HOLLANDALE &045; A turkey placed on the Thanksgiving dinner table today might have been locally produced.

Pete Veldman of Hollandale operates one of a few turkey farms in the county.

Just-born turkeys are brought to the barn. Veldman nurtures them for 13 weeks until they reach 10 to 12 pounds before shipping out to a processing plant in Postville, Iowa.

&uot;Turkeys became a year-round product in the market. Yet, the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons still have the highest demand,&uot; Veldman said.

Veldman, who started in the turkey business 13 years ago, has kept himself busy maintaining the health of the flock. &uot;They are very curious animals, not scared like chickens,&uot; said Veldman, who was born on a chicken farm.

The county has only a couple of large turkey farms. But two new facilities, each with about a 25,000-bird capacity, are under construction, according to the county.