Midmorning With Aundrea - November 25, 2020 (Part 3)

(Part 3 of 4) The pandemic is forcing millions to scale back elaborate dinners.

Large turkeys are no longer in demand, but not surprisingly there's been a run on small turkeys this year.

A high school in texas has come up with a one-of-a- kind idea to help put extra food on the table for students and families, while also teaching kids the value of hard work.

Nicole nielsen explains.

You'd never know it, but inside linda tutt high school is a brand new grocery store-but it doesn't take money-just good deeds.

"i am very excited, hunter weertman is a store manager-in just the eleventh grade.

But not at a local supermarket---her e, at his high school.

Nats anthony love/principal linda tutt high school "how often can school say they have a grocery store inside their walls?"

With the help of partners, like texas health, albertsons, and first refuge ministries--the school was able to put a full grocery store in an extra room.

Operating only on a point system.

Anthony love/principal linda tutt high school "a lot of ou students, they come from low socio-economic families&" principal anthony love says, it's a way for students to earn the ability to shop for their families through hard work.

Anthony love/principal linda tutt high school "you can ear points for positive office referrals, you can earn points for doing chores around the building, helping clean."

Paul juarez/executive director first refugee ministries "these points wer actually given by the students, so we walked through here and decided that a can of green beans was one point&" they'll learn about having sales when they have too much product, and of course what to expect in their own first jobs.

Thomas muir/mayor, city of sanger "we all had ou first jobs and it taught us how to work, and what you got for your work, and how to meet an immediate need.."

Hunter say's he's already learned, some important lessons.

Hunter weertman/student store manager "life skills, lik how to base money, how to spend your money wisely."

The store will also hold food drives and act as a supplement to other food insecurity programs in the area.

They hope the initative can help them work out the kinks, so that it can be replicated in other rural towns that may need help.

In sanger, nicole nielsen, cbs 11 news.

As the pandemic forces many families to downsize their thanksgiving plans, one highly sought- after item on the menu is running low.

This year, there is a shortage of ÁsmallÁ turkeys.

Janet shamlian shows us how the decling demand for ÁbiggerÁ birds is seriously affecting some of the country's 25- hundred turkey producers.

She visited a family farm in texas.

The free range turkeys raised by angela smith and her son colby sell out every thanksgiving..

There's usually a waiting list for their fresh birds.

In a normal thanksgiving, what's demand like for you in terms of the size of turkeys people want?

18 to 20 is our normal thanksgiving, 18 to 20 all day /// it feeds you know six, eight people, ten people pretty darn good you know?

But this year, most of these turkeys are too big for a downsized holiday.

At smith and smith farms, they're still getting inquiries..

But not for any toms and hens this size.

Another customer asking for a 10- pound turkey ..something colby wishes he could sell them.

They're live animals..

They grow just like me and you, i mean you can't put the pause button on it and say..

You know you're stopping at eight pounds, sorry buddy, you know for a small family farm like this, where margins are razor thin, it's devastating.

The cost of buying the chicks, their feed and processing won't cover what they earn.

This turkey is an example of the size people are looking for this year..right now it weighs about 13 pounds.

When it gets to the table it will weigh about ten.

Some won't buy a turkey at all this year... i'm only gonna get a turkey breast because i'm the only one that like turkey in my immediate family kathleen's schena's thanksgiving has shrunk from 12 people to four... signon taylor is skipping a big gathering to spend the holiday with only his husband.

No matter what i cook, it's gonna rock..

So, i got this!

In the leonard family instead of one big thanksgiving there's gonna be four smaller thanksgivings.

Grocer stew leonard junior is making big changes at home and in his 7 stores in connecticut, new york and new jersey.

We've ordered 20- percent less of the big turkeys and we've ordered 20-percent more of the smaller turkeys because we feel thanksgiving's gonna be smaller butterball which typically sells a third of all thanksgiving turkeys ramped up production of smaller items like boneless turkey roasts.

Producers like the smiths are adapting as well by dividing up turkeys..

Selling breasts and legs for people planning on smaller meals.

Producers like the smiths are adapting as well..

Selling turkey breasts and legs.

They never imagined back in march - the holiday would turn out like this.

They never imagined the holiday would turn out like this we just kept hoping things would change or hope it would get better with the covid situation a you see it really didn't turn out that way..

So, with potentially lots of leftovers - if customers who reserved turkeys at farmers markets don't show up to buy them - will it be a feast at the smith home?

Oh, no turkey.

You're gonna laugh..

We don't eat turkey on thanksgiving..

After the rush of delivering their turkeys, they say they don't have time to cook one..

Meaning these gobblers could have the ultimate holiday: a dinner table pardon.

You know it's almost thanksgiving..?

All turkeys in unision respond with a gobble janet shamlian, burlington, texas just ahead, the