Thanksgiving this year will be a little different...
- Gordon Ellison
- Nov 11, 2024
- 3 min read
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday of 2024, I can't help but identify that this year feels a little different. I imagine this is due to some of the recent storms that have come and gone. The devestating damage left behind from Hurricane Helene can still be seen and will be identifiable for a very long time to come. The storm associated with the US Presidential election was seen and endured by many as well. I say "storm" because it brings out the worst in many people. Standing back and watching, people are as fanatical about politics as they are about sports. What seemed to get lost in the latter mentioned storm that was exercised in Helene? The expression of loving thy neighbor.
Loving our neighbor as ourselves is the heartbeat behind Embrace Farm. It was on our journey several years ago to get a pastured, ethically raised turkey that has brought us to where we are. That expanded to want to provide this for ourselves and then for others. There are certain compromises that our culture has subtly adopted over several years and sadly one of the biggest is in the food that is made readily available to us. I am cautiously hopeful that this may start to change, but that doesn't remove my desire to consume nutrient dense, humanely raised meat that's free of hormones and antibiotics. I don't feel like it's the governments job to provide me with these products, it's definitely NOT the government's job to prevent me from growing these items, nor is it their job to prevent me for providing these products to "my neighbors".
There is a rise in people's interest to seek quality food, but we have to beware. Before integrity returns to our food system, there is a big shift that has to happen. That shift is from being profit central to integrity central. It's always easier to "look" the part instead of "being" the part. The concern has to gravitate towards health and God's original design, not shortcuts that lead to greater profits. If your customers are sick, how does that profit you? The difficulty associated with finding our way through the dense murky waters can be tiring. That's one of the reasons we allow people to schedule a visit and see exactly what goes on at Embrace Farm. Below is an info graph from The Cornucopia Institute, showing the companies that really own "Organic".
As the title of this blog references Thanksgiving, I have to talk turkey... Heritage turkey breeds include the Royal Palm and the White Holland, the Bourbon Red and the Narragansett, (what Embrace Farm raises) the Bronze and the Slate (also colorfully known as the Blue or Lavender turkey). Below is an excerpt from an article I encourage you to read if you are considering a heritage breed turkey. I'll include the link after the excerpt that includes information on how to cook a heritage breed turkey.
"The turkey is America’s other national bird, yet as recently as 1997, heritage turkeys were in danger of extinction. There were only about 1,300 breeding birds left in the US, their genetic diversity about to be lost. After a campaign by Slow Food USA, together with groups like the Livestock Conservancy and dedicated small farmers, to promote these endangered breeds and celebrate their deliciousness, there are now upwards of 30,000 heritage turkeys in the U.S. For further recognition and protection, these heritage turkey breeds have been entered into the Slow Food Ark of Taste. Heritage turkeys can be much more delicious and certainly more nutritious than the industrially farmed white broad-breasted turkey that constitutes over 99% of the commercial turkeys processed and eaten in the U.S. These birds have become freaks of un-nature, bred to grow as big as possible, as fast as possible. For starters, the birds have such absurdly large breasts that they can no longer fly or reproduce by themselves. Heritage birds, in contrast, are raised more slowly, feed on pasture and are produced on smaller scale farms. The farm systems that produce them are healthier both for the birds and for the environment. For example, pastured turkeys have been found to be higher in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids from eating clover and other pasture greens than industrial CAFO-produced birds fed a corn diet. The key point is this: heritage turkeys tend to have more succulent, juicier, richer, and meatier-tasting meat.
We will offer on farm pickup for members
Sunday 11/24 - Wednesday 11/27 from 5:00pm-8:00pm.
A $20 deposit is required.
Your deposit goes towards the gross cost of $7/lb
Sizes range from 6/7 lbs. to 20+lbs. and are first come / first serve basis.
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