November, 2013

Food For Thought

November 3-4, Meredith

NH Science Teachers Conference

Join us for a workshop on Chickens & Eggs 

www.nhsta.net

November 8-9, Durham

NH Farm Bureau Annual Meeting 

- We're holding a silent auction.  Contact us if you you'd like to donate a product or service. www.nhfarmbureau.org  

November 14-16, Manchester

National Grange Convention

Join us at the Idea Fair

www.nationalgrange.org 

Most people purchase a Thanksgiving turkey from a grocery store  However, there are farms in New Hampshire where consumers can get a fresh, locally raised bird and meet the farmer who raised it. 

Monique Labreuque from the Hermit Brook Farm in Sanbornton is one such farmer.  She has been raising turkeys for over 20 years and currently has a flock of about 200 birds that are being prepared for harvest.  I spoke with Monique to learn a bit about what it's like to raise turkeys in New Hampshire.

NHAITC: How did you get started raising turkeys?

ML: I started raising them for my family.  Then we sold a few to friends.  The interest grew from there.  I've had as many as 750 in a year.  There is a lot of demand for local turkeys.

NHAITC: Who is your primary market?  Do you sell a lot of them whole sale?

ML: No, all my sales are retail, directly from the farm.  My turkeys are really good and popular.  I have folks who come up from Massachusetts.  I even ship some to Georgia and Washington.  Once someone has had my turkey they come back.  My primary marketing is word of mouth.  Selling to a store decreases the profit and the margin isn't very big to begin with.

NHAITC: Do you buy the young birds?

ML: Yes, the young are called poults.  I buy them and raise them for 17-20 weeks.  In that time the females (hens) will get to be 15-22 pounds, the males (toms) will grow to between 15 and 31 pounds.

NHAITC: What breed do you raise?

ML: I raise the broad breasted turkey.  It has white feathers.  I've found they have the best meat to bone ratio and produce a really tasty bird.  People love them.

NHAITC: How are they harvested?  Do they have to be taken to a slaughter house?

ML: No we process them here on the farm.

NHAITC:  How many people work on your farm?

ML: Just two of us.

NHAITC: What are some of the challenges associated with raising turkeys?

ML: The biggest challenge is predators.  We use dogs to protect the turkeys (and our meat goats as well).  Between that and electric fencing it works pretty well.  We still have to keep them in at night and during the hawk migration season though.  Otherwise we would lose a lot of birds.  The other challenge is the cost of feed.  I get my feed directly from a mill that mixes it for me, but the price continues to go up and up.  It really cuts into our profit.  

NHAITC: What is the biggest reward?

ML: It's not financial, that's for sure, though it used to be.  The best part is having long time customers that come back year after year because they enjoy our product, or getting new customers that are so thrilled with the birds.  I get calls from people who say, "That was the best turkey I ever ate."  The turkey can really make or break someone's holiday dinner and it's nice to know we are helping to create memorable holiday meals.

To read another story of a multi-generational turkey farm in Concord NH go to: http://blakesallnatural.com/about/our-humble-story/