Co-Operator November 2016
7
Cook County Farm Bureau
AGRICULTURE ADVENTURES
FOR FAMILIES
2016 is flying by! Fall has arrived and Halloween has come
and gone. Next on everyone’s mind is ….Thanksgiving and
how could you think about this day without
thinking about turkeys? They sure taste good
but what do you really know about these birds?
Wild turkeys can fly
Wild turkeys can fly for short bursts at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour
(89 kilometers per hour). However, they aren't often spotted soaring
through the sky because they prefer to feed on the ground,
where they peck at grass, seeds, acorns, nuts, berries and
small insects such as grasshoppers.
The myth of turkeys' inability to fly may stem from the fact
that many domestic turkeys, such as the broad-breasted white turkey which is the most widely used breed commercially - cannot fly; they are
too weighed down by their own meat. These birds have been selectively
bred to be much heavier and possess a larger, broader breast, the weight
of which keeps them perpetually grounded.
Related to T. Rex?
A turkey's wishbone is formed by the fusion of the bird's two collarbones.
Also called a furcular, the bone serves as the connecting point for muscles
and a brace for the wings. During the bird's flapping (yes, turkeys can fly
at a clip of 50 mph in short bursts), the wishbone acts as a spring to store
and release energy. Turns out, the wishbone is more than a fun game for Turkey
Day; it also serves as a reminder that birds evolved from a group of dinosaurs.
Researchers have found that the wishbone dates back more than 150 million
years to a group of meat-eating dinosaurs that includes T. rex and Velociraptor.
They have periscopic vision
As many hunters know, a turkey has excellent vision. Because its eyes are
on the sides of its head, the turkey has periscopic vision, which allows it to
see objects that are not in its direct line of vision. By rotating its head, the
turkey has a 360-degree field of vision. Pretty cool huh?!
Source: Livescience.com
They sleep in trees
Because turkeys are so large and heavy - with the heftiest wild turkey weighing
37 pounds (17 kilograms), according to the National Wild Turkey Federation - it's
often assumed that these big birds stick to the ground. In fact, turkeys prefer to
sleep perched atop tree branches, where they are safe from predators. They often sleep in flocks, and upon waking, call out a series
of soft yelps before descending to make sure that the rest of their
roosting group is okay after a night of not seeing or hearing one
another.
An easy-to-make, easy-to-clean-up recipe!
Materials:
1 gallon Ziploc® freezer bag
2 2/3 cups cold milk
2 packages (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Graham cracker crumbs
25 small cups
Scissors
1 can whipped topping
25 spoons
Female turkeys don't gobble
Don't be disappointed if the turkey at the petting zoo refuses to gobble - it's probably a female, which is called a hen. Male turkeys are called gobblers, because
they are the only ones that can make that adorable gobbling sound. Each male
turkey has his own unique gobbling "technique," which he combines with strutting to attract potential mates. Female turkeys communicate through clucks and
small, chirp-like noises.
They make you sleepy?
If you feel groggy after an old-fashioned Thanksgiving meal, the bird on
your plate may be partially to blame. Turkey meat contains tryptophan,
an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter
in the brain that helps regulate sleep.
Directions:
Combine the milk and instant pudding the Ziploc bag. Remove the air and
Ziploc shut. Squeeze and kneed with hands until blended for 1 minute.
Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger. Remove the air and Ziploc shut.
Squeeze and kneed with hands until blended for 2 minutes. Place 1/2 teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of small cups. Cut corner
of gallon freezer bag and squeeze pie filling into cups. Garnish with
whipped topping. Add a spoon. Serve and enjoy! Makes 25 servings.
What makes the Thanksgiving meal so memorably tiring is the mix of meat with
carbohydrates. Carbs from stuffing, sweet potatoes, bread, pie and sugary sweets
stimulate the release of insulin, which then triggers the uptake of most amino acids - except for tryptophan - from the blood into the muscles. With the other amino acids swept out of the bloodstream, tryptophan doesn't have to compete with
them and is better able to make its way to the brain to help produce serotonin,
which then preps you for sleep.
Continued on next column...
Choose your prize: Choices include a $25
Beggar’s Pizza Gift Card, a $25 Home Run Inn
Gift Card, OR *AMC Movie Tickets (2 Green tix)
*AMC Green tickets can be used for any movie
except those that are distributed by The Walt
Disney Company, which include: Disney, Pixar,
Marvel and Lucasfilm, Ltd.
Complete the Word Search puzzle for your
chance to win! Winners will be contacted by
mail.
Mail to: Cook Co. Farm Bureau
Ag Adventures Word Search
6438 Joliet Rd
Countryside, IL 60525
Fax to: (708)579-6056
Email to: [email protected]
Wilson Hogan
Congratulations for being last
month’s word search winner!
Recipe provided by IL Ag in the Classroom
Turkey Word Search
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Birds
Celebration
Cluck
Flock
Gobble
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Meat
Periscopic
Poult
Roast
Thanksgiving
Tradition
Tryptophan
Turkey
Wild
Wishbone
Name:__________________________________________
Phone #:________________________________________
Membership #:_________________________________
(Membership # is located on front of paper)
If you were to win, check your preference:
____Beggar’s Pizza GC ____HRI GC ____2 Movie Tix
(If a choice is not made, movie tickets will be sent)
Deadline is the 20th of each month.