Time to talk turkey
Heritage turkeys are experiencing a renaissance on the small farm, buoyed by interest in local food, and media articles like this Thanksgiving New York Times ariticle:
“It’s a hot item,” said Bill Niman, a prominent advocate for sustainable agriculture who this year jumped into the so-called heritage turkey market — older breeds of birds that had all but disappeared until championed by preservationists and foodies.
He raised 2,500 birds for Thanksgiving and “sold every bird.”
As I plan the bird cycles for Two Mile for this season, I’ll be adding a handful of heritage turkeys to the planning.
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- Narragannett Turkey
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- Blue Slate
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- Black Spanish
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- Burbon Red Turkey
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- Royal Palm turkey
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- Contemporary Big Breasted White
Turkeys raised in a commercial farm, because of genetics and controlled conditions, may be ready for market in 14 – 18 weeks. Heritage breeds, often raised on pasture, take 28 weeks. For November turkey harvest, young turkey poults need to be here at Two Mile by the end of May.
Time to go shopping.
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I would love to learn more about how you process them, procedures, fixtures, etc…
Duane, you ask a great question and I take the easy way out. I have a family that processes mine for me — which is great for friends and family. If I expanded to commercial sales, even with some on-farm exemption, I think I would opt for a state or USDA inspected facility — but there are few of them in Iowa any more. a 1 – 2 hour drive is the best I can find.
I do plan my bird’s trips to “freezer camp” in cooler fall weather to make it easier to chill the meat after cleaning and also to reduce the amount of flies and other insects.
I have seen a “mobile” poultry processing trailer that sells new for around $100,000. It takes a lot of chickens at $1.50 – $2.00 each to make that venture and investment pay off.
I do have USDA lockers near by – but they don’t process poultry: only beef, deer, and other larger scale meats.