LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan’s annual turkey pardon added a festive twist this year as Governor Gretchen Whitmer pardoned not one but two birds. A pair of sister turkeys named Faygo and Vernors, raised at Maybury Farm, their names selected through a public vote. The birds spent the summer as part of the farm’s educational programming and quickly became favorites among staff, volunteers, and young visitors.
Diana Wallace, executive director of the Northville Community Foundation and Maybury Farm, said raising the birds from their earliest days made the moment especially meaningful. “These two turkeys came to us in late April, and we have raised them throughout the summer,” she said, adding that the farm’s mission centers on hands-on experiences with agriculture. “They’ve been well cared for, and they’ve been talked to. So when guests come to the farm, whether they’re young or are a senior community, they love the green bells that enter agriculture provides for us and for the communities.”
The governor leaned into the lighthearted spirit of the event, celebrating the birds’ Michigan-inspired names and their journey to the Capitol lawn. “This year is extra special. I’m excited that I will be partoning, not just one, but two turkeys and best of all, they are sisters,” Whitmer said, introducing the birds as “two Michigan icons named after two other Michigan icons.”
Whitmer also used the moment to reflect on the holiday season and the value of family. “Thanksgiving is a time for everyone, no matter where they are in the world, to come home,” she told the crowd. “Nothing beats sitting around the table with your family.”
After the ceremony, Faygo and Vernors began their journey to a permanent animal sanctuary, where they’ll live out their lives far from the Thanksgiving table, and where Michiganders will be able to visit the two newly minted state celebrities.
