Buying Turkey Direct From The Farmer

Online Ordering of Turkey and Buying Poultry at Farmers Markets

Nov 3, 2008 Susan Morris

Researching poultry farmers online and asking around at the local farmers market can bring dividends in buying poultry including turkey direct from the farmer.

Farmers who are able to sell organic and free-range turkey direct to shoppers will be able to offer information about the provenance of the breed of turkey in the locality, rearing of the individual bird and possibly details of how best to cook the turkey including roasting.

Shopping for Turkey Direct From the Farmer

Small to medium sized farming operations sell certified organic and free-range turkey either at farm shops, farmers’ markets, mobile shops in rural areas or by providing online ordering to buy turkey and other poultry. When buying turkey direct from the farmer, shoppers may wish to ask questions including the following:

1. How old is the turkey?
2. How was the turkey fed?
3. How was the turkey housed during the day and overnight?
4. What weight is the turkey?
5. How many people does the farmer believe the turkey will feed?

Also before making a firm decision to buy a turkey direct from the farmer, they may be keen to offer more background about themselves. At Farmers’ Markets, many stallholders and poultry vans will have printed leaflets giving the history of their farm, the individuals and often generations of family involved in farming operations, the type of farming undertaken and the provenance of the poultry on sale. These are some of the key areas that may be helpful in deciding which farmer to buy a turkey direct from.

Buying Turkey Direct From the Farmer

Small to medium poultry farmers can sell their turkey direct by their farm’s online website, through regional or state collectives of farmers and farming associations, at farmers market and indirectly to shoppers through butchers or supermarkets.

It would be impossible to provide any list of the ‘best’ farmers to buy direct from given Suite101’s international readers. Word of mouth in local communities is a powerful recommendation of farmers who offer the right size turkey with acceptable husbandry to cooks and are reliable in providing a high quality turkey and customer service.

In Britain, some farms that are offering online ordering of poultry includes in England and Wales:

• Brown Cow Organics, Perridge Farm, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 4EW
• Graig Farm Organics, Dolau, Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 5TL
• Higher Hacknell Farm, Burrington, Umberleigh, Devon, EX37 9LX
• Longwood Farm, Tuddenham St Mary, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6TB
• SheepDrove Organic Farm, Warren Farm, Lambourn, Berkshire, RG17 7UU

There are many farmers selling their produce direct to cooks at farmers markets, farm shops on their farms plus offering online in Scotland including in Perthshire:

• Brig Farm Produce, Gateside Home Farm, Bridge of Earn, Perth, PH2 8QR
• Simon Howie, High Street, Perth, Perthshire, PH1 5QJ

Researching poultry farmers online and asking around at the local farmers market can bring dividends in buying poultry including turkey direct from the farmer.

The copyright of the article Buying Turkey Direct From The Farmer in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Susan Morris. Permission to republish Buying Turkey Direct From The Farmer in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Buying Poultry Direct From the Farmer