From Our Farm to Your Family's Table

Pick Up Dates:

Thursday, November 21st: 6:00-7:30 pm. at Third Day Farm Store in Walkerton

Friday, November 22nd: 10:00-11:00 at Third Day Farm Store in Walkerton

Saturday, November 23rd: 9:30 at River Valley Church in Mishawaka

Here are five things you need to know about pastured turkeys:

√ Pasture-raised turkeys are raised humanely and ethically. This is better for your health and the environment.

Labels on poultry can be very confusing. There’s “free-range”, “cage-free”, “organic”, “vegetarian-fed”, and “pasture-raised”, just to name a few. Most of these terms, besides “certified organic” are unregulated for the most part, and some are downright misleading. For example, the free-range-claim recommends that farmers “give the birds access to the outdoors” but there is no standard as to the duration of time outdoors, or the space or condition of the outdoors area -- and there is no oversight to ensure compliance.

The “all-natural” claim means absolutely nothing; so you’ll definitely want to stay away from that. With certified organic birds, they have received no antibiotics and are given organic feed. However, much like their factory-farmed counterparts, they are usually still crammed into a poultry house, stepping on their own manure, and debeaked and de-toed since they are in such close proximity to each other. The typical non-organic turkey you find in your local grocery store is also given antibiotics in its feed, and fed all genetically modified grains. 

On our farm, we follow an outdoor-based model of raising poultry. The birds really do roam the field freely during the growing season of May through November (we don’t raise poultry in the winter since it’s too cold in this part of the country). They are put in at night to keep them safe from predators and protected from the weather elements. They use their unharmed beaks to peck at bugs and forage through clover and other shoots; and are given access to a supplementary feed of grains that are not genetically modified.

√ The price of pastured turkeys reflects the cost of raising them naturally and on pasture. The price of mass-produced turkeys reflects the extreme, unnatural shortcuts taken to keep the cost as low as possible.

As committed grass-based farmers, we experience first-hand the challenges that come with raising poultry on pasture. We start with baby turkeys called poults; and for small farmers, the cost is often tenfold what industrial farms pay: up to $10 per chick at one day old. Once they’re out on pasture, they’re not as shielded from the weather and predators as the conventional ones that are crammed into windowless poultry houses. Our commitment to sourcing local, non-GMO feed makes the feed a lot more expensive than those being fed genetically modified grains, thereby raising the cost of raising our turkeys. This is not to mention the labor involved with the turkeys. Slaughtering and packaging pastured turkeys is also a labor-intensive process that costs the farmer.

√ Pasture-raised turkey meat is a lot more nutrient-dense than industrially-raised meat. This is not surprising since turkeys are sensitive to their dietary intake (as are humans!).

Since pastured turkeys have the luxury of foraging on fresh grasses and bugs in addition to the protein-rich supplementary grain they’re provided, their bodies contain a lot more nutrients than factory-farmed turkeys that eat mostly genetically modified, medicated feed (and we now know that the antibiotics in their food gets them fat quickly!). 

 A number of recent studies show that meat from pasture-raised poultry contains a much more balanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, which is linked to better heart health in humans. Pastured turkey meat is also very high in all the B vitamins and many essential trace minerals, most notably selenium, zinc, and magnesium. According The World’s Healthiest Foods, turkey meat ranks third on their list of foods with the highest amount of protein per ounce, with turkey breast having slightly more protein than turkey legs or thighs. 

Another important point to keep in mind is that turkeys raised outdoors in open pastures and treated humanely will have much healthier meat than turkeys raised in confinement, subjected to painful debeaking and de-toeing, and constantly dwelling in piles of their own manure day after day. When we eat diseased animals and ones damaged by chronic, intense stress, we increase our incidence of disease; and conversely, when we eat healthy animals, we benefit from the stress-free and natural life they led. Many people dismiss the humane treatment of animals because they don’t make the connection that animal wellbeing ultimately affects their own wellbeing as well (not to mention the wellbeing of the workers who handle them).

√ Factory-farmed turkeys are usually injected with water, vegetable oil, sodium phosphate, and emulsifiers. Pastured turkeys are not injected with anything -- so brining your bird will result in a more tender and flavorful turkey.

Did you know that many of your grocery store turkeys are pumped with flavor enhancers and additives equal to 3% - 12% of the turkey’s final weight? Since the recipe is proprietary and the company is not required to disclose it, you can never be sure exactly what is in it (it can’t be good though if the primary objective is to increase profits and increase moisture at the expense of everything else!).We like to know exactly what is in our food and how it was raised, so we do not inject birds with any self-basting solution. Instead, we encourage our customers to brine their pastured turkeys with a salt and seasoning mixture at home before cooking. Brining a turkey for 24 hours before cooking will allow moisture to penetrate the meat and infuse it with the herbs’ flavors.

√ Pastured turkeys cook faster and more evenly.

Since pasture-raised turkeys are leaner than factory-farmed ones, they cook faster. According to the The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, the recommendation is for 12-15 minutes per pound, uncovered, at 325 degree Fahrenheit. (As a point of comparison, it is around 20 minutes per pound for conventional turkeys).It’s a good idea to cook the turkey breast-side down since the white meat tends to cook a little faster. This way, the white meat keeps all its moisture and the dark meat browns as it cooks, which makes for a delicious final product. For your pastured turkey, the final measure of doneness is the internal temperature, not the total cooking time. Factory-farmed turkeys should reach an internal temperature of 180F; but with pasture-raised turkeys, if your thermometer measures 165F at the thickest part of the thigh, then it’s ready.

A turkey raised outdoors in harmony with nature is truly something to be celebrated; it feels good to know that your money was used to support your values relating to how animals should be treated. Also, your tastebuds will surely thank you!

Recipes

Turkey Brine

3 quarts water

1.5 cups real or kosher salt

Juice of 6 lemons

6 T. Dried Oregano

6 T. Dried Tarragon

3 T. granulated garlic

6 t.  ground black pepper

36 cups ice cubes

1. In large pot over medium heat, combine the brine ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the salt.  Take off burner, add the ice to the pot and let the liquid cool to room temperature.

2. Submerge the turkey in the brine, with the breast facing down (use 5 gallon bucket, large container, turkey bag, etc).  Refrigerate the turkey in the brine for 12 hours or more.3. Remove the turkey from the brine.  Discard the brine. 

Cooking Options:

Oven: Cover and bake breast down at 300 until Turkey is 165 degrees (or take out at 160, cover with foil and let sit until temperate hits 165).  This will probably take 2-3 hours.

Rotisserie:  Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.  Lightly coat the outside of the chicken with oil.  Truss the chicken with butcher’s twine.  Put turkey on rotisserie spikes and cook until turkey hits 165 degrees.  This will probably take 1.5 – 2hours.

Cooking Tip: Don’t overcook the turkey.  When cooked just to 165 it will be full of flavor and juices!

Slow-Roasted Turkey Stuffed with Onions and Herbs

Slathered with butter, dressed with thyme and stuffed with onions and lemons, this slow-roasted turkey is rich with flavor, succulent and wonderfully easy to make. Slow roasting is a long process with a rewarding result, make sure to plan in advance.

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 13 hrs
Total Time 13 hrs 10 mins


Servings: 12 to 16 servings

1/2 cup butter softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons finely ground sea salt
1 whole turkey about 16 to 18 lbs, giblets removed and reserved for another purpose
2 large yellow onions quartered
2 large lemons quartered
1 1/2 cups dry white wine


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beat the butter together with thyme, sage and sea salt until well-combined.

Rinse the turkey and pat it dry. With a butter knife, loosen the skin of the turkey from the flesh of the breast. Spread the herb butter between the skin and the meat of the turkey breast, and place the seasoned turkey on a rack in your roasting pan.

Stuff the turkey’s cavity with onions and lemons. Pour wine into the pan.

Roast the turkey for 45 minutes. Remove the turkey from oven, tent it with foil, and then return it to the oven.

Turn down the heat to 225 F, and slow roast it approximately twelve hours. Baste with pan juices every 2 to 3 hours.

Increase the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting for twenty minutes or until the skin is a rich brown and the meat has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes prior to carving.