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I lay in bed Sunday night worried, listening to the wind blowing at gusts up to 50mph as the mercury was falling so fast I could here it clunking on the floor and rolling around in silver balls. All I could think about was cold turkey to the point of frozen solid. What we go through to provide fresh turkey instead of frozen for the holidays and damn they could freeze before we processed them. I waddled out to them with my many layers of clothing at daybreak and was amazed when they called to me with their distinctive cackle, huddled up in their pens to keep warm. It brought tears to my eyes. They may not be gaining the weight I hoped but at least they are breathing and ice skating on pasture!
Once you can get past how awful the cold is, if you dress warm enough and spend enough time outside, it grows on you! Like fear of being cold is something to conquer? Who knows, but surviving difficulty makes me feel better about myself. There just wasn't enough hedonism in my upbringing.
Harry
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Reserve your Holiday Meats today!
Here we are sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Holiday stress is upon us ten days till Christmas. That means we need the B vitamins found in Holiday Meats from Mint Creek! So here is a review of our bill of fare for 2010. Fresh Turkey of course, while our Thanksgiving turks averaged about 8-10 pounds, these birds will be heavier but considering this cold, not by much, maybe just a few pounds. These broad breasted white turkeys were loved by many this Thanksgiving. I had numerous comments that the flavor was so rich, nothing else was needed. We feed these birds on pasture a organically certified, non GMO, non soy feed that is high in omega three fatty acids. They tasted a little meatier than soy fed birds, being fresh, more chi energy! We are processing these birds on December 20th. So, they will be available for home delivery before Christmas on December 21-24. I have not decided whether to spring for Santa or Turkey costumes for our delivery personnel. We need your feedback in this regard! Fresh organically fed, and organically cured Pork Ham is item two. Weights can range from 12 lbs on down. We will need your order by December 18th to lock in a size.We also offer whole or half Pork Loin Roasts. Leg of Lamb, both uncured or organically cured. These weigh in the 4-5lb range.And the winner of our CSA poll last winter: Angel aged Mutton racks and loin chops. The beef of sheep! We have racks in the 1.5-3 lbs. weight range. Loin chops are in 4packs weighing about 1.5lbs. Last but not least we have Goat racks and loin chops tempting your palate.
For more details and purchasing information for all our delicious holiday meats click here.
We will also be at Wednesday's Green City Market on December 23 with a wide variety of frozen items to choose from.
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Gwen Carr Talks Turkey
Last night I helped Jonathan pluck a turkey. She was a small hen who got trampled on her way to the livestock trailer. (The birds that Mint Creek sells require no plucking on your part.) When I finally swept up the feathers for the compost after Jonathan eviscerated the bird, I thought of how much I like the turkeys in all of their phases. When the poults arrive it is late summer or early fall, and they are as fuzzy and cute as any chicks. They are raised indoors at first under red heat lamps that simulate the warmth a mother bird would provide. Their brooder area is on the floor in a big box filled with pine shavings or straw, in which the inside corners are rounded off to avoid pile ups.
The songs of young turkeys are sweet, chirping and warbling, almost like a song bird's trill. As the poults, most all hens, grow they rapidly become gawky, and, well, turkey like. The day comes when their feathers grow in enough to allow them to begin to live outside and supplement their organic grain diet with fresh bugs and greens. We always worry the first night, for their warmth and safety even though brooder boxes, and heat lamps go outside with them. Their outside area is surrounded by electrified poultry netting and as long as they stay inside they are protected from raccoons, possums, coyotes and dogs.
The next phase I think of as the "Big Bird" stage. They grow in gawky glory running around the pasture, eating, singing and later gobbling, and interacting with us and each other. They learn to associate people with food, but I always feel personally cherished when they all run up to the fence whistling and singing when I walk by. The broad breasted whites we raise seem to loose a few feathers when ever they move, which makes it seem like the group is constantly throwing confetti.
In their final adult stage they remind me of professional politicians. As their bodies grow heavy they perfect a dignified strut. At some point the turkeys start to gobble in unison. If you make a loud sound that sounds even a little like gobbling they will answer in chorus a few seconds later, like so many pundits, chanting the party line. If there are any males in the group their wattles develop their adult coloring which is a beautiful but alarming bright blue and cardinal red, so it is not clear if they represent the red or blue states. Still lively, and active with eyes like shiny black beads they are nothing like the dumb, vicious animals I had been led to expect. Maybe pasture living uplifts the species, I know that their manure and litter of white feathers uplifts the pasture as it decomposes.
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| Mint Creek Farm
1693 E. 3800 N. Road
Stelle, Illinois 60919
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