Thanksgiving Turkey Farm-to-Table

I plunged the giant bird into the ice bath, pushing it down until it’s empty body cavity was filled with the freezing water. Pain shot up my arm immediately, making my elbow throb painfully.

Back at the stainless steel worktable, three dead Thanksgiving turkeys weighing approximately 25lbs each, waited for me. They were headless and footless, thanks to my butchering partner who did the kill, plunged the bird into a scald bath, ran it through the overworked plucker, and removed the head and feet, before passing the beasts to me.

I deftly grabbed a small sharp knife and slit the birds skin, right above its anus, careful not to go too deep. If I was too enthusiastic, I could slice part of the intestinal track and dump some of that waste into the bird. When the slice was made, I carefully cut around the anus and pulled it away from the bird, and down towards a bucket at my feet.

Finally, I plunged my hand into the warm cavity, feeling relief as the heat overwhelmed my hand and its effect dulled the cold-throb of the ice bath. The intestines fell away easily and I scooped out the edible organs, amazed at how huge it was compared to the hundred or so chickens we butcher every year. The chicken cavity only allowed a forceful approach, when cleaning out the inside. With turkeys, it felt like you could basically move in, look around, and have all the space needed to comfortably do the work of retrieving the organs some people like to eat, and scraping the non-edible portions out.

Turkey cleaned and ready for the ice bath, I picked it up with two hands, trying not to drop its slippery body. I dropped it into the ice bath and pushed it down, the familiar pain shooting to my elbow as my hands were surrounded by the icy water.

We didn’t do this work for the joy of butchering, because it was a chore and nothing about it was enjoyable. Instead, we sought to provide locally raised animals, eating off of the local vegetation, to our community. We’d seen evidence of typical turkey farms. With our model, we attempted to manage a diverse and interconnected menagerie of animals that provided delicious meat while maintaining as natural and healthy a lifestyle for our animals. And it was working. The animals were healthy and happy. As a side benefit, that we hadn’t anticipated being so impactful, the land also looked richer and healthier. Fortunately, the meat also turned out to be remarkable.

This Thanksgiving, 20 families would be eating turkeys raised within a few miles of their homes, and 5 of those families ordered additional turkeys for their freezers to enjoy throughout the year.