Iowa Turkey Federation

What Iowa Turkey Federation does

Iowa Turkey Federation (ITF) is a non-profit trade association incorporated in Iowa in 1948 that represents, supports, and promotes the Iowa turkey industry on behalf of approximately 130 multi-generational farming families. The organization is staffed by a small executive team (Executive Director Gretta Irwin, VP of Communications Sheila Larson, Bookkeeper Sally Good, and Lobbyist Jill Altringer) operating out of Ames, Iowa. ITF administers advocacy at the Iowa statehouse, coordinates with the National Turkey Federation on national policy, and operates a bipartisan Political Action Committee (ITF PAC) that funds supportive Iowa legislators.

The organization's core product portfolio centers on the TurkeyConnect mobile app (iOS and Android) for industry networking, The Turkey Talk Show bi-weekly podcast, and the twice-yearly Turkey Talk magazine. Supporting offerings include a recipe library built around the "Turkey: Your High Protein, Low Fat, Everyday Solution" cookbook, the "Perfect Pairing Turkey and Soy Chef Competition," food safety guidelines, and youth educational tools such as "Talking Turkey with Josephine." Annual in-person events — the Summer Meeting (2026 theme: "Camp Gobblewood") and Winter Convention — anchor member engagement.

ITF's revenue model rests on three streams: allied membership dues (Diamond, Gold, and Silver tiers paid by industry-supporting businesses), event registration fees ($75-$250 per attendee across categories), and the adjacent Iowa Turkey Marketing Council checkoff (2.5 cents per turkey grown in Iowa, originally a 1972 voluntary "penny a poult" contribution). The organization does not publish financials and operates without venture funding or a parent entity. Iowa's turkey industry — which ITF represents — accounts for approximately 12 million turkeys raised annually (ranked #7 in US production), 15.5 million turkeys processed annually (ranked #6), $10.64 billion in total state economic activity, and over 38,000 jobs.

Name

Iowa Turkey Federation

Legal name

Iowa Turkey Federation Inc.

Website

https://iowaturkey.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iowa Turkey Federation is a non-profit trade association founded in 1948 that represents Iowa's 130 turkey farming families and supports the state's turkey industry through state-level advocacy, the TurkeyConnect mobile app, the Turkey Talk Show podcast, Turkey Talk magazine, and annual member events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Trade Association

NAICS

Turkey Production (11233), Poultry and Egg Production (1123), Poultry Processing (311615), Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Poultry Slaughtering And Processing (2015), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Turkey Production (AFAEADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Turkey Processing (Whole Bird, Parts, Further Processing) (AFANACAH), Poultry & Avian Production Veterinary Services (HLAMABAC), Poultry & Avian Veterinary Services (AFAEANAD)

Keywords

• Turkey industry advocacy
• Agricultural trade association
• Turkey farmer representation
• Industry promotion services
• Turkey farming support

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Turkey Checkoff Program: The Iowa Turkey Marketing Council collects 2.5 cents per turkey grown in Iowa. This funds research, education, and promotion efforts. Originally started as a voluntary 'penny a poult' contribution in 1972.
2. Allied Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from allied members (Diamond, Gold, Silver tiers) who are businesses supporting the turkey industry.
3. Event Registration Fees: Registration fees for Annual Summer Meeting and Winter Convention events. Fees range from $75-$250 for various attendee categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Iowa Turkey Federation is a non-profit trade association that represents, supports, and promotes the Iowa turkey industry. It delivers advocacy at the Iowa statehouse, coordinates industry research and consumer education, administers allied membership programs and the ITF PAC, and runs networking and informational offerings including the TurkeyConnect mobile app, The Turkey Talk Show podcast, Turkey Talk magazine, the annual Summer Meeting and Winter Convention, recipes, and food-safety teaching materials.

Product overview

Iowa Turkey Federation operates as a non-profit trade association representing and promoting the Iowa turkey industry. The organization offers a unified portfolio of member services centered around three core products: the TurkeyConnect Mobile App (networking platform for industry professionals), The Turkey Talk Show podcast (industry news and insights), and Turkey Talk Magazine (twice-yearly publication). Supporting offerings include an extensive Recipe Library featuring turkey-based recipes, educational Turkey Teaching Tools including the youth video 'Talking Turkey with Josephine,' and Food Safety Guidelines with downloadable resources. The Allied Membership Program provides tiered membership levels (Diamond, Gold, Silver) with access to annual events (Summer Meeting and Winter Convention), while the ITF PAC enables member donations to political candidates supporting the industry. The organization does not offer a public API; all digital services are accessed through their website and mobile applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Turkey: Your High Protein, Low Fat, Everyday Solution: A cookbook featuring turkey recipes
• The Turkey Talk Show
• TurkeyConnect
• Turkey Talk
• Perfect Pairing Turkey and Soy Chef Competition

Products and services

• TurkeyConnect Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• Iowa ranks #7 in US turkey production
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• US PoultrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Poultry provided funding for the educational youth video 'Talking Turkey with Josephine: A Visit to the Farm' published by Iowa Turkey Federation to engage and teach youth and consumers about raising turkeys.
• National Turkey Federation (NTF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa Turkey Federation partners with National Turkey Federation for unified national advocacy and industry standards. Growers follow NTF animal welfare standards and use NTF educational materials.
• Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land StewardshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner with representation on ITF/ITMC Board of Directors. Collaborates on industry issues including avian influenza response.
• Iowa State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner represented on ITF/ITMC Board through Dr. Dawn Koltes and Dr. Jason Ross. Provides research and educational collaboration.
• West Liberty FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Iowa turkey processing facility with representation on ITF/ITMC Board of Directors. Processes significant volume of Iowa turkey production.
• Tyson FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Iowa turkey processing facility with representation on ITF/ITMC Board of Directors. Processes significant volume of Iowa turkey production.
• Iowa Agricultural Law Foundation (IALF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting Iowa agriculture and turkey industry advocacy efforts.
• Iowa Turkey Marketing CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClosely affiliated entity that collects the 2.5 cent per turkey checkoff and funds research, education, and promotion efforts. Shares board leadership with ITF.
• TurkeyConnect App UsersminorOthersNetwork of farmers, businesses, and suppliers within the turkey industry using the mobile app for industry connectivity and resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Wisconsin Poultry and Egg Industry Council: Wisconsin state poultry and egg industry group. Similar state-association structure to ITF with advocacy and member-service offerings, though covering multiple poultry categories rather than turkey focus.
• North Carolina Poultry Federation: State-level poultry trade association in North Carolina, the largest broiler-producing state. Comparable mission (advocacy, education, allied-member support) but broader poultry remit rather than turkey-specific.

Direct peers

• Iowa Corn Growers Association: Iowa state commodity checkoff organization with advocacy, PAC, and member programming. Highly comparable operating model to ITF, serving as a structural analog in the Iowa agricultural trade-association landscape.
• Minnesota Turkey Growers Association: State-level turkey industry association in Minnesota, the leading turkey-producing state. Operates with a similar checkoff, allied-member, and advocacy model as ITF, making it the most directly comparable peer organization.
• Iowa Pork Producers Association: Iowa state checkoff-funded trade association for pork producers. Operates an almost identical model (checkoff, allied membership, statehouse lobbying, PAC) within the same Iowa agricultural ecosystem, making it a structural twin.
• Missouri Turkey & Poultry Federation: State-level turkey and poultry trade association serving Missouri growers. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and checkoff-style funding to ITF, though covering a different geographic footprint.
• Iowa Cattlemen's Association: Iowa state trade association for beef producers. Same membership/dues/PAC/government-affairs structure as ITF, operating in the same Iowa regulatory and lobbying environment.

Broad incumbents

• National Turkey Federation: The national umbrella trade association for the U.S. turkey industry. ITF explicitly partners with NTF and adopts NTF animal welfare standards, making NTF the closest structural peer at the national level.
• American Farm Bureau Federation: The largest U.S. general-farm trade association. Comparable in advocacy, member-services, and PAC structure to ITF, but operates nationally across all commodity categories rather than focusing on turkey.
• U.S. Poultry & Egg Association: National trade association for the U.S. poultry and egg industry. ITF already partners with US Poultry (e.g., funding the 'Talking Turkey with Josephine' youth video), and US Poultry's broader poultry remit overlaps with ITF's turkey focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iowaturkey
• Instagraminstagram.com/iowaturkey
• TikToktiktok.com/@iowaturkey
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-turkey-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iowa Turkey Federation