Thanksgiving! The day when the mighty turkey reigns supreme! This is the day when the turkey is the guest of honor, gracing American tables alongside the likes of cornbread dressing, candied yams, casseroles, salads, and pies.
Turkeys are an integral part of the quintessential American holiday. Though not necessarily on the table for that very first Thanksgiving, first-person accounts do indicate that the Pilgrims contributed “wild fowl” to the meal which could have included the American Wild Turkey.
The Wild Turkey is native exclusively to North America and is a member of the grouse and pheasant family. Our domestic breeds of turkey that are raised today are all descendants of the North American Wild Turkey and the only other wild turkey species, the Ocellated Turkey in Central America.
Unfortunately, most turkeys bought by Americans today have very little in common with their wild ancestors. Like most of our agriculture, the turkey industry has been, well, industrialized. Most turkeys sold for Thanksgiving meals in America will come from a factory farm.
“Factory farms” are much more factory than farm. Those birds will live every moment of their lives in confinement. As with the poultry industry in general, they have been bred to grow very quickly and the emphasis is placed on quantity over quality.
Turkeys are produced in this way at very high volume in order to secure an overall profit on small per-bird profit margins. In other words, the retail price of birds is kept at a minimum to meet consumer demand, but the volume of birds that are processed is what makes them profitable.
Because of the commitment and the time it takes for farm-raised turkeys to reach maturity, now, is the time to start planning for your fresh, local turkey for your next Thanksgiving celebration! So, while turkeys are on our collective minds, let’s have that conversation.
As opposed to factory-farmed birds, farm-raised birds given access to pasture are able to live out their days exhibiting their natural turkey behaviors. They have access to fresh air, sunshine and opportunities to forage. These birds take longer to grow to a harvestable size and are bred for characteristics like hardiness and good flavor.
Comfort Farms, a nonprofit farm in Milledgeville, is in its second year of turkey production. Committed to sustainable practices and with a focus on heritage-breed livestock, they have their own turkey breeding program and also process the birds on-site.
Families are invited to come to the farm and either pick up their processed bird; or for a discounted price, can participate in processing their own bird. This program has proven to be very successful and gives the consumer the opportunity to be truly invested in their bird and ultimately invested in the farm itself.
“We cater to a customer that wants to go above and beyond what the commercial industry has created,” Jon Jackson, founder of Comfort Farms explained. “We are geared toward customers who want their animals to have a life led as a turkey. Want their turkeys to experience the most happiness and the most care in the short lives they have.”
For sustainable farming practices to be truly sustainable, they must be profitable. That’s why it’s important for consumers and farmers to have a clear understanding of the local demand.
“What we’re essentially doing is helping the customer who wants to be more sustainable,” Jon said. “In order to be sustainable, the farmer needs to be sustainable. So, the price points need to be able to sustain the farm. There are three things we have to look at: what it costs to raise the animal and feed the animal, the man hours that it takes to care for the animals, and then the reinvestment back into the program. The program needs to be able to pay for itself and give to the farm in reinvestment.”
Turkeys that will be on the table next year, will need to be hatched this coming spring. This means now is the time for farmers to plan and it’s the best time for consumers to let their local farmers know that they’ll be wanting a bird next year.
“ “It’s literally a year-long process. The quicker they get on the waiting list, the better,” Jon said of consumers seeking a farm-raised bird. “And it’s worth it. The wait is worth it. There is a lot of care and love that goes into it.””
Jon sees turkey production as a great asset to small farms possibly looking to diversify.
“As a micro-enterprise on the farm, they command top dollar in the season,” Jon explained. “You grow them in one season. We raise all of our turkeys here and breed all of our turkeys here, so we keep a lot of those costs in-house.”
“They produce a lot of manure that in turn will go back into the farm. They’re a great-looking bird and really sought after during these seasons. It’s perfect because they start laying eggs in February and March and you have a month for them to hatch and then those birds will be ready for Thanksgiving. It’s very cyclical.”
The key for both farmers and consumers is communication! Farmers need to know if there is the local demand for them to grow turkeys and consumers need to know about the farmers near them who might be raising the birds!
““For those who want to do this as a business, we can show how it can be profitable,” Jon said. “Having a grassroots social media campaign, being very integrated and intimate with your customer base is very important so they can know the integrity of your food, they can see it and they look forward to it every year.””
As more and more consumers are becoming aware of the problems and the atrocities associated with factory-farmed meats, more alternatives are being sought. It can feel overwhelming to look at an entire system that needs to be changed. So overwhelming, in fact, many may simply choose not to act at all.
So, for this moment and during this season, let's focus on one animal. The turkey. This once wild and majestic bird that is native to our land. Let’s focus on one purchase. One connection between one consumer and one farmer. One choice for sustainability. One decision that can have a positive impact.
It’s a purchase that most of us make only once a year, so why not make that purchase an investment in your local farms and a true celebration of the turkey? What better way to celebrate a season of harvest and thanksgiving than to have a meal that is centered around sustainable, local, and humane agriculture!