The Heritage Turkey has a historical background that’s as American as it gets. The first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 at the Plymouth Colony. The idea was to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and to share a feast with their Native American neighbors. Wild turkeys were abundant.
A settler, Edward Winslow, kept a diary of daily events and one journal entry describes that first thanksgiving. "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men a fowling that so we might after a special manner rejoice together," he wrote. Turkeys were the game of choice, for the annual celebration.
Ben Franklin, possessing a sarcastic wit, wanted the turkey designated as the national bird, not the eagle. He felt the eagle was a scavenger and made it's way through life on the efforts of others, therefore, not worthy of representing the growing nation that would form out of revolution. To Franklin, the turkey was a noble bird, and said, "The eagle is lazy, but the turkey is a wild bird of courage and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on!"
As settlers from other European nations staked claims in the New World, the Spanish found wild turkeys in Central America and shipped them back to Europe. Through breeding, they became known as Black Spanish Turkeys. As the New World settlers settled in and farming replaced hunting for food to a large degree, Spanish Turkeys were imported to North America, and bred with wild turkeys found in the colonial forests. The new breeds bred included the Standard Bronze followed by the Narragansett from Rhode Island, the Bourbon from Kentucky and the Jersey Buff from New Jersey.
Today, the heritage of the Heritage Turkey lives on and they are the product of a labor of love at Roo Haven Farms in Forestville. The farm is not a corporate behemoth, but, a small family owned farm that raises Heritage Turkeys.
They’re raised through a process of slow growth attaining market weights of 10 - 17 pounds. Birds raised I this method feed on pasture grasses and certified organic feeds that produce a meat with superior flavor and nutritional benefits that are a hallmark of grass fed meats. This method also reduces stress on the birds so it is extremely humane The combined results are spectacular when it comes to the taste and flavor of this holiday treat.
Roo Haven Farm doesn’t confine birds to pens or cages like prisoners of war. They live in moveable range houses that allows them to be relocated on pasture to ensure their health and the health of the soil itself. This allows their diet to consist of grasses, clover and plants high in Omega-3's, not to mention what to a bird is a gourmet delight, bugs and berries. According to the Roo Haven Farms mission all birds are certified organic, and raised according to USDA national organic program standards that benefits the environment and at the same time, produces a healthy food product for the consumer.
Organic feeds are important too, and these are provided by Lakeview Organic Grains in Penn Yann. Mary Howell-Martens co-owner explained their operation. “Lakeview Organic Grain has been providing certified organic feed and seed to the New York and Northeast organic community since 2001. My husband, Klaas, and I are the owners of Lakeview, and we also farm about 1400 acres of certified organic grains in Penn Yan, and we have been farming organically since 1993.“
There a benefits to organic feeds over the commercial variety “Our organic feed is much fresher than usual commercial feed, usually ground a day or two before the customer receives it. This preserves nutrients and makes for a better quality product, resulting in better palatability, and usually superior weight gain and bird health. Because it is certified organic, there are never any antibiotics or synthetic growth enhancers in the feed Both our farm and the feed mill are certified organic by NOFA-NY, and therefore comply with all requirements of the USDA National Organic Program.,” Martens said.
Now we get down to the plate to palate benefits! According to the National Heritage Turkey Foundation "Heritage Breeds have been quietly gaining a renewed market and respect due to their flavor and superior biological diversity. Raising Heritage Breeds is more costly and time consuming than raising White Breasted Toms. While supermarket turkeys grow to an average of 32 pounds over 18 weeks, Heritage birds take anywhere from 24-30 weeks to reach market weight, but, the wait is well worth it."
Fowl as food is a gastronomical delight in itself with all the holiday trimmings. How you prepare the bird will also give your holiday dinner an edge to the utter delight of friends and family alike.
In addition to cooking method, you can add flair and panache to your meal by pairing the proper wine with your meal enhancing the experience. White or Red, that is the question. What wine should you serve with your heritage turkey to compliment the bounty of edible delights you are about to enjoy? Carl Schmitter of Chateau Buffalo Cider House and Winery in Buffalo offers a few suggestions along with a wonderful recipe guaranteed to delight your Thanksgiving taste buds. "I always roast my bird over charcoal and wood chips using the Weber Grill indirect heating method. This results in a smokier flavor to the poultry and gravy. Wine is a perfect compliment to the meal and for a white wine, I would recommend a barrel aged Chardonnay. For a red wine, pinot noir from the Niagara Region works very well. If the turkey is oven roasted, you would do well with a crisp finger Lakes Dry Riesling, for a red wine a good Lemberger (blaufrankisch) won't overpower the meat, and don't forget a craft cider that would be a welcome beverage with any poultry," advises Schmitter.
Ah…wine and an organic feast for the holidays..move over Maltese Falcon. The Heritage Turkey is here so dig in and find out what edible dreams are really made of. For more information on Roo Haven Farms, visit their website at Roohavenfarm.com and if you want more information regarding the lines of organic grains, feeds and supplements you can also log onto Lakevieworganicgrain.com