Ahhh, turkey, the centerpiece of the American Thanksgiving feast. Each year we give thanks for the many blessings that we have received throughout the year. And each year millions of us celebrate our thanks by consuming just as much turkey as we can stuff down our gullets before falling into a tryptophan induced coma!
As many of you know, I am a big proponent of buying local. Supporting farmers near you (and near you could mean the USA in general) is so important in this economy. However, because money has become tight for many of us, it becomes a difficult decision. Do I pay more and support local economy or do I pay as little as possible for the food I want? It really comes down to quality versus quantity.
Leaden Turkeys
Before you make up your mind though, let’s not forget the 2008 leaden turkey debacle. Once again, we have the Chinese to thank for poisoning our food (and ultimately ourselves and our children). Feeding “lead pellets and date rape drugs” to turkeys in order to up the poundage. Just to up the ante the turkeys (which were said to have gone to every supermarket in the country) were never actually recalled.
Why? Two major excuses, er, I mean reasons- A) it was after Thanksgiving (yep, we ate them), and B) it was really hard to tell which turkeys were from China. Let’s say you buy a store brand turkey. That turkey could come from one of many places. Even the processing plant does not know which turkey came from where. Maybe it came from California, but it could just have easily been shipped from overseas. Once they hit that processing plant they are all treated and labeled the same.
Now I don’t know about you but that grocery store turkey selling for a mere .59 cents per pound is starting to sound less alluring. Especially when I compare it to the .39 cents per pound that I recently paid for a pumpkin. Hmm, it doesn’t exactly add up does it?
So how does one choose a turkey that has been born and raised in the USA?
Now that mandatory country-of-origin-labeling applies to meat products ( known as “MCOOL“:) we as consumers, have a better chance of knowing exactly where the meat that we purchase has come from. If there is Chinese writing on the label, I personally would put the turkey back in the freezer and try another brand. Last year the Chinese “warning” label (written in Chinese) was the only way one could tell they might be purchasing a leaden turkey.
Safe Sources
To be sure your bird was born and raised in the good “ol US of A, here are a few safe choices:
Trader Joe’s: Offers “Fresh, Young All Natural Turkey(s) that have never received antibiotics, or growth hormones, have been processed with NO artificial ingredients, have been raised on 100% vegetarian feed, are never frozen and are delivered from U.S. farms.”
Whole Foods: Although you’ll likely pay more, you’ll have the option of organic and free range turkeys.
Your local Co-op: If you have a local co-op they may offer farm fresh turkey’s. This is a great way to support local farmer’s while knowing where and how your turkey was raised. Here in the Seattle area we have a wonderful co-op, called PCC, that sells locally grown and butchered turkeys.
If you don’t have a co-op near you ask at your local natural foods store. Often they’ll be able to recommend a local source.
Yes, you will pay more per pound through all of these sources. However, keep in mind that generally, this isn’t something that your family is going to eat at just one meal. Some of us are eating that same turkey for weeks!
If you know of a local co-op or store that sells organic, free range turkeys in your area, please share in the comments below so others (in your area) can benefit from your knowledge.
Happy turkey hunting!
