Its really really really early to think about Thanksgiving turkeys. However, we have a limited supply and we are likely to have a much greater demand come September than we can potentially meet. So, if you are interested in purchasing your Thanksgiving turkey from us, please email us NOW so we can reserve a turkey for you.
This year we have Bronze turkeys. They are almost 2.5 weeks old now and are really doing nicely. They run and chase bugs, chatter at me, and are generally wonderful little birds. We will be moving them out onto pasture in another week or week and a half as they feather out. Because we started them in June and not July, they will be about 24 weeks old when we process them. To put this in perspective, last year we processed our white turkeys at 15 weeks. The tom turkeys dressed out at 25-29 pounds each. The hens last year were 17-21 pounds. So...we are going to have some BIG turkeys this Thanksgiving.
I may purchase some more turkey poults from a friend who has heritage birds. They forage well, but they grow slowly. The heritage birds have more dark meat, much less breast meat and have a richer, gamey flavor. I still prefer to eat the Bronze turkeys over the heritage turkeys. The big difference is whether the birds were raised on pasture or raised in confinement, and not the breed, in my opinion. Yes, the commercial breeds have been selected to grow incredibly fast and they get so heavy that they cant reproduce. However, they are hybrid birds and you wouldnt want to keep them as breeding stock anyway.
If you want a smaller bird to fry, let me know ASAP so I can reserve a heritage bird for you. They are more expensive, but they are smaller. $6.50 a pound for Heritage Turkey. $4.50 a pound for our Bronze Turkeys. The Bronze will be pretty darn big by Thanksgiving. If you want a smaller bird, we can process them sooner and freeze them. They will be tender and wonderful for Thanksgiving after you thaw them. If you want a big old fashioned roaster and lots of leftovers, well, then our Bronze birds are for you!
Mmm...leftover turkey...
Cant wait!
When you grow lots of garlic you are left with leftover cloves from the garlic that didn't make it passed the drying stage or got too dry or didn't dry enough. Anyway- take those leftover cloves or just break up some of your own garlic.
Then take the pieces and store them in the freezer in a container. I use a Ball Jar.- well, 1 1/2 jars that is. Keep them in the freezer and use as you need it!
The turkey house was fine through the storm and all turkeys were fine. The turkeys crack me up. We've got turkeys, hens and broilers all in the same pasture. I think we need more separation between them as everyone likes everyone else's food. 
Rocky's house - on the right did not fare well- though the other 2 hoop houses for the turkeys and broilers were fine. They must have missed where the wind gushed.
Thank goodness for Mr Tractor and some work with a chain. the eggmobile was back on it's wheels.
Minor damage to the end of the roof and lots of cracked eggs. No chickens/hens/turkeys died- all made it. Rocky must have kept them safe. One hen stayed on her eggs the entire time. Even though they were cracked she would not leave the nest box till we flipped it back over and had to clean it out.
This year I added pick your own flowers to the CSA. Just a sample of the pick your own.
I will forever get a kick out of seeing pictures of the food we grew used to make someone elses dinner. These photos are from a CSA member (couple to be exact) and the top is our grass fed beef hamburger with cole slaw. Below is a ribeye steak with bright lights swiss chard with feta (not our feta). Tonight we had chicken (pastured), grilled zucchini with herbs on them, pasta tossed with olive oil and more garden herbs. It's such a pleasure to cook with your own ingredients!
So how many people can sleep in a 3 bedroom farm house? Hmm... normally a family of 5. Tonight a family of 5, a family of 4, plus 2 more adults. Death in the family so Mike's family is in town. I hate to say it but deaths can be the cause for so much joy and great memories. Jerry- we're glad you made it to walk Eliza down the aisle and we're thinking of you as you walk through your new door in life.
Yeah. We need rain. The field has turned to hay. We have about 4 more weeks and if we don't get some good rains we'll be buying and feeding hay. I feel like I live in Texas except that people here talk with Balt'mr accents. (that's for all my Texas followers..... God love ya as I don't know how you live in your weather)
This year looks like it will be a bumper crop-- so lets see 100 or so plants at 30 zucchini each.... he-he---- I guess I doubled down and hit the jackpot.
