriculture programs. For more information, call 559.278.4511.