This year we have what you need for your Thanksgiving Feast! We are bringing you the amazing turkeys that we have had for the past 10 years with two options. We will have our fresh birds like we always have had, and a previously frozen bird, at a discounted rate, that we will have thawed and ready for you to pick up and cook on the big day!
Time to Order your Thanksgiving Turkey!
It's that time of year!
Are the turkeys fresh or frozen?
Turkey FAQ
Our main turkeys come fresh never frozen directly from the farm in Kansas. No thawing necessary!
For those more budget conscious customers, this year we have available birds from last years harvest at a discounted rate. The same delicious bird, previously frozen, that we will thaw for you so it is ready to go!
How big of a turkey should i get? (aka is bigger really better?)
For years at Western Daughters we said that ¾ of a lb per person was the standard. A couple of years ago, however, we changed it to a 1lb per person because we got so much push back and virtually no one believed that ¾ of a lb would suffice. So, here’s the truth – it depends on your wants and needs at your table. Do you love leftovers? Are you feeding a bunch of meat eaters? Are you feeding a bunch of vegetarians? Do you want to one and done the turkey or be eating sandwiches for a couple of days? At our house, we roll at about 2 lbs per person. I tell myself that this is because I’m such an amazing cook, but I think it’s actually because we feed a lot of meat hungry people. Consider what works for your table, your family, your budget, your oven/smoker/skillet and go from there!
what breed are the birds?
They’re a mix of heritage breeds. Frank works hard to conserve heritage breeds and has worked hard to cultivate a mix of Standard Bronze, White Holland, Black Turkey, Narrangansett, and Bourbon Red breeds. He is dedicated to preserving these heritage breeds through cultivation - which means that by eating and buying this bird, you are a part of a bigger conversation for preserving biodiversity.
how are they raised?
Frank knows that good animal husbandry means high welfare standards and environmental stewardship. The birds spend their time outdoors foraging and living life with access to dirt and sunshine while Frank pays attention to make sure that they are positively impacting the land they roam. And, of course, they are antibiotic, hormone, and GMO free.
how do they taste?
Well, if you’ve bought a turkey from us before, they’re going to have the same deep, rich, and truly outstanding taste. If you're new around here, well, it’ll change the way you feel about turkey - because this doesn’t taste anything like a Butterball. We’ve had people come back year after year and tell us that they didn’t even like turkey until they had ours. We are guaranteeing that these Heritage birds are chock full of flavor, a decent amount of fat, and cook up into the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece. We’ve smoked them, confit’d them, fried them, roasted them, and pan seared them and they amaze us every which way.
how can i learn more about the farm?
If you’re interested in learning more about Frank and Good Shepherd Conservancy, we recommend reading Eating Animals or checking out the film by the same name. Frank is featured in both of these and it will give you a great connection point.
A Note on Pricing (aka You Want How Much for a Turkey?!)
A gentle note on price: I know many of you have taken the plunge and bought a turkey with us, a turkey far more expensive than what you would find at the grocery store. And we are so appreciative. For those that haven’t and are maybe experiencing a bit of sticker shock, I want to address this head on. Raising poultry well is not easy. Josh and I have gotten to see for ourselves what it means to raise turkeys the past couple of years. Outdoors, birds are susceptible to the elements and to predation. Quality feed is incredibly expensive, moreso this past year. And heritage breed turkeys take a lot longer, at least six months, to grow to size compared to their butterball brethren, the White Broad Breasted breed that grows to size in about half the time. It means that stewarding these breeds out on pasture is a labor of love. Add on preserving biodiversity in the form of different heritage breeds and looking at how to treat the land so that they are regenerating ecosystems and not destroying them, and you have an expensive bird. So, what do you the consumer get? You get something that has unparalleled flavor, texture, and juiciness. Literally, the best birds I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating and we’re not the only ones – we’ve heard it from a lot of you, too. You also get to partake, pretty much directly, in your local foodshed. As for us, Thanksgiving isn’t a money maker – it’s a chance for us to pass on money to good farmers like Frank. If you’re sold on the idea but a little shy on cost, one thing I’ll say – consider getting a smaller bird. We find that there is usually plenty of food around the Thanksgiving table.
