Blog and website for William Rubel, author and cook specializing in traditional cuisines

History of Thanksgiving

Plimoth Plantation: This is the best online source of accurate information about Thanksgiving

Link to Henry Reed playing the fiddle tune, “Turkey in the Straw.”

The Slow Food “Ark of Taste” Heritage Turkey Varieties

Learn more about the Slow Food Heritage Turkey Program

Jersey Buff
Link 1 & Link 2

Narragansett
Link1 & Link 2

Bourbon Red
Link 1 & Link 2

Standard Bronze
Link 1 & Link 2

Learn more about rare breeds of turkeys and other farm animals

1. Standard Turkey Preservation Association’s Illustrated Directory of Heritage Turkeys
2. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
3. —The ALBC latest Heritage Turkey Alert
4. Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities
5. Rare Breeds Canada
6. Link page: American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
7. Standard Turkey Preservation Association

Where to buy
heritage turkey varieties

– Slanker’s Grass-Fed Meats sells pasture-raised heritageTurkeys, along with other poultry and meats. Supplemental food is provided only in extreme situations — for example, during snow storms. A pasture-raised turkey is a superior meat. The 2004 price is $5.98 per pound. While it is off the subject of the Thanksgiving Turkey, if you do order from Shankar’s I suggest you also order at least one steak to taste. The steak I ordered from Slanker’s was the best I have ever eaten — by far. The flavor of grass-fed meat is variable depending, in part, on the season in which it is slaughtered.

– Heritage Food was co-founded by Patrick Martins, formerly of Slow Food. You can buy heritage turkeys, as well as a growing number of distintive breeds and varieties of farm animals. Turkeys are offered from a variety of suppliers. They are sold at specficic price for a weight range, e.g. 19 – 23 pounds. The price per pound therefore depends on the actual bird shipped. The prices are in the range of $6.00 to $7.30 per pound.

–Mary’s Free Range Turkeys supplies turkeys via the mail. You can also reserve a heritage turkey at grocery stores in a number of states, including California, Texas, Oregon, and Indiana. Mary’s heritage grain-fed turkey cost $3.50 per pound.

– Local Harvest is a national organization that promotes small farmers. They sell both pasture-raised turkeys and heritage turkeys from Mary’s Free Range Turkeys.

Heritage Turkeys are increasingly for sale in local stores. In the 2004 season you are more likely to find them in specialty grocery stores such as Whole Foods. It is always worth asking at your local market.