Thinking Ahead: Locally-raised turkey in Columbus

[HungryLetsEat]

We've just determined that we're hosting Thanksgiving this year. I'd like to serve a locally-raised organic free range turkey. Does anyone have info on local turkey farms where one can buy directly from the grower?

[Diane in Bexley]

Hungry, we always buy our poultry from Cargafna's in Columbus which uses Gerber's http://www.gerbers.com/, which comes from Amish country in Holmes or maybe Tuscarawas county. Not sure how PC this poultry is compared to what you are looking for, but their chickens and turkeys taste delicious. You need to order your turkey well in advance. Carfagna's meat is excellent too, just not sure where it comes from. http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php...

[red_menace]

For the last few years, we've been getting the Bowman & Landes turkeys. They're from a family farm outside of Dayton and are truly wonderful. The convenient thing is that Weiland's distributes them. Just pick them up at the store right before Thanksgiving.

http://bowmanlandes.com/

[HungryLetsEat]

THanks for the suggestion! Good to hear from someone who has actually tasted the birds.

I'm a little leary of pasture-raised turkeys now after reading the Cooks Illustrated article which compared regular store-bought against pasture-raised organic birds. They said their taste testers didn't like the 2 in this category as they were gamey and tough. I certainly don't want to serve a gamey, tough turkey even if it was raised in the manner I support. I assume Bowman & Landes' turkeys don't have this problem?

[Niki in Dayton]

We've been eating Bowman and Landis turkies for years and they're delicious, although even they are better when brined first.

Cheers
Niki

[red_menace]

We brine ours too, Niki. They're outstanding.

[columbusfoodie]

We got our turkey last year locally from Just This Farm. Peeking at his website, it looks like he's offering them again this year.

http://www.justthisfarm.net/pasturera...

[HungryLetsEat]

Thanks CF - exactly what I was looking for!

[columbusfoodie]

In case he's not offering them this year, just an FYI - you can also get local turkeys at North Market Poultry and Game, or through Speckled Hen Farms (they usually sell at Worthington, and are doing signups for turkeys now, if I remember correctly).