EIF-B_Where We Come From

GOBBLE GOODNESS
This typical line-up is seen inside the shop at any
given time during “Turkey Day.” Pictured from left
are Roy Cheshir, Deb Cheshir, Bella Rosales,
Michael Rosales, Peggy Sleep (in back),
Chuck Brockmann, and Kim Brockmann.
EASTERN IOWA FARMER PHOTO /
BRITTANY NOPAR
This seems to be an optimal time for the
birds to reach a full-grown size of 18 to
22 pounds. But because of normal sexing
errors, he gets four or five Tom turkeys
each year, which can grow to be about 28
pounds! “Almost that many customers
want big turkeys, so it works out well,”
Brockmann said.
But not everybody wants a huge
turkey, so Brockmann has to be careful
about when he gets his poults. “If I don’t
buy them at the right time, they get too
big for my customers,” he said. “People
want an 18-pound turkey and get stuck
with a 24-pound turkey!”
Because of federal regulations,
Brockmann is required to get the turkeys
processed at an inspected facility.
The only facility nearby that meets
this requirement is in Greene, north of
Waterloo – a whopping
three-and-a-half
hours from Brockmann
Farms. He loads
the turkeys up into a
livestock trailer late in
the afternoon and then
heads toward Greene at 2 a.m. He
makes the round-trip trek six times
in total: dropping off three loads
of live turkeys to get processed,
and picking up three loads of
processed turkeys to bring back
to sell.
Each year Brockmann brings
some of his turkeys to be
smoked to a custom meat-smoking
facility in Keota. This year
(Left) Shown is one of
the 300 turkeys raised
on Brockmann Farms.
(Below) Kim Brockmann
walks and chats with a
long-time customer.
eifarmer.com SPRING 2024 | EASTERN IOWA FARMER 25