A Turkey's Journey
A Turkey's Journey
From farm to table – through the crucial, vulnerable, and exciting world of the supply chain.
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Introduction
Follow a turkey’s journey from Mayberry to Plymouth
As many Americans have discovered in recent years, the complex and mostly unseen supply chain is as vulnerable as it is critical. The good news is, the supply chain is already remarkably efficient, and there are many new innovations being deployed to improve the supply chain’s resilience and environmental footprint. We’ll highlight a few of these innovations and show the emissions reduction potential as we follow a fictional turkey’s journey from Mayberry, NC to Plymouth, MA.
As many Americans have discovered in recent years, the complex and mostly unseen supply chain is as vulnerable as it is critical. The good news is, the supply chain is already remarkably efficient, and there are many new innovations being deployed to improve the supply chain’s resilience and environmental footprint. We’ll highlight a few of these innovations and show the emissions reduction potential as we follow a fictional turkey’s journey from Mayberry, NC to Plymouth, MA.
Farming the Feast
Turkey production across the country and throughout the year.
Roughly 210 million turkeys are produced in the United States each year, mainly from a handful of states like Minnesota and North Carolina. Of these, 46 million are destined for Thanksgiving tables. A full-grown turkey can weigh over 30 pounds, which then gets processed and shipped over 1,500 miles. All that comes with a hefty carbon footprint – largely from the farm, but also from the supply chain that connects the country’s roughly 2,500 turkey farms to our millions of tables.
Roughly 210 million turkeys are produced in the U.S. each year, mainly from a handful of states like Minnesota and North Carolina. Of these, 46 million served on Thanksgiving. A full-grown turkey can weigh over 30 pounds and travels 1,500 miles from farm to table, creating a significant carbon footprint. We’ll trace one turkey’s journey from Mayberry, NC, to Plymouth, MA and explore how supply chain optimizations can help reduce its carbon footprint.
Barney's Broiler Farm
Where 75 pounds of grain turns into a 30-pound turkey.
Our turkey was born in early April at Barney’s Broiler Farm in Mayberry, North Carolina – near the town of Mount Airy. It grew for roughly 15 weeks on a diet of corn and soybean meal before being shipped out for processing. A typical turkey consumes nearly 75 pounds of feed during its life, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the total cost of raising the bird. For our purposes, we are not evaluating the on-farm emissions of raising turkeys, but rather starting our analysis once the turkey leaves Barney’s farm and embarks on its Thanksgiving journey.
Our turkey was born in April at a farm in Mayberry, NC. It grew for 15 weeks on a diet of corn and soybean meal before being shipped out for processing. A typical turkey consumes nearly 75 pounds of feed during its life, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the total cost of raising the bird. Our analysis starts from here, excluding on-farm emissions.
Andy's Transit
Trucking the turkey to meet its maker.
The full-grown turkey hops on a truck to the nearest processing plant in Wilkesboro, NC, 60 miles southeast. This is almost always a diesel-powered truck, but a few short-haul routes like this are being electrified.
The full-grown turkey hops on a truck to the nearest processing plant in Wilkesboro, NC, 60 miles southeast. This is almost always a diesel-powered truck, but a few short-haul routes like this are being electrified.
Pike Processing
The supply chain’s biggest energy user.
The plant, one of a few hundred in the country that processes turkeys, slaughters 24,000 birds a day. Before packaging, Pike must cool what’s left of the bird (now 10-15 pounds lighter) to 40°F or colder. This requires a lot of energy for refrigeration in addition to the energy used for loading and unloading, processing, and packaging. The remaining parts are either composted, rendered into animal feed, or disposed of. Each day, the facility is thoroughly cleaned using a high-pressure, high-temperature wash-down. Many facilities are using solar or other energy sources to offset their costs.
This plant processes 24,000 birds daily. After slaughter, each bird is cooled to 40°F or below, consuming significant energy. Additional energy is used for processing and packaging. Leftovers are composted, rendered into animal feed, or discarded, and the facility undergoes a daily high-pressure, high-temperature cleaning. Many facilities are using solar or other energy sources to offset their costs.
Skippy’s Refrigerated Trucking
An electrification ice-breaker.
The finished turkey is loaded onto a semi truck whose trailer is equipped with a Transit Refrigeration Unit or TRU, otherwise known as a reefer. This generator pre-cools the insulated trailer and then keeps it at or below 40°F throughout loading, transit, and unloading. Some fleets are deploying electric trucks as well as hybrid electric reefers, or eTRUs, which run on diesel fuel while in transit but can be plugged in during loading and unloading, where infrastructure exists. Trailer electrification is a much easier problem to solve than electric trucking, since it’s extremely cost-effective and usually does not require long lead times or utility upgrades at the facility.
The finished turkey is loaded onto a refrigerated truck (TRU or "reefer") kept at or below 40°F. Some fleets are deploying electric trucks as well as hybrid electric reefers (eTRUs), which run on diesel in transit but can plug in during loading/unloading, saving energy. Trailer electrification is far easier and more cost-effective than electric trucking. The truck heads to a refrigerated warehouse in Roanoke, VA, for further processing and storage.
Croatoan Cold Storage
A story full of hidden opportunities.
This regional storage facility is 2 football fields long and 30 feet high. Upon receiving a load, bundled up workers inspect the pallets to ensure quality and temperature compliance before taking them on electric or propane forklifts to a refrigerated storage area.
This regional storage facility is 2 football fields long. As a truck pulls into the facility, it parks while waiting to unload. If the trailer has an eTRU, it can plug in and reduce fuel costs while keeping the load cold. Then it gets shuttled to the dock to unload.
Croatoan Cold Storage
Blast Freezing
They then load batches of 10-20 pallets onto the racks in a large blast freezer, which whips extremely cold air through the chamber for up to 36 hours at a time to quickly freeze the turkey. Some operators are using data to optimize the number and spacing of pallets, the cycle times, and the specific times of day during which these energy-intensive freezers operate. After blast, the turkey moves to a frozen storage area at 0°F (-18°C).
Batches of 10-20 pallets are loaded onto racks in a large blast freezer, which circulates extremely cold air for up to 36 hours at a time to quickly freeze the turkey. Some facilities are using data to optimize the number and spacing of pallets, cycle times, and the specific times of day during which these freezers operate.
Croatoan Cold Storage
A story full of hidden opportunities
Efficient warehouses are learning to store more food at lower cost through space optimization, energy efficiency, real-time decision-making tools, and automation. There is also a movement in the industry to change regulations and store frozen food at -15°C rather than -18°C, which promises to save energy without affecting food quality. Many turkeys accumulate in these cold storage warehouses throughout the year to stock up for Thanksgiving, then in early Fall, our bird embarks on the longest leg of its journey.
After blast freezing, the turkey moves to a frozen storage area at 0°F (-18°C). Efficient warehouses are learning to store more food at lower cost through space optimization, energy efficiency, real-time decision-making tools, and automation. There is also a movement to raise freezer temperatures to roughly 5°F (-15°C), which promises to further reduce energy consumption and cost with minimal downside.
Frozen Fleet
The longest leg (and the hardest to improve)
As the season approaches, a long-haul trucker carries a trailer of frozen, palletized birds 700 miles to a grocery distribution center near Plymouth, Massachusetts. Virtually no long-haul routes are currently electrified, and the TRU also runs on diesel throughout the journey (even if it is a hybrid reefer). If there are no delays, a driver can barely complete this route in 11 consecutive hours. Any setbacks will mean a mandatory rest period, during which the driver typically sleeps in a special bed inside the tractor’s heated cab while the trailer’s generator continues running to keep its load cold.
As Thanksgiving nears, our turkey prepares for its longest journey. A long-haul trucker transports frozen turkeys 700 miles to a distribution center near Plymouth, MA. Since most long-haul routes aren’t electrified, the truck and its TRU run exclusively on diesel. Ideally, the driver completes the trip in 11 hours, but any delay means a mandatory rest period during which the driver sleeps in a heated cab while a generator keeps the load cold.
Mayflower Foods
A staging area before the final destination.
Near Plymouth, the truck unloads at a grocery distribution center for local storage. Pallets may stay in the commercial freezer of this 50,000 square foot warehouse for 1-2 weeks before they’re ready to hit the shelves at a local grocery store. This close to Thanksgiving, many turkeys will move much faster.
Near Plymouth, the truck unloads at a grocery distribution center for local storage. Pallets may stay in the commercial freezer of this 50,000 square foot warehouse for 1-2 weeks before they’re ready to hit the shelves at a local grocery store. This close to Thanksgiving, many turkeys will move much faster.
Plymouth Pantry
Nearly home now, the turkey loads onto one final refrigerated truck destined for the store. A few delivery routes like this are being electrified. Additionally, many grocery stores are implementing basic efficiency measures like LED lights, freezer doors, and motion sensors.
Nearly home now, the turkey loads onto one final refrigerated truck destined for the store. A few delivery routes like this are being electrified. Additionally, many grocery stores are implementing basic efficiency measures like LED lights, freezer doors, and motion sensors.
The Last Leg
A surprisingly important step.
Finally, we pick up our bird and drive it home, roughly 6 miles round trip on average. Consolidating trips makes a huge difference. Buy local and natural options if you can, choose efficient transportation where feasible, and ALWAYS use the leftovers. Minimizing food waste is one of the most important things we can all do.
Finally, we pick up our bird and drive it home, roughly 6 miles round trip on average. Consolidating trips makes a huge difference. Buy local and natural options if you can, choose efficient transportation where feasible, and ALWAYS use the leftovers. Minimizing food waste is one of the most important things we can all do.
Giving Thanks and Taking Stock
An overview of reduction potential.
As we enjoy the turkey with family and friends, we can take a moment to reflect on the impact from all the carbon and energy savings initiatives across the supply chain. In total, these optimizations reduce the total CO2 emissions for Thanksgiving turkeys by over 24,000 metric tons. Electric vehicles account for a large portion of the reductions, but there is no one silver bullet; the solution will have to be a diverse amalgamation of innovations. Join us next time where we'll explore further reduction potentials!
As we enjoy the turkey with family and friends, we can take a moment to reflect on the impact from all the carbon and energy savings initiatives across the supply chain. In total, these optimizations reduce the total CO2 emissions for Thanksgiving turkeys by over 24,000 metric tons. Electric vehicles account for a large portion of the reductions, but there is no one silver bullet; the solution will have to be a diverse amalgamation of innovations. Join us next time where we'll explore further reduction potentials!