ST. PAUL — A 45-pound turkey named Gru took center stage at the Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 25, when Gov. Tim Walz marked Minnesota’s annual Thanksgiving presentation.

This year’s turkey tom, named after the “Despicable Me” character, topped last year’s 42-pound bird by 3 pounds. Gru strutted around a table in the governor’s reception room, fanning its feathers for roughly 20 minutes while Walz took questions. At one point, Gru slipped off the table and landed on the floor — where he picked his strutting back up.

Minnesota traditionally does not “pardon” the turkeys presented by the governor. Shelby Barber, a Minnesota 4-H student who raised Gru, said the tom will be the “main guest” at her family’s Thanksgiving table.

Minnesota leads the nation in turkeys raised. In 2024, the state p

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