Why You Should Go Pasture-Raised for Your Holiday Bird

Written by Samantha Gasson, FACT’s Humane Farming Program Associate and owner at Bull City Farm in Rougemont, NC. Contributions from Steve Roach, FACT’s Safe & Healthy Food Program Director

If you’ve never had a pasture-raised turkey as the star of your banquet table then you might be wondering what the hype is all about. A turkey is a turkey…right?

Pasture-Raised Turkey Directory

Looking for a pastured bird to serve at your holiday meal? FACT has you covered! Browse through the 100+ farms listed in our Pastured-Raised Turkey Directory. Gobble gobble!

You couldn’t be more wrong. Think along the lines of a fine Bordeaux versus a Thunderbird red, a cubic zirconia versus a cut diamond, a grocery store carrot versus one from the farmers’ market or a…you get the picture.

I grew up in the UK which deprived me of many kids’ shows (my husband is still surprised when I don’t get references to Mr. Rogers or the Muppets) and many American holiday traditions, including Thanksgiving.

I clearly remember my first Thanksgiving in the US with an American family. It was the 80’s in a small town in Ohio, shag carpeting and bell bottoms were well on their way out with big hair, shoulder pads and MTV just making themselves known.

When I think back to that November meal, all I can remember is how much I disliked the turkey and the warm fruit salad, neither of which had been a part of my Cordon Bleu cook of a mother’s repertoire, although the family who hosted us were lots of fun.

Almost two decades passed, avoiding turkey at Thanksgiving, filling my plate with sides (although, never a warm fruit salad), but never the “star” of the meal. That is until I tried my first pasture-raised bird. It was eye-opening. The meat was moist, the flavor rich and deep; my moratorium on turkey started to weaken (I can’t see this happening with warm fruit salad) but it wasn’t until we started raising our own Bronze Broad Breasted birds on our farm that I became a true turkey fan. I’m serious! I LOVE everything about this big old bird!

Not only do I like eating these gobblers, I love raising them. They’re goofy and fun, albeit a little bit on the vicious/gruesome side (I’ve seen them rip apart more than a few toads in my years of raising them. I’ve even witnessed them stare down a hawk…no kidding).

I love the sounds they make, from the squawks of alarm, to their curious trills when confronted with something new, to the happy bubbles when they get treats and the choreographed gobbles from the males. You don’t even have to look at them to tell the mood of the flock.

There is more to a pasture-raised gobbler than just their taste. When you commit to purchasing a local, humanely-raised, pastured bird, you are:

Boosting your local economy. Any time you “shop local” you’re putting money right back into your community. Local farmers are just like any small business, they return their earnings back into their local economy by sourcing locally and paying taxes.

Getting a bird with a story. If your local turkey farmer is anything like me, they will talk your ear off about why they chose their breed, how they’ve been nurturing them for the past 4 to 6 months, their farming practices and, if they’re really chatty, you’ll get anecdotes and tales of just how ridiculous these big birds are.

Supporting Climate Smart Agriculture. Pasture-raised birds are much gentler on the environment. They naturally spread their manure as they’re moved over the land, reducing the need for fertilizers or heavy equipment to scoop and dispose of litter. Like all things produced locally, local birds also have a much lower carbon footprint because of lower transportation costs and fuel inputs.

Bringing home a safer and healthier product. A commercially-raised turkey is fed more antibiotics per pound than any other meat. It’s amazing how little medical care is needed with birds exposed to fresh air and plenty of space to run. Pasture-raised birds are better for you (like all meats raised on pasture). It’s not just an opinion, it’s a FACT (pun intended : ) Pasture raised meats contain less saturated fat, more heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats, lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, plus higher levels of protein, collagen and vitamin E. Check out FACT’s Meat Bird Nutritional Sheet to learn more.

As with all good things there are hurdles to clear when it comes to switching to a pasture-raised bird. Here are some things to consider:

It’s hard to find turkey producers. Pasture-raised turkey is very popular in certain areas of the country but hard to find in other regions. FACT has created an online turkey directory of turkey producers throughout the country to help connect you with a farmer in your area. This directory is organized by state and lists breeds raised and farming practices to help you make an informed choice. Please note: all of the information in this directory is self-reported by the individual farms. FACT has not visited the farms or verified their practices and protocols.

Important food safety considerations

Resistant superbugs are another reason to avoid factory farm raised turkey. About half of the ground turkey you find in stores is contaminated with the foodborne pathogen Salmonella and FDA data show that about a third of that Salmonella is resistant to three or more antibiotics. This means that at least three different drugs will no longer work if you get sick from eating this turkey. Bacteria that have gained the ability to withstand three or more types of antibiotics are called superbugs. Superbug Salmonella in turkey meat caused hundreds of illnesses and sent over a 100 people to the hospital in 2018 and 2019.

It’s not surprising that we find superbugs in conventional turkey. You get superbugs when you overuse antibiotics and per pound of meat produced turkey farms use more antibiotics than any other major livestock species. Many turkey producers inject antibiotics into the eggs even before the turkeys are hatched. They then use large amounts of antibiotics to address skin infections caused by poor conditions in the overcrowded buildings where the turkeys are kept. This is absolutely unneeded. Turkeys raised under healthy conditions rarely need antibiotics.

You will pay more. There is no way round this FACT (did it again, sorry). All pasture-raised meats do, it’s just the price of doing things right. Many producers will offer a discount if you order early or might offer a discount if you recommend others. The biggest thing is to understand that small producers have a lot more money invested in their animals than the commercial guys.

Consider cuts. Throw out tradition and order turkey cuts instead. You’ll still have all the benefits of a pasture-raised bird with a story, just a little lighter on the pocket book.

Be sure to order ahead. Don’t wait until November or late October, you’ll need to order in September. In other words, RIGHT NOW! At our farm, we open up pre-ordering for our birds in June, over half of our birds are pre-sold by the end of September.  

Now that I have you convinced that you must have a pasture-raised bird as the star at your family gathering you might be asking, “what’s next?” First you’ll need to find a producer that ticks all of your dream bird boxes.

Do they raise their birds on pasture? If not, you’ll be losing some of the health benefits to a pasture-raised bird.

Do they use medications (such as antibiotics) as a preventative measure? This includes their chick starter feed. The overuse of antibiotics in food animals is at the core of FACT’s mission to produce humane, safe and healthy foods (see the food safefy side bar at right).

If you decide to go pasture-raised, you will definitely be glad you did. Make sure you keep up with FACT’s blog, we’ve got many interesting things to share, including some FACT family favorites for the holiday season coming up in November - stay tuned!