Talley Turkey Education Unit Dedicated

The Prestage Department of Poultry Science (PDPS) dedicated the Talley Turkey Education Unit on February 22 in recognition of the generous gift of Windell and Judy Talley and family. Following a luncheon and program at the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center, Mr. and Mrs. Talley and other members of the Talley family visited the newly dedicated unit.

As part of their tour, the Talleys visited multiple turkey houses and toured facilities that will benefit directly from the Talley’s generosity. Jesse Grimes led the group with Robert Beckstead, Peter Ferket, graduate students and unit staff. The houses had a number of poults, allowing the tour group to see the unit in use. Brooke Bartz and Katherine Cupo, who described their research projects at the dedication luncheon, showed the Talley family specific facilities involved in their respective dissertation research projects.

The tour took place on an unusually mild February day, providing a beautiful backdrop for the unit. The Talley Turkey Education Unit, located on Mid Pines Road, allows PDPS faculty and graduate students to conduct research and provide on-site teaching.

As they finished their tour, each member of the Talley family received a custom-printed polo shirt with the new unit name as a small token of PDPS’s gratitude for the Talley family’s support. These shirts will help unit staff represent the Talley Turkey Education Unit and the Talley family’s generosity.

As a family of NC State alumni across three generations, the Talleys were especially welcomed by PDPS faculty, staff and students as they toured the Talley Turkey Education Unit.

Windell Talley graduated from NC State in 1963 and has over 50 years of service to the poultry industry. In recognition of his contributions, the North Carolina Poultry Federation inducted Mr. Talley into the Poultry Science Hall of Fame in 2006. For more information about Mr. Talley and Talley Farms, visit the Poultry Science Hall of Fame online.