Source a Sustainably Raised Turkey for Thanksgiving

More than 250 million turkeys are slaughtered in the industrial system each year in the United States, and about 46 million of those are for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful, warm holiday, full of family time, great traditions and good food. Unfortunately, there are many not-so-good things about the Thanksgiving turkeys most grocery stores offer to their customers.

The status quo for raising turkeys and other meat birds is the industrial, factory farming system. The conditions in which factory farmed turkeys are raised is horrendous. It’s cramped, with each bird given about 3 feet of space to live its life. So that these cramped and stressed turkeys won’t turn to pecking at each other, prior to confinement their beaks and the tips of their toes are cut off (processes some liken to having the tips of a child’s fingers and toes chopped off). These turkeys, raised in gigantic warehouses, are denied their natural instincts and can’t eat their natural diet of seeds, vegetation and insects. They’re also bred to grow so rapidly that it puts an incredible strain on their bodies. Some researchers estimate that factory farmed turkeys spend at least a third of their lives in chronic pain.

The good news is that there are plenty of farmers out there raising turkeys naturally on pasture—and with respect. To find a healthy, delicious turkey that was ethically and sustainably raised for your Thanksgiving table, check out these resources:

Search Eat Wild’s state directory of farmers. Simply click on your state on the yellow map and read about farmers selling turkeys, other meats, eggs and dairy products from pastured animals in your area.

You can also search Local Harvest for farmers selling pastured turkeys in your area.

Another simple option is to stop by a farmers market this weekend and see whether any of the vendors are taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys.

For related tips, please visit Welcome to Our (Sustainable) Thanksgiving Table.

For vegetarian Thanksgiving alternatives, see the following Care2 articles:
Have a Vegan Thanksgiving
Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
A Bird-Free Thanksgiving Feast

Photo by Fotolia/msheldrake

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Pego R.

11:44PM PST on Nov 22, 2011

For those of you actually here to look for an ethical turkey. I hope you treat that baby right. If it does not come pre-brined there are some excellent recipes on the web. I like this one; http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/brined-roast-turkey-with-pan-gravy-recipe/index.html

But I do find it rather wasteful, a very similar result can be gotten, much more quickly
1/4 ounce ground cloves
1/4 ounce ground ginger
2 ounces cracked black peppercorns
6 bay leaves
1 tbsp sea salt (eliminate for pre-brined birds)

Simmer this together for a half-hour, in a pint of water. Don't let it reduce to less than a cup. Add;
10 ounces maple syrup
1/2 stick butter, room temperature

Use this to inject all the muscles you can find, then rub down your bird and roast

Rub-down ingredients;
1 stick butter
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

send a green star

Past Member .

5:12PM PST on Nov 22, 2011

Turkey Rescue 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ATMfRyb7IdY#!

11:58PM PST on Nov 21, 2011

Eathumane.com, Locavore Network offers a search engine http://www.locavorenetwork.com/proximity but I notice that is does not get everyone so http://www.localharvest.org/ and
http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723709/k.82C7/Find_Good_Food.htm
Avoiding GMOs
http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/
avoiding pesticides
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/3016
http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/customer/account/create/

10:17PM PST on Nov 21, 2011

Hi Zee

To answer your question, stuffed home-grown squash or pumpkin That way, no meat, no accidentally killed field critters and no pesticides

7:37PM PST on Nov 21, 2011

Why did they remove the Shel Silverstein poem?

Here's the link for his poem titled 'Point of View':

http://www.blaikiewell.com/holidaypoem.html

8:04AM PST on Nov 21, 2011

It's actually disturbing that people actually sit at a table giving "thanks" when the corpse of a beautiful animal is the morbid' 'centerpiece'.
Regardless of how the turkeys are raised they ALL suffer the same horrific and cruel fate. They ALL are brutally slaughtered. There is nothing peaceful, humane, ethical or kind about it. It is violent and it is UNNECESSARY.

People who have genuine compassion in their heart can give thanks on Thanksgiving by celebrating and respecting ALL life. There are countless nutritious and delicious cruelty free foods to enjoy:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-pirello/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes_b_1093397.html

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/847183/a-vegan-thanksgiving-menu

http://www.examiner.com/vegan-restaurants-in-chicago/ye-olde-vegan-thanksgiving-recipe-round-up
http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=304.0

Erica B.

3:38AM PST on Nov 21, 2011

Another good website to find humanely raised turkey, as well as other meat, egg, and dairy products is: www.eathumane.org

I know of one thing I can be thankful for...I am not poverty stricken this year, so I can afford a free-range organic turkey, instead of a regular store bought sale turkey. I was on food stamps last year, and you don't just get a surprise increase in your allotment for the holidays! Since last Thanksgiving I've received a lawsuit settlement and have been approved for disability, so I have a lot to be thankful for, actually. Of course I'm also giving to local food shelters and animal welfare organizations as well.

Thanksgiving is an unusual holiday for me, since I have some Native American blood running through my veins. I mostly have English blood, so I am torn. I must be grateful that Native Americans helped my forefathers, but I must also be respectful and pray for all the Native American lives that have been lost, due to European settlers. It is certainly a yearly battle in my heart.

I'm excited that there are more sources than ever available for people that want to eat meat and dairy products ethically, not only for Thanksgiving, but all year round. Let's hope that more and more people realize the advantages of sustainable and ethical food and agricultural farming, that way it can be affordable for everyone. I'd also like to see vegans work with ethical omnivores to stop factory farming. Then, indeed, we will all have reason to be thankful! PE

Sabrina W.

8:49PM PST on Nov 17, 2011

The company that supplies organic turkeys to our area was hit by a bad storm which killed many birds, so supply is low this year. :(

Jim N.

5:33AM PST on Nov 9, 2011

Industrial farming Is horrific. Animals feel fear and want comfort the same as a child, so to treat them like this or support this buy purchasing one is unconscionable. Thanks for getting the word out. I encourage anyone interested to go veg, you'll feel wonderful if you do it right. But if you want to eat meat, have a heart and do it as ethically as possible.

Happy thanksgiving, everyone!

KS G.

12:33AM PST on Nov 9, 2011

Thanks for the article.