Photo by James Dombrowski Shipped from the Carolinas, mountains of frozen turkeys are stacked and ready to go for the Thanksgiving rush at ShopRite in Lyndhurst. ShopRite, A&P and Foodtown are all giving away free turkeys, while Stop & Shop is offering a 5- to 20-percent discount on holiday orders.

(Nov. 19, 2009) — The crisp leaves colored red, yellow and orange have blanketed the lawns of the local area, bringing with their descent the start of the holiday season.

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather around the dining-room table with that tasty and mouth-watering centerpiece — a turkey.

Turkey consumption has increased 108 percent since 1970, due to more Americans chowing down on the delectable bird all year round versus during the holidays only. In 2008, U.S. consumption of turkey was 17.6 pounds per person, according to the National Turkey Federation.

Although 50 percent of all turkey consumed in 1970 was during the holidays, today that number is around 29 percent.

Chicken still marks the number 1 protein of choice in America, but turkey is rising up the ranks (it was number 4 in 2008).

The turkey craze is definitely booming. The NTF reported production in the U.S. has increased nearly 300 percent since 1970. An estimated 273 million turkeys will be raised in 2009.

Gobbling up the turkeys, the NTF also reported consumption has risen to approximately 5.3 billion pounds a year. The top three turkey-producing states are Minnesota, North Carolina and Arkansas.

Elisabeth Loeb, manager of Corporate Communication for ShopRite, said that the majority of the grocery store’s turkeys come from the Carolinas.

Supermarkets such as ShopRite, A&P and Foodtown are giving away free turkeys this season, while Stop & Shop is offering a 5- to 20-percent discounts on holiday orders.

Loeb said that she could not release the number of turkeys sold, but noted that ShopRite has donated 70,000 pounds of turkeys this year to the local food banks in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Delaware.

Loeb added that ShopRite has given approximately 600,000 pounds since 2001.

How does one cook a perfect bird? ShopRite has set up a “ShopRite Chefs on Call” program to provide customers with a stress-free Thanksgiving.

The program offers ShopRite’s Culinary Workshop Chefs from Sunday, Nov. 22 through Thanksgiving Day. Customers can call 1-800-ShopRite for preparation tips and kitchen-tested recipe ideas.

For more information on everything turkey visit the National Turkey Federation Web site at www.eatturkey.com.