Biden Pardons Minnesota-grown Turkeys to Usher-in Thanksgiving 2024 [VIDEO]

(THE WHITE HOUSE) -- Two Minnesota-grown turkeys -- "Peach" and "Blossom" -- have been spared from the Thanksgiving dinner table.

President Joe Biden in ceremonies Monday pardoned "Peach" -- the National Turkey -- and its spare "Blossom" to live a life of relative luxury back here in the Gopher State.

Even as the President was making remarks, the turkeys made their presence known, gobbling and interrupting -- and frankly, upstaging -- the President's remarks. (The pardoning ceremony video can be seen at the end of this article.)

The turkeys are 17-weeks-old and raised in Northfield, Minnesota by National Turkey Federation President John Zimmerman and his family.

PARDONING THE 2024 TURKEYS

Biden told White House guests that "Peach" -- weighing in at 41-pounds -- was born at the Zimmerman farm in July. The president joked Peach loves to eat tator tot hotdish and he cross-country skis. And "the real dream he has is to see the Northern Lights."

According to Biden, he lives by the motto, "Keep calm and gobble on."

The President says "Blossom" weighs 40 pounds, loves to eat cheese curds and watch boxing. Biden says "Blossom" dreams of visiting each one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes and lives by the motto, “No fowl play, just Minnesota nice.”

According to the President, the birds just took a two-day roadtrip from Minnesota to the White House. That is some 1,100 miles over 16.5 hours on the road.

Now that the turkeys have their Presidential clemency, they'll live out their days as educational ambassadors at Farmamerica, Minnesota's center for agricultural interpretation in Waseca.

PEACH AND BLOSSOM -- MINNESOTA-GROWN

Zimmerman and his 9-year-old son, Grant, were at the White House Rose Garden for the pardoning ceremony. John Zimmerman told reporters Sunday the birds were trained to be calm in a city environment -- including cameras clicking away and noises from all those people and the President at the pardoning.

Zimmerman told reporters his son and neighborhood kids introduced the turkeys to all sorts of music and noises to help them "feel comfortable and ready for the big event at the White House."

THE PRESIDENTIAL TURKEY PARDON TRADITION

The turkey pardoning ceremony is an annual event at Thanksgiving time. The birds -- the main turkey and a back-up, just in case -- are given fun names. Recently, the American public has picked the names of the National Turkey and its back-up in online voting hosted by the White House website. You can read more about the historical tradition from White House Historical Association.

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Here are the most recent turkeys to be pardoned:

(Turkeys raised in Minnesota are noted.)

BIDEN TURKEYS
2024 -- Peach and Blossom (Northfield, MN)
2023 -- Liberty and Bell (Willmar, MN)
2022 -- Chocolate and Chip
2021 -- Peanut Butter and Jelly

TRUMP TURKEYS
2020 -- Corn and Cob
2019 -- Butter and Bread
2018 -- Peas and Carrots
2017 -- Drumstick and Wishbone (Alexandria, MN)

OBAMA TURKEYS
2016 -- Tater and Tot
2015 -- Abe and Honest
2014 -- Cheese and Mac
2013 -- Popcorn and Caramel (Badger, MN)
2012 -- Cobbler and Gobbler
2011 -- Liberty and Peace (Willmar, MN)
2010 -- Apple and Cider
2009 -- Courage and Carolina

BUSH (43) TURKEYS
2008 -- Pumpkin and Pecan
2007 -- May and Flower
2006 -- Flyer and Fryer
2005 -- Marshmallow and Yam (Henning, MN)
2004 -- Biscuits and Gravy
2003 -- Stars and Stripes
2002 -- Katie and Zack
2001 -- Liberty and Freedom

CLINTON TURKEYS
2000 -- Jerry the Turkey and unnamed backup
1999 -- Harry the Turkey
1998 -- Unnamed
1997 -- Unnamed
1996 -- Carl
1994 -- Tom
1993 -- Unnamed (Willmar, MN)

REAGAN TURKEYS
1988 -- Woody (presented, but not officially "pardoned")
1987 -- Charlie (first "pardoned" turkey)