TAMPA — Avian flu has hit the nation’s poultry farms hard and that, in turn, is making it tough for Metropolitan Ministries to provide for the area’s needy during the holiday season. The bird flu has created a shortage of mature turkeys, driving up the price of the traditional centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner. “It killed off a lot of birds and especially the older birds,” said Metropolitan Ministries spokesman Shawn LaFata. Turkey suppliers began using younger, smaller turkeys to compensate for the shortage, LaFata said, and Metropolitan Ministries began offering hams and chickens to indigent residents. But the organization needs bigger turkeys to feed...
↧