(Radio Iowa) – A spokeswoman for the Iowa Turkey Federation in Ames says Iowans will be paying a little less for their big birds this Thanksgiving. Prices have dropped on whole turkeys at many of the state’s larger grocery chains to between a dollar-50 or two-dollars a pound. Sheila Larson says supplies are good, too. “There is no shortage of your Thanksgiving turkey,” Larson says. “We prepare for that every year, and it’s going to be available for anyone that is looking to get one, and you can find a variety of sizes. We do recommend shopping early if you want a certain size.”

Iowa is one of the nation’s top turkey producers, and Larson says the state’s market share is growing.  “Each turkey raised in Iowa adds $30 to Iowa’s economy,” Larson says. “Iowa raises close to 12 million turkeys, which makes us seventh in production. We have two processing plants that process over 14 million turkeys each year, and that makes the state of Iowa fifth in the U.S.”

Photo from an Iowaturkey.org recipe

Consumers can find a host of turkey tidbits, including recipes and tips on what to do with leftovers, at the website iowaturkey.org.