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Visiting an Organic Turkey Farm

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Thanksgiving is, without a doubt, the most meat-focused holiday in modern history. ("Happy Turkey Day!") In anticipation of this annual feast of gratitude, a friend and I visited the closest organic turkey farm we could find: Tedach Ranch, just 30 miles east of Denver in Bennett, Colorado. Gobble, gobble - it was an eye opener.

The ranch was born out of one man's steadfast refusal to accept the status quo of the poultry industry. Run by the diligent and soft-spoken poultry farmer (and full-time postal employee), Dallas Gilbert, the ranch includes chickens, ducks, geese and turkey, all raised free-range and certified humane.

 


"I didn't want to go vegetarian," said Gilbert, "but I couldn't stomach how the birds are raised. It's inhumane and unhealthy for us." So, in 1985, Gilbert began raising birds for market using the land he'd purchased in 1981.

I can certainly vouch for the free-range conditions. As we drove up the gravel road, we were met by a gaggle of geese and a flock of ducks, all wandering around to forage as they please. Though we were an hour early, Dallas got off his tractor and gave us a tour, generously answering all our questions and letting me photograph everything.

I'd explained to him via email that his would be my first farm visit in an ongoing effort to seek out local food sources. Inspired by so many (No Impact Man, Beth Terry, 100-Mile Diet, LoveLandLocal), it was high time I started putting my principles where my mouth is. Or something like that.

After about 10 minutes with the shy poultry farmer, it was easy to see that Gilbert genuinely loves the birds.( "Oh, yeah. The chickens will talk to you," he said with a grin, "Absolutely.") When I confessed that I'd developed a crush on his bossy rooster, he beamed with pride. And when he discussed the current state of the poultry industry, he was incensed.

"The industry basically raises chickens as diabetics," he said, matter-of-factly. "Imagine raising humans so that we end up with 8-year-olds who weigh 400 pounds." (Actually, I think we're already doing this ...)

Tedach Ranch is also home to Eastern Plains Natural Foods, a co-op which currently includes 65 people who pay $85 annually to access fresh, pasture-based poultry, eggs and turkey sausage throughout the year. Gilbert sells about 300 turkeys annually (8-25 pounds) and hauling them to the USDA-approved processing plant  (also certified humane) in Kansas is quite the ordeal. Unfortunately, there isn't an adequate plant in Colorado as of yet.

For the most recent haul, he went to CU and recruited students for help. Gilbert's co-op also offers a Member Work Barter Program, where members can work on the farm in exchange for product, although there aren't many positions available. (The site says only one position is open for this season.



"All whole birds are this year's hatch and are never more than 7 months of age. The processed poultry are provided as whole, cleaned, frozen birds complete with giblets when appropriate or as portions in packages."

--Eastern Plains Natural Foods, membership page

Tedach Ranch is also a green operation, running on wind and solar as much as possible. Gilbert put up a windmill in October 2008 at an upfront cost of $15K.  It runs on a two-kilo system and he sells the energy back to the grid but it currently covers about 1/3 of his overall electric bill.

When Gilbert began, he started with a generic turkey breed. Then, he'd read about how the Heritage breed was in need of preservation. Now, that's the only breed he raises and he does so with great pride.


"Prized for their rich flavor and beautiful plumage, Heritage Turkeys are the ancestors of the common Broad-breasted White industrial breed of turkey that comprises 99.99% of the supermarket turkeys sold today. But the Heritage Breeds still exist and are making a comeback….Large corporations have dominated turkey production and breeding since the 1960's, choosing the Broad Breasted Whites because of high breast meat production in a short period. But Heritage Breeds have been quietly gaining a renewed market and respect due to their flavor and superior biological diversity."

--Heritage Turkey Foundation

Gilbert also keeps a vigilant security team comprised of three mules - Thunder, Murphy and Lucky. Evidently, mules are the arch-enemies

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Heather Clisby 5 pts

I'm thinking that a lot of folks would buy free range if they knew more about it and what is available in their own region. Spread the word, have folks over for dinner and spread the gobble gospel.

Thanks for writing!

~ClizBiz

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Animal Concerns, Proprietor, ClizBiz ( http://www.clizbiz.blogspot.com/ )

drakarman 5 pts

We have a free range turkey farm in our area. That is the only place I will buy turkey. You know what they are fed, they are no caged up and the meat taste so much better. If only people would pay the extra and try it they would never buy a turkey from a store again

Heather Clisby 5 pts

Hey Heidi,

Thanks for stopping by and I'm so glad you liked the post. You organic farmers and ranchers work so hard and I'm happy to spread the grass-fed word. I think it is much more than a trend. I see myself buying local for the rest of my life, whenever possible, and I know I'm not alone.

Agree with you on that last point. Thanks for making their lives enjoyable while the animals are alive. It seems to me like the best way to honor them and still live in this omnivorous world.

~ClizBiz

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Animal Concerns, Proprietor, ClizBiz ( http://www.clizbiz.blogspot.com/ )

P.S. My dad is from Minnesota so I'm partial to you folks. ;-)

heidithepainter 5 pts

I really enjoyed your post. My husband and I have a small organic, pasture based farm in Southern Mn. www.thompsonspaintedhillfarm.com ( http://www.thompsonspaintedhillfarm.com ) We raise our animals (heritage pork, beef, chicken, turkeys and ducks) with the same principles as the farm you toured and it's so nice to hear about others taking an interest in it. We are also hopeful it is more than just a trend.

We do our best to make sure the animals live well. They are slaughtered in a way that is humane. Vegetarians may not like it, but it has to be done. After all... the chickens don't kill themselves.

Elisa Camahort 5 pts

Sure, culture, tradition, economics, desire. But I disagree with you that society can't evolve. I disagree that the meat industry can never go away. Ever. There are plenty of things that used to be common practice, that most societies now shun. Your list of reasons were applied to lots of things we now find abhorrent. [Although, granted: Not every part of the world or every society evolves at the same pace.] 

I'm not anti-welfarist, I agree that improving conditions now is a good thing. I voted for California's Proposition 2, and was thrilled it passed. I just don't believe that more humane conditions make everything OK. It's not the end goal, it's a step in the journey.

Elisa Camahort Page BlogHer elisa@blogher.com My BlogHer profile ( http://www.blogher.com/haystackprofile/viewprofile... ) truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!

Heather Clisby 5 pts

Perhaps I didn't make this clear but Dallas has to take the turkeys next door to Kansas for processing - a nice way of saying 'slaughter and packaging.' He does this because he couldn't find a USDA-approved slaugherhouse in Colorado that is also humane-approved.

I'm not sure I agree that the meat industry is only serving tastebuds. It's more than that - it's about protein, culture, tradition, desire, economics and a whole mess of things.

Fact is, the meat industry is not going away. Ever. Humans are always going to eat meat in some capacity. However, if we can improve the lives of these animals before they are slaughtered, then I would call that an improvement.

~ClizBiz

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Animal Concerns, Proprietor, ClizBiz ( http://www.clizbiz.blogspot.com/ )

Elisa Camahort 5 pts

Did he give you a tour of the slaughterhouse and let you see some turkeys killed? I think the one thing Omnivore's Dilemma did a good job of was revealing how even animals who are given a better life, may still end up with a horrific death (especially if the farm doesn't have the license to do its own slaughter).

In the end, as you and I have discussed before, this is still slaughter that is only serving taste buds. And if I wouldn't use that rationale on some living things, I won't use it on others.

Elisa Camahort Page BlogHer elisa@blogher.com My BlogHer profile ( http://www.blogher.com/haystackprofile/viewprofile... ) truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!

Heather Clisby 5 pts

Yeah, the same thing occurred to me as I drove an hour east to check on the organic fowl. Then again, I could walk to Safeway and buy chicken that has traveled quite far to get there. So I guess I don't mind making the drive. Better yet to buy a bunch of organic meat in advance and freeze it, like twice a year, maybe?

Anyone do this? I'm tempted to in 2010.

~ClizBiz

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Animal Concerns, Proprietor, ClizBiz ( http://www.clizbiz.blogspot.com/ )

AmyMusings 5 pts

We used to live a few miles away from a Chicken Factory when we lived out in the country. That's what we called it. The chickens were crammed in little cages together in a giant barn/factory with no windows. I'd see Perdue trucks pulling out.

Meanwhile I'd drive an hour to the city to get organic meat, free-range. Go figure.

Amy Kehoe

www.amymusings.com ( http://www.amymusings.com )

Heather Clisby 5 pts

Glad you liked the story. God knows we had a ball being there and digging into this topic. Also, I recently discovered that there are so few farmers in America that it is no longer listed as an occupation on the US Consensus form. It is now part of "Other" - isn't that something?

Anyway, I hope to share more farm stories going forward. And your site ... um, just the photo alone made me want to lick the screen. YUM.

~ClizBiz

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Animal Concerns, Proprietor, ClizBiz ( http://www.clizbiz.blogspot.com/ )

dawnviola 5 pts

Heather, what a great story! I've had such a hard time finding local farmers in my area -- I often have to travel several hours. It's worth it. But I also look forward to more farmers, like Dallas Gilbert, making a come back -- they should be plentiful rather than few and far between.

Dawn Viola
Site: DawnViola.com ( http://www.dawnviola.com )
Blog: Wicked Good Dinner ( http://www.wickedgooddinner.com )