Source:  NCDA&CS, 11/6/20


Every Friday on social media, we post a Farm Feature Friday showcasing one of our dedicated North Carolina farmers. Wellie Jackson, of Illusion Farms, is one of those farmers. The #FarmFeatureFriday campaign will run through December 2021 on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Be sure to tune in each Friday afternoon on social and help show your support for our local farmers!

Wellie Jackson, owner of Illusion Farms in Clinton, is a fourth-generation turkey farmer and his experience in the industry has been an adventure since the very beginning. “I grew up farming with my father and grandfather and I always knew I wanted to farm,” Wellie said, “but at that time my grandparents didn’t want me farming so they sent me off to the beach.” It was in 2004 at Topsail Beach that the idea of turkey farming was first brought to his attention. “I was sitting with a good friend who asked me if I wanted to run her turkey houses,” Jackson said, “and honestly, I had never thought about turkey farming but figured I would give it a shot.” Wellie surrounded himself with many people in the industry to teach him the ropes on raising and farming turkey, including his integrator company Butterball, formerly known as Carlos Foods.

Currently the largest producer of turkey products in the U.S., Butterball is committed to providing the public with the best turkey around, including those raised at Illusion Farms. Turkeys are brought onto the farm at one day old and kept there until they reach five weeks and are moved to a larger facility.
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A typical day on the farm consists of watering and feeding the turkeys, caring for the babies, or poults, and checking for proper safety and ventilation of the buildings. Turkeys are market ready when they reach 21 weeks of age. “One of the most interesting things about turkeys is also our biggest challenge,” Wellie said, “that being, they like to be kept warm when they are young but as they grow older than can’t stand the heat.” Thanks to modern technology, such as tunnel ventilation, the turkey houses are regulated to keep temperatures down and animals happy.

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