By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now
When we think about Thanksgiving, we think about Plymouth, Pilgrims, and of course turkey. What would Thanksgiving be without a turkey?
For the longest time when it comes to food, we’ve gone by the notion that bigger is better. The bigger the turkey, the better it will taste. Unfortunately this process of thinking led to the inhumane treatment of animals and use of growth hormones, in order to turn a quick profit and satisfy customers.
Lately, though, people have become significantly more conscious about what chemicals animals are exposed to, because it directly relates to them when they are putting it in their body. And that has led to some options when it comes to picking your bird from among the 270 million or so turkeys raised in the United States. ( In 2008, 273 million turkeys were raised in the United States, according to the National Turkey Federation.)
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Don’t run afoul on Thanksgiving, buy humanely raised, veg-fed turkeys
By Barbara Kessler
If you’re planning a traditional Thanksgiving, you’ll be needing a bird. This year, organic and pastured turkeys are more available than ever. Check your local grocery now, and get on a list if need be.
Here are some places to look for a turkey that’s been raised on organic feed, and allowed a more humane existence.
- Local Harvest — If you’re into local heirloom turkeys or other pedigree varieties you may already be too late! But don’t beat yourself up over it, local farmers in Texas have told us that many connoisseurs place their orders months ahead of time. Still, there’s a flock of healthier birds waiting.
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Tags: · free-range, hormone-free, Local Harvest, Mary's Turkeys, organic, Organic turkeys, Thanksgiving, turkey, vegetarian fed, Whole Foods
Thinking turkey: Don’t panic, there’s still time to order organic
By Shermakaye Bass
Green Right Now
Less than a decade ago, it seems, a turkey was a turkey was a turkey: Nothing fancy, usually frozen, invariably fuller breasted than the turkeys of old. Relatively few consumers concerned themselves with how much freedom the foul had or what sort of feed it was getting. Only the rarified gourmand had even heard of a “heritage” or “heirloom” turkey; and the trend of finding a local farm to choose one’s own bird wasn’t even an option for most people.
That was 10 years ago. Things change. For one thing, the “fresh” bird has trumped the frozen bird ( “fresh” meaning the bird has never been frozen, even though it might have been deep-chilled at a temperature of 26 degrees Fahrenheit and feel slightly frozen).
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Tags: · Organic turkeys, Thanksgiving
