Where are you getting your turkey?

[Kater]

I'm trying to decide where to get my turkey this year. I like a heritage turkey but have had to have them shipped. I would like to go with a locally raised bird. Heritage would still be best but I would go with free range organic white turkey if it is local and high quality.

[gina]

The night before Turkey Day, I picked up a pre-brined, 15-lb. bird from Trader Joe's. Cost: about $1.98 per pound, I believe. It was very meaty and tender, and such a good deal at that price.

[borntolovefood]

For this year's Thanksgiving, I bought the turkey from Bolton's Turkey Farm.

Showed up 30 minutes before they closed the day before Thanksgiving to pick up my turkey. By then most customers who pre-ordered had stopped by and their names had been crossed off on the big board. I counted, wow, they sold about 2,000 birds that day.

I coated the bird with a mixture of salt and black pepper inside and out overnight, brushed off the granuales and smear syrup all over the bird. Cooked it, covered, at the lowest temperature (170 F) allowed by the oven for 5 hours and then finished it, uncovered, at 350 F until skin became golden and drumsticks had shrank to show the shin bones. The finishing took about an hour and half. There was very little fat on the bird and no grease in the roasting pan after cooking was done.

The turkey was delicious - flavorful, tender and juicy. Comparing this with my farmer's market heritage turkey last year, this year's fresh turkey was as good a bird but at $3 per pound only half the price.

Guess Bolton will be raising my turkey for 2013.

[teddybare]

I live around the corner from Boltons, and they have not only the best fresh turkey, but turkey legs and wings that we smoke, and they are to die for!

[Breezychow]

We bought ours - as we have for MANY years now - from Whole Foods. A free-range bird. And the very BEST bird ever. Tender, juicy, crisp-skinned - & with no stupid brining - lol! I highly recommend ordering one of their birds. You can't possibly go wrong unless you incinerate it - lol!

[lnelson1207]

This is the third year in a row I ordered the Esenshade ALL have been terrific although this year
was the best. It was a small female cooked at a high temp.

[JanR]

Ordered the Esbenshade turkey from Weavers Way and was disappointed. Weavers Way is terrific though.

[CindyJ]

If I'm not able to find an acceptable source for buying an already-cooked bird, I'll be getting mine from Stoltzfus Poultry at the Booths Corner Farmers Market.

[asmith]

Weavers Way is taking orders and offering three different types of Turkey: http://weaversway.coop/index.php?page...

[asmith]

Fair food stand is taking orders: http://fairfoodfarmstand.myshopify.com

[lnelson1207]

For the last 4 years I've gotten an Esbenshade Turkey from Weavers Way food coop. They are local, fresh turkeys and have been wonderful

[Kater]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I just found out that I can get a bourbon red from Longview market in Worcester.

[Kater]

Well, I will be saving this thread for next year because I was not particularly impressed with the turkey. I ordered a fresh turkey and it was partially frozen when I received it. It was not as good as the turkeys I usually get a Whole Foods and the skin was torn in a few locations. I can get a much better bird for the price elsewhere.

[ecyor]

I had never heard of a heritage turkey before this, so to anyone with experience, what do you usually pay and is it possible to get a 15 pounder? Article I read said they don't typically get as big as conventional birds.

[teddybare]

Bolton's, Route 113 in Silverdale

[asmith]

Bolton's turkey are excellent but not Heritage breed, if that is what you have your heart set on.

[bucksguy14]

+1 for Bolton's

[Buckethead]

I got an email around this time last year from the Fair Food Farmstand (where I've ordered turkeys in the past), and last year they offered these options. You picked a weight range for your bird and they would deliver one within that range.

***

Naturally-raised Turkey
Naturally-raised broad-breasted whites from Koch's Turkey Farm in Tamaqua, PA. Like all of our turkeys, these are raised without the use of hormones and antibiotics, free-roaming in a barn.

Weight Range: 8-12 lbs; 12-16 lbs; 16-30 lbs; 20-24 lbs; 24-28 lbs; 28-32 lbs.

Price: $2.99/lb

Organic Turkey
Organic broad-breasted white turkeys from Spring Water Farm (the same farm as our Dutch Meadows raw milk!). These turkeys are raised on pasture and fed Certified Organic feed.

Weight Range: 10-14 lbs; 14-19 lbs; 19-22 lbs.

Price: $4.50/lb

Heritage Breed Turkey
These Heritage Breed Turkeys are Red Bourbons, a breed of turkey first developed right here in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. They are raised on pasture at Griggstown Quail Farm in Princeton, NJ.

Weight Range: 7-10 lbs; 10-14 lbs.

Price: $7.99/lb

-----
Griggstown Quail Farm
986 Canal Rd, Princeton, NJ

[ecyor]

Thanks Buckethead, very helpful once again

[Bigley9]

Last year I specifically asked for a big Red Bourbon because 10 pounds wouldnt feed my crew and they got me one around 15.5 pounds (just FYI)

[Kater]

thank you!

[mary0201]

I've never heard of Griggstown Quail Farm which is not too far away from me in Bucks County. Thanks for the tip, Buckethead! I will be headed there in the near future.

-----
Griggstown Quail Farm
986 Canal Rd, Princeton, NJ

[Buckethead]

Sure! FYI, they make and sell very good frozen pot pies there (though I've never been to the actual farm, so I can't say for sure that they sell them on the premises).

[Bigley9]

I have been to the farm and they do sell them there!

[Kshell]

Dave's Poultry at the Flourtown Farmer's Market. Fresh and from Lancaster.

[chowinpa]

Wyebrook Farm
http://wyebrookfarm.com/

[mary0201]

I get mine at the Amish market in Newtown (bucks co). I would think any of the other area markets where the Amish bring in their goods would work too.

[Kater]

great market but I do not believe that they have heritage birds

[Buckethead]

You can order local turkeys for Thanksgiving pickup at the Fair Food Farmstand in the Reading Terminal Market.

[barryg]

You can also order local pastured turkeys for pickup at Headhouse Square Farmers Market, not sure if any of the farmers have heritage birds or not.

[Bigley9]

Griggstown (at Headhouse) has Heritage Turkey's for sure - not sure about the other poultry purveyors there.

[Hardart]

We've done Griggstown for years (well, ever since the Head House Market opened), and have always been pleased. They'll brine and truss if you like as well.