Our Thanksgiving Turkey Table Has Other Uses
Update: Just because Thanksgiving has passed, does not mean you’re holiday shopping needs have passed. Use our list below to put a turkey on your Christmas table. In addition, many of the places below can supply your other holiday needs including gooose, rib roasts, and rack of lamb.
Photo courtesy of TurkZilla via Flickr If you didn’t send in your deposit or order your turkey several weeks ago, put down the Jennie-O and don’t despair — there’s still time to have a local Thanksgiving. There’s even still time to snag an elusive heritage bird. The Local Beet has compiled a list — a Turkey Table, if you will — of local turkey producers and purveyors just in time for Thanksgiving. There’s even something on this list for those who procrastinate as late as Wednesday (though if you wait that long, your only option may be a fresh, locally-produced Ho-Ka turkey available at Treasure Island or Gepperth’s). It used to be that you had to order a local turkey months in advance from the farm, but now, much less planning is required, and purveyors like Butcher & Larder, Publican Quality Meats, City Provisions or Fresh Picks might have turkeys for you with only a few days (or no) advance notice. Like all Local Beet guides, this one is searchable and sortable. Some notes about local turkeys: Most local, pastured, small farm-raised turkey comes to you frozen. But there are good reasons for that. First and foremost– it’s timing. Meat, like vegetables, is seasonal. So even if it’s not quite Thanksgiving, and the turkey hits a certain weight class, it can be ready for your table (at a manageable size). Freezing ensures a healthy, timely way to harvest the turkey. Second, if you want a fresh turkey, a bigger one is your best bet, as the larger birds can continue eating in the days leading up to the holiday. Finally, frozen turkeys are easier to store. I’ve had many frozen heritage birds throughout the years, and I’ve never tasted a difference between a fresh or frozen bird. Besides, these heritage birds — which tend to have either more or just as much dark meat as white — are more flavorful than a fresh conventional bird bred for its large chests. Most farms will take into account the fact that their birds are frozen, and set their pick up times during the weekend so that you’ll have plenty of time to thaw it in time for the holiday. If you must have a fresh local turkey, there are still plenty of options. Butchers and retailers such as Butcher & Larder, Publican Quality Meats, and City Provisions are all stocking fresh turkeys, as are some farms, such as Mint Creek, which is offering fresh turkeys (in addition to frozen) for pickup on Monday at the Dill Pickle Coop (though you must order in advance). If you want to buy directly from a farm, I’d suggest you move quickly and contact them soon, as most are scheduling either delivery or pickups for this weekend. And, per usual, if you notice any errors or omissions in the table, please drop me a line at wendy@thelocalbeet.com. Have a great local Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Turkey Table
| Name/Location/Website | Type of Turkeys (heritage?) | Organic or Pasture-raised (or both) | Fresh or Frozen? | Pick Up Location or Delivery | Price (if known) | Ordering Information | Sold Out for 2012? | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butcher & Larder 1026 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL website | Broad-breasted white from Gunthorp Farms | Pastured; on-farm processing plant | Fresh | Pick up pre-ordered birds at shop starting Sunday 11/18 | $5/lb. | Call shop to pre-order until 11/2 773-687-8280 | Pre-orders taken until 11/2, call for more details | Turkey sizes vary and can be ordered as follows: 12-15 lbs., 15-20lbs., 20-25 lbs. and 25 lbs. and up. Weight requests will be accommodated as closely as possible, but please understand there will be some variance. |
| C&D Family Farms Knox, Indiana web site | Partners with small family farm to source its turkeys | Pastured | Contact farm for details | Pick up in Chicago on 11/15 (Lincoln Square, Andersonville, Hyde Park, North Center, Division Street, Beverly) | $4.25/lb | Email crystal(at)cdfamilyfarms(dot)com | Pre-orders taken for pickup on 11/15, contact Crystal for possible additional pickups | Contact farm for additional meat products |
| City Provisions 1818 W Wilson Chicago, IL (Ravenswood) web site | Broad-breasted white from Gunthorp Farms | Pastured; on-farm processing plan | Fresh | Pick up pre-ordered birds at shop starting anytime; open Thanksgiving until noon | $4.95/lb. | Call shop to pre-order until 11/17 | No | Turkeys are from 15-20 lbs.; can't guarantee size |
| Caveny Farm Montincello, IL web site | Bourbon red (heritage) | Pastured; processed by small processor located 40 miles from farm | Frozen (contact farm for details) | Pick up at Farm until Thanksgiving ($9 discount) or Evanston on 11/17, 8 am- 12 pm; Geneva on 11/18, 10 am -2 pm; Chicago (Lincoln Park, Green City Market) on 11/17, 8 am -12 pm; Springfield on 11/19, 4 - 8 pm; Chicago (Old Town, House of Glunz) on 11/17 from 3 - 5 pm | approx. $8-9/lb. | Go to website for more information | Some sizes are sold out | |
| Dill Pickle Coop 3039 W Fullerton Chicago, IL website | Broad-breasted white from Mint Creek Farm and TJ's Poultry | Pastured (both); organic | Fresh (Mint Creek) & Frozen (TJ's) | Pick up for TJ's is on 11/17 from 2 -5 pm Pick up for Mint Creek on 11/19 from 4 - 8 pm | $7.00/lb (Mint Creek) $4.95/lb (TJ's) w/$25 deposit (5% discount for coop members) | Contact the coop | No | TJ's turkeys range from 12-23 lbs. Mint Creek's turkeys range from 12-16 and 16-20 lbs. |
| Empty Bottle Thanksgiving Farmers' Market 1035 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL Facebook page | Turkeys from Paulie's Pasture | Pastured | Contact Paulie's Pasture for more details | Pick up at market on 11/18 from 12 - 5 pm | Contact Paulie's Pasture for more details | Pick up at market | No | |
| Green Earth Farm Richmond, IL web site | Bourbon Red, Narragansett (heritage) | Pastured | Contact farm for details | Contact farm a few weeks before Thanksgiving for details | $15 deposit required; contact farm for pricing | Email kathy(at)greenearthfarm(dot)com | Contact farm for details | |
| Green Grocer 1402 W Grand Chicago, IL (West Town) web site | Broad-breasted white from Gunthorp Farms | Pastured; on-farm processing plan | Frozen below 15 lbs., Fresh above 15 lbs. | Pick up at shop on 11/17-11/21 | $59.99 for 10-15 lbs. $74.99 for 16-20 lbs. $92.99 for 21-25 lbs. $105.99 for 25+ lbs. | Go to website or call shop | No | |
| Howard Kauffman Turkey Farms (HoKa) Waterman, IL website | Broad-breasted white | Pastured (diet supplemented w/corn & soybean and fishmeal); free-range | Both | Pick up at farm, local meat markets, independent grocers, and in some specialty chains. See website for specific retailers in Chicagoland. | Contact farm or retailers for pricing | Pick up at farm or purchase at retailers | No | |
| Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks* Chicago, IL web site | Broad-breasted white and bronze from Gunthorp Farms and Triple S Farms | Pastured; on-farm processing plan | Frozen (thawing begins at store) | Delivery 11/17-11/21 if they already deliver in your zip code in Chicago or suburbs (visit website for delivery zip codes) | $4.25/lb for 12-14.99 lbs $3.99/lb for 15+ lbs | Email answers(at)freshpicks(dot)com | No; contact shop to confirm availability | Thanksgiving Fixins box available for delivery |
| Midnight Sun Farm Grayslake, IL web site | Broad-breasted white | Pastured; organic | Contact farm for details | Contact farm for details | Pickup in Chicago (Rogers Park, Glenwood Sunday Market) and Grayslake | Contact midnightsunfarm(at)gmail(dot)com to be on their email list | Yes! | |
| Mint Creek Farm Stelle, IL web site | Broad-breasted white | Organic; pasture-raised | Frozen (pickup @ Green City Market) Fresh (Dill Pickle Coop or via UPS for extra charge) | Pick up in Chicago on 11/17 (Lincoln Park, Green City Market, 8 am - 1 pm or 61st St Farmers' Market, 9 am - 2 pm) or on 11/19 (Logan Square, , 4 - 8 pm) Delivery (extra charge) | $7.00/lb | Order on website or call farm 815-256-2202; pay @ pickup time | 8-12 lb. turkeys sold out | Offers turkeys in the 8-12, 12-16 or 16-20 lb. ranges |
| Nature's Choice Grant Park, IL web site | Broad-breasted white | Pastured | Fresh | Pickup at farm, Frankfort, and Bolingbrook | Contact farm for details | Email natureschoicefarm(at)yahoo(dot)com | Yes! | |
| Publican Quality Meats 825 W Fulton Market Chicago IL website | Narragansett (heritage) or Broad-breasted white from Slagel Family Farm | Pastured (both); organic (heritage) | Fresh (both) | Pickup at shop anytime Monday through Wednesday 11/19-11/21 | $4.25/lb for Slagel turkeys $6.75/lb for heritage organic turkeys | Contact shop at 312.445.8977 | No | |
| Slagel Family Farm Fairbury, IL website | Partners with local farm; contact farm for details on breeds | Contact farm for details | Contact farm for details | Contact farm for details | $3.79/lb (under 18 lbs) $3.39/lb (over 18 lbs) | Contact farm for details | No | |
| TJ's Pastured Free Range Poultry Piper City, IL website | Broad-breasted white | Pastured | Frozen | Pick up in Chicago (Lincoln Park, Green City Market) on 11/17 from 8 am - 1 pm | Contact farm for details | Email tji4(at)maxwire(dot)net or call 815-686-9200 or 815-848-8961 | No | |
| Trail's End Organic Farm Putnam, IL website | Narragansett, Chocolate, American Bronze (heritage) | Pastured; organic | Frozen | Pick up in Evanston on 11/21 from 3 - 6 pm; contact farm for other possible locations/times | Contact farm for details | Email trailsend56(at)yahoo(dot)com or call 815-437-2606 | Year-round | Turkeys are 15-20 lbs. |
| Wettstein Organic Farm Carlock, IL website | Broad-breasted white | Organic, free-range | Contact Farm | Oak Park (Buzz Cafe) on Saturday 11/17 from 12-3 pm | $4.00 a pound for a whole and $4.50 a pound for a half turkey (one wing, one leg and thigh, one breast) | dennis(at)wettsteinorganicfarm(dot)com | Yes! |
