Wilson raises FFA grand champion turkey

Fallbrook’s Brooke Wilson raised a turkey which earned not only division champion honors at the 2013 San Diego County Fair but also the overall Future Farmers of America champion award.

Miss Kay, a broad-breasted white turkey who was 17 weeks old when she weighed 22 pounds on the fair scales, gave Wilson the division and FFA champion honors.

“It was a surprise because it’s my first year showing the turkeys and I had no idea what I was doing until about five minutes before,” Wilson said.

Wilson, a 15-year-old who completed her sophomore year at Fallbrook High School last month, has been in FFA for two years. She showed lambs at the county fair both in 2012 and 2013; the lamb she showed this year placed third in its class.

This was the first year Wilson showed a turkey at the fair. “I wanted it for the experience,” said Wilson.

Wilson obtained Miss Kay from Belt Hatchery, which is in Fresno. She plans to raise turkeys, lambs, and pigs for next year’s county fair.

The 4-H grand and reserve champions for each animal and the FFA grand and reserve champions compete for supreme grand champion and supreme reserve champion. The 4-H grand and reserve champion turkeys also won supreme grand champion and supreme reserve champion, depriving Wilson and Miss Kay of honors at the supreme level.

“I was a little disappointed, but for my first year I was really proud of what I did,” Wilson said. “It’s really exciting, and I’m real proud of my turkey.”

Fallbrook Bucks for Clucks purchased Miss Kay at the fair auction for $750.