John Lauritsen is an Emmy award-winning reporter from Montevideo, Minn. He joined WCCO-TV in late-July of 2007. Two days after he started, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed.

Earlier this week, a turkey flock in Redwood County, Minnesota, tested positive for bird flu. It's the first positive test among commercial birds since April, and it has turkey farmers on alert.

There are nearly 10,000 turkeys inside the grower barn at Fahlun Farms in Kandiyohi County.

Jake Vlaminck is the owner. Just a few years ago his entire farm sat empty after avian influenza forced him to eliminate his entire flock.

"Talk about seeing grown men cry. All the guys that work out here they raise these turkeys, they know they're going for meat. We want them to be useful animals and to see them go to waste is just heartbreaking," said Vlaminck.

To keep that from happening again, he installed lasers that keeps ducks and geese away from his barns during fall migration. Migratory birds are the main spreaders of bird flu.

"I was so happy with how that was working that I doubled down and got that one on the windmill tower," said Vlaminck. "We've installed about 200 of these lasers throughout Minnesota now at different sites. And it really has had an impact in keeping the virus away. It's been positive."

He said it's cut avian influenza cases by nearly 50% in recent years. But lasers alone may not be enough.

A year ago Vlaminck says a majority of Minnesota turkey farmers weren't interested in an avian influenza vaccine for their birds. Now, he says, that mindset has changed.

As president of Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, he and 15 other farmers recently traveled to Washington to meet with lawmakers and to push for a vaccine.

"It's going to be a while. The first step is we have to figure out what that strategy would be, what would it look like. That's something that will have to come from the USDA," said Vlaminck.

He believes a vaccine could be available in the next year or two. Until then, he'll rely on lasers and biosecurity to protect his birds.

"Turkey is a big economic engine for Minnesota. So, it's not just the farmer on the farm it's also the people who process it. It's the people who make the feed, grow the crops, all the people in-between who fix the trucks and make sure everything stays running," said Vlaminck.

Minnesota is the nation's top turkey producer, and the USDA said it is safe to eat. In recent years there have also been cases of avian influenza in dairy cows, but those cases have not been fatal, and milk is safe to consume.

As bird flu makes its return in Minnesota, turkey farmers hinge hopes on vaccine