In celebration of Thanksgiving, I'm offering a photo essay that documents a unique raising turkey collaboration in the one-time poultry capital of California, Petaluma. A local Slow Food group, whose members wanted to raise heritage breed turkeys as part of the organization’s efforts to save endangered food species, got together with the local 4H club, which was focused on breeding another endangered species, young farmers.
"Sometimes when I explain what we do people look at me like I'm a monster," Cathy Thode, one of the project's organizers, told me. "I see it differently. We've raised these birds from day one, we know everything they've ever eaten, and we know that right up to their last breath they were never once mistreated. If you're going to eat meat, well, I think this is the way it should be done."
While some of the images are not for the faint of heart, if you eat turkey, the story is worth a trip.
Images: © 2008 Lisa M. Hamilton
Hey, you're making the Turkey I'm going to eat in two days famous!
Like last year, we have again won an auction held by our Slow Food convivium (Russian River), for a turkey from the Thode Family.
As you can tell, my wife and I have a good eye for well-raised heritage Turkey!
Posted by: Jack Everitt | November 25, 2008 at 10:09 PM
I would love to hear other farmers perspectives on raising heritage turkeys profitably. I just wrote about our experience on my blog, www.honestmeat.com. They are beautiful birds, just wish we could work the kinks out in the breeding and production....
Posted by: Rebecca T. of HonestMeat | November 28, 2008 at 07:57 PM