We thought we would post some pics and links illustrating the difference between our Pasture Raised Turkeys and Industrial Confinement Turkeys. Email us today with your order as we are selling out quickly!
Isn't it beautiful to see these birds running around outside in that lush pasture!
Our Turkeys live outdoors on Pasture where they receive fresh air, exercise and sunshine every day!
Make sure and check out this fun video of our Turkeys talking:
Here’s Why Pasture-Raised Turkeys Are So Expensive. More Importantly, Here’s Why You Should Buy Them.
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Hmmmm.... not very fun!
At least these Turkeys see the sun.
Opt out of Industrial Confinement Turkeys!
We like everything about our Turkeys and our animal husbandry much better!
Some educational material from an article about Turkeys with a few of our side notes:
TALKING TURKEY
What do those terms on the turkey label really mean? Here's a glossary of the most common classifications.free-range A turkey with access to the outside. But don't be fooled ― just because it has access doesn't mean a bird will take advantage of it.
fresh Technically, a turkey that's never been kept below 26˚F. But Wickstrom finds this to be an evasive definition: Most (Broadbreasted White) Thanksgiving birds are processed in September and October but are still labeled fresh in November, which means they've been kept just above 26 degrees for months."
An interesting side note is that Polyface Farm sells all of their Turkeys frozen. We have had our Pastured Turkeys fresh and frozen and find that they are wonderful either way! The most important thing is how they are raised!
frozen A bird that's stored below 0˚F.
hard-chilled, or not previously frozen A turkey that's been held between 26˚F and 0˚F.
hen/tom A hen is a female turkey, and a tom is a male. Setting aside size, even Zier admits he'd be hard-pressed to detect a difference in the taste of a turkey based on its gender. Where the bird's gender does matter, though, is in determining what size turkey you should buy. With hens, which run in size from about 8 to 16 pounds, buy a pound of turkey per person. But for toms, which start at 17 pounds, calculate about 3/4 pound per person, as there's a greater meat-to-bone ratio.
kosher A bird that's been processed by hand following kosher laws, all while under rabbinical supervision. The turkey is soaked in water for half an hour, then packed in kosher salt and placed on an incline for about an hour to allow the blood to drain. "A kosher bird is an acquired taste," says Rodgers. "It can seem salty."
natural A bird that contains no artificial ingredients or added color and is minimally processed. This doesn't mean it hasn't been treated with antibiotics.
organic A turkey that has been certified by a USDA-accredited agency. The term organic ensures that the bird was raised on organic feed, was free-range, and wasn't treated with any antibiotics.
Note: Make sure and read the "free range" definition above. Organic turkeys are typically still raised in mass confinement with "access" to a very small grassy area that they never use.
pasture-raised A turkey reared in the pasture full-time and allowed to forage for its own food. "This can still be iffy," says Rodgers, "because there's no USDA standard or certification for pasture-raised meat."
Note: you can be assured that our turkeys are "pasture-raised" birds. You can see the pictures and video. You can come to the farm and watch the birds. And you "know your farmer."
Also from the same article:
STORING AND THAWING
♦ To store a fresh turkey: Keep it in the refrigerator in its plastic wrapper until you're ready to cook it. Tuck a rimmed baking sheet underneath to catch drips.
♦ To store a frozen turkey: Place it in the freezer immediately upon arriving home.
♦ To thaw a frozen turkey: This calls for a bit of planning. It takes 1 day of thawing time in the refrigerator for every 4 or 5 pounds of turkey. So a 16-pound turkey would require 4 days to thaw completely. There's also the water-bath method: Make sure the bird is wrapped tightly before fully submerging it in cold tap water, then allow 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every 30 minutes. So a 16-pound turkey thawed this way would be ready for the oven in only 8 hours.
♦ To store a fresh turkey: Keep it in the refrigerator in its plastic wrapper until you're ready to cook it. Tuck a rimmed baking sheet underneath to catch drips.
♦ To store a frozen turkey: Place it in the freezer immediately upon arriving home.
♦ To thaw a frozen turkey: This calls for a bit of planning. It takes 1 day of thawing time in the refrigerator for every 4 or 5 pounds of turkey. So a 16-pound turkey would require 4 days to thaw completely. There's also the water-bath method: Make sure the bird is wrapped tightly before fully submerging it in cold tap water, then allow 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every 30 minutes. So a 16-pound turkey thawed this way would be ready for the oven in only 8 hours.
We love our customers! Thanks for supporting local sustainable Pasture Based farming!
