Town turkey graces Gov’s plate

By TIM FORSBERG

A turkey born and raised in Johnston will have a special place at Governor Gina Raimondo’s family table this Thanksgiving.

Since 1935, and now in its fifth generation, the Baffoni family’s poultry farm has been dedicated to raising and dressing all-natural poultry. Their 80-acre farm is equipped to house roughly 25,000 chickens and 1,200 turkeys, which are fed an all-natural diet in a cage-free environment. 

“This is an institution in Rhode Island, you do an awesome job,” said Gov. Raimondo to the Baffoni family as she picked up her fresh, 20 pound turkey on Thanksgiving Eve. “You have a great family, a great business, and a great tradition, thank you.”

Surrounded by her own family, the governor’s afternoon trip for the bird and eggs was her last stop before heading to her 84-year-old mother’s house to celebrate.

“One of the roles of the First Gentleman is to carry the Thanksgiving turkey,” joked Andrew Moffit, the governor’s husband. “We’re going to grandma’s house right now.”

While the turkey is certain to be the centerpiece of their table, it’s their grandma’s dressing that the family is looking forward to.

“She makes the stuffing, my mother makes the best stuffing,” said Raimondo. “Her stuffing is the best, she puts it in the bird, old school, with Italian sausage, it’s so good.”

Along with her husband and children, the family plans to join around 19 people for their holiday feast.

“My brother, my sister, all their kids, our kids and whomever one of us drags in, we pick up a few,” she said.

For Raimondo, it was important that her family’s holiday meal took a local approach.  

“This is the place to be if you want to get turkey. I mean it’s a Rhode Island institution, great turkeys, and supporting a local business,” she said. “I want Rhode Islanders to shop local, help the local economy and keep that money here. We picked up some eggs; we picked up the turkey. It’s a great tradition.”

“And they do it with care, special care,” added Moffit. 

The Baffoni family was particularly excited about the governor’s visit and the opportunity it presented.

“We’ve been at this for a while,” said farmer Paul Baffoni about raising the turkey. “It’s an honor, we feel good about that.”

Raimondo also offered special tidings for Rhode Island families.  

“The message is enjoy your family, enjoy your friends, put the phone down for a little while and just relax and be grateful. We’re grateful for the men and women who serve in uniform, our veterans, and also, this Thanksgiving in particular, let’s remember Rhode Island was founded on values of tolerance and let’s be good neighbors. Let’s be kind and thoughtful to our neighbors and enjoy the holiday together,” she said. “And eat a lot of turkey.”