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My Turkey from Martha’s Farm

November 22nd, 2011

A few weeks ago I ordered my turkey from Martha’s Farm while I was at the Local Roots Market in Wooster, OH. Martha is Ecuadorian, and she has a small farm in Ashland, OH. I love buying eggs, chickens, and vegetables from her because she tends her farm using the old methods she learned while growing up in Ecuador. She was telling me that whenever she has a pest problem or one of her animals is sick, she calls her mom in Ecuador and gets a natural herbal remedy for the problem. Last Friday I was supposed to go to Martha’s Farm to pick up my turkey, but since I was sick my dad went. Sadly I have no photos of that part of the Thanksgiving day meal preparation, but I’m planning on heading over in the spring to see it.

This is one of the reasons I love eating locally. I really appreciate that Martha takes the time to raise happy turkeys that we can enjoy for our Thanksgiving feast. I also love knowing that my dollars are being spent to strengthen my community. Is there a better way to show your Thanksfulness than by sourcing your meal from your garden or local farmers? The funny thing is that I don’t really even like turkey; everyone else in the family does so it’s worth it for them to enjoy it!

If you didn’t eat turkey for Thanksgiving what would you choose instead?

22 Comments to “My Turkey from Martha’s Farm”
  1. Kathi Cook on November 22, 2011 at 7:22 am

    If we didn’t have turkey for Thanksgiving, I would probably have a big Maine Lobster feast. I never tire of lobster. I’m with you,I don’t love turkey,but I also buy mine from a farm in the next town over. I don’t even need to brine it. I really look forward to the turkey soup the next day though. Happy Thanksgiving! I love that it is the one holiday that really can’t be commercialized.It’s just simply food and gratitude.

    Reply to Kathi Cook's comment

    • Susy on November 22, 2011 at 8:08 am

      I’m with you on the lobster, that’s one of the reasons we’re contemplating a move to Maine someday in the future!

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Joan, in Maine on November 22, 2011 at 5:01 pm

        Hi Susie, today I spent some time browsing the Maine Farmland Trust website. One of the things they do is purchase farms, put a conservation easement on them (meaning they can’t be sold for development), then sell the farm at a much reduced price. They had some beautiful properties. When I saw your note, it reminded me of the farms I’d seen. Take a look at http://mainefarmlink.org/ if you are interested. – Joan

        to Joan, in Maine's comment

      • Susy on November 22, 2011 at 8:38 pm

        Thanks so much for this link, we were actually browsing property in Maine the other night. We were pleasantly surprised that it’s actually much cheaper even than our county here in OH, and our county is pretty cheap as far as land goes in OH.

        to Susy's comment

  2. Sofie Dittmann on November 22, 2011 at 8:41 am

    Since T-day is a decidedly American thing, we never celebrated it in Germany. Unless we were invited to somebody’s house, we have sort of made up our own menu.

    One year we decided to have an expat Thanksgiving and had a house full of Mexicans, Germans and Turks. Alptekin slow-cooked all sorts of meat, including lamb and pork, but also chicken. We now know that our living room holds 30 people around an assortment of “tables”. :)

    Reply to Sofie Dittmann's comment

    • Susy on November 22, 2011 at 8:38 pm

      MMM, sounds wonderful!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  3. Melissa on November 22, 2011 at 8:45 am

    It’s our first year getting a pasture raised turkey. I’m very excited, I was super impressed by how good they looked when we picked them up. My husband has been volunteering at the farm where they grew, he’s been waving at our turkey for weeks now!

    Reply to Melissa's comment

  4. daisy on November 22, 2011 at 9:12 am

    Congrats on getting your bird locally.

    I personally don’t eat turkey, but the sides are enough of a treat!

    Reply to daisy's comment

  5. Texan on November 22, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Thats great you purchase locally! I hope this trend toward buying local will continue to grow! Since I don’t eat meat, I always look forward to lots of veggies, stuffing (meatless) and a good fruit pie this year I am making a pear pie, of which the pears were grown by my neighbor and I canned the pie filling!

    LOL that was funny what Melissa said that her DH has been waving at their turkey for weeks now Tee hee…

    Reply to Texan's comment

  6. KimH on November 22, 2011 at 10:37 am

    I was thinking about raising happy cows this morning on the way to work..I must have picked up on this post. Even funnier since I live in town and can’t raise cattle here. I was wondering if it changes the flavor of the meat if you change the way they’re slaughtered.

    Anyway, I think I’d like a big hunk of beef.. Prob prime rib or tenderloin….course a rib eye would work too. We do have tenderloin for Christmas occasionally.

    Reply to KimH's comment

    • Kathi Cook on November 22, 2011 at 7:29 pm

      I think with beef it’s more how they were raised than slaughtered that changes the taste and nutrition. Grass fed beef is supposed to be more nutritious due to lower cholesteral levels.(cows are ruminatoors and were meant to eat grass not corn). I think at times it can be a little chewier though, but I wont eat “industrial farmed” beef. However of course humane living conditions and slaughtering are better in any case.

      Reply to Kathi Cook's comment

      • KimH on November 22, 2011 at 8:20 pm

        Yes, I agree with you, on all accounts. My grandfather was a beef cattle rancher (a diary farmer too) and his cattle were grass fed, supplemented with hay in the winter and I dont think he ever treated his cattle with anything unless they had a problem. His beef was the best tasting beef I ever ate. Unfortunately, he passed from this earth way too early, or I think I would have learned from him & followed in his footsteps. ;)

        to KimH's comment

    • Susy on November 22, 2011 at 8:39 pm

      I agree, I think grass fed meat is so much tastier. We eat mostly venison since Mr Chiots is a hunter, so we actually don’t eat grass fed beef very often. We get some from the local every now and then.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  7. Daedre Craig on November 22, 2011 at 11:04 am

    My family often has BBQ ribs instead of turkey on Thanksgiving. I love BBQ so much that I don’t miss the turkey one bit!

    Reply to Daedre Craig's comment

  8. Allison on November 22, 2011 at 11:09 am

    I’d have to agree on the lobster. I am a huge seafood fan — I’d do lobster, shrimp, clams and mussels!

    Reply to Allison's comment

  9. MAYBELLINE on November 22, 2011 at 11:22 am

    We have both ham and turkey.
    I listened to a PETA installment on the radio this morning telling us that turkeys are like you and me and have feelings and instincts just like other animals. I wondered why my human instincts to eat the turkey are dismissed in this promotion of a vegan celebration.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  10. Alyse on November 22, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    I’m thinking venison would be a great Thanksgiving meal. I never get tired of it.

    Reply to Alyse's comment

    • Susy on November 22, 2011 at 8:40 pm

      I agree, and it’s a good thing we don’t tire of eating it since Mr Chiots loves to hunt!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  11. farmgal on November 22, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    While I raise my own turkeys, we had a wonderful roast duck at our Canadian Thanksgiving a little while back. It was stuffed and came with all the typical fixings, right down to the pumpkin pie for me, and strawberry/rhurbarb for hubby..

    Reply to farmgal's comment

  12. Tee on November 22, 2011 at 8:40 pm

    Oh we believe in this concept …we got a little OCD about it this year, lol… We bought turkeys from two separate local farms…
    It’s just that organic local turkey is so good..and so hard to come by..plus with seven kids…we will eat it..so we are collecting turkeys like key chins,lol.
    Happy thanksgiving!
    T

    Reply to Tee's comment

  13. goatpod2 on November 22, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    We’ll be eating turkey here but when my sister-in-law and her kids are here we’ll make some vegetarian stuff.

    Amy

    Reply to goatpod2's comment

  14. alison@thisbloominglife on November 22, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    For us, turkey is a christmas food. I’m so with you on the pasture raised and loved, we recently got a free frozen turkey when we bought a new fridge (or as my Dad put it, a free fridge with our turkey!). We will eat it, but I know the whole time I will be wishing it was a lovingly raised and there will be a big difference. Enjoy your thanksgiving.

    Reply to alison@thisbloominglife's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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