New Hampshire Pasture-Raised Heritage Turkeys

Compared to factory-farmed, grain-fed turkeys, pasture-raised turkeys — whose foraging in luscious grass fields is supplemented with non-GMO or organic grains — are superior nutritionally and have outstanding flavor and texture. They cost more. You have to go get them at a local farm. And they won’t have plastic pop-up timers. But if you visited the farm and saw them strut, fluff up their tails and cackle in delight when they spot a good-looking bug, you’d be sold.

Pasture-raised heritage turkeys are the aristocracy of all pasture-raised turkeys. These historic birds are hard to find, but can trace their lineage back to the original wild turkeys who bred naturally rather than most of today’s turkeys that depend on artificial means to propagate. Below we’ve included sources for Heritage Bourbon Reds and Broad Breasted Bronze, as well as sources for their standard pasture-raised brethren.

Give thanks this holiday that they exist due to the perseverance of small family farms. There is limited supply, so make sure to call and reserve your gobble bird well in advance.