As we did last year, (and I’m just copying and reusing the same post again) we are taking deposits on turkeys for Thanksgiving. These turkeys will be coming from Dawn Breaker Farms, the same farm we’ve been getting our limited chicken supply from these past few months.
For all the years we’ve been selling turkeys at Thanksgiving, we’ve sold unfrozen turkeys. The good news, obviously, is they are fresh, never frozen. The down side is the logistics of handling 30 unfrozen turkeys, in a store where we have limited space to keep things cool but not frozen. That means our window for receiving, handling, storing, and delivering to you is super short causing stress to you and to us as we try to rush turkeys in, and you guys back out the door.
With that said, Dawn Breaker freezes their turkeys. That is just the way they handle their processing. They are beyond organic, very high quality, and easier to handle. And they will be $8.75 per pound like last year.
Carving the bird with my brother-in-law David. And of course sampling along the way.
The turkeys this time will target 15-20 pounds but as always the actual will be what it is. Usually people request small, medium, or large birds and we try to sort it out as best we can with what we get.
The before shot of our turkey….Ok, it’s a Google image. I forgot to take a picture of before.
I don’t know how many birds we will have available this year. It’ll be first come, first serve. Deposits are $40 payable in the store. The price per pound will be $8.75 per pound.
Once again I am reposting the previous years post. The only change is pricing has been updated for 2021. Now they are $8.50 per lb. Considering my house doubled in value and I can’t find a used car, that’s not too bad.
We again have not changed the process for our heritage breed Thanksgiving turkeys (all that info is at the bottom of the post). Nor have we changed SWMBO’s love affair with our turkeys.
There really was no question on us getting turkeys again this year. Not because you lovely people ordered all we could get plus some. No, because SWMBO fell in LOVE with her turkey. I’ve given that lady vacations, jewelry, romantic dinners, a vacuum cleaner and even a blender. NONE of them (still kinda sad about the blender) elicited as good of a response as the turkey I brought her last year from Brittany Ridge. She was EXCITED beyond all reason (now you understand why I married her).
Last year, after Thanksgiving, I found out that Christy had one turkey left in the cooler. After having just consumed a 23lb bird, SWMBO sent me back for the remaining bird and then asked if there was another one left after it was gone.
What can I say, the girl likes her some turkey.
Carving the bird with my brother-in-law David. And of course sampling along the way.
The turkeys are the same as before. Heritage breed. No GMO feed. Pasture raised. No anti-biotics. The turkeys are delivered fresh and chilled having never been frozen. 15-20 pounds is the target but they are the size they end up. Fair warning. Three years ago they were big. The last two years they were on target.
The before shot of our turkey….Ok, it’s a Google image. I forgot to take a picture of before.
I don’t know how many Christy will let me have this time, but I’m sure we’ll sell all we can get. Heck SWMBO might buy half the allotment. We’ll be taking deposits from now till when Christy cuts us off. It’ll be first come, first serve. Deposits are $40 payable in the store. The price per pound will be $8.50 per pound.
This is literally a repost of the previous years post, which itself was a repost of the previous years post. I love it when things are easy!
We again have not changed the process nor the price for our heritage breed Thanksgiving turkeys (all that info is at the bottom of the post). Nor have we changed SWMBO’s love affair with our turkeys.
There really was no question on us getting turkeys again this year. Not because you lovely people ordered all we could get plus some. No, because SWMBO fell in LOVE with her turkey. I’ve given that lady vacations, jewelry, romantic dinners, a vacuum cleaner and even a blender. NONE of them (still kinda sad about the blender) elicited as good of a response as the turkey I brought her last year from Brittany Ridge. She was EXCITED beyond all reason (now you understand why I married her).
Last year, after Thanksgiving, I found out that Christy had one turkey left in the cooler. After having just consumed a 23lb bird, SWMBO sent me back for the remaining bird and then asked if there was another one left after it was gone.
What can I say, the girl likes her some turkey.
Carving the bird with my brother-in-law David. And of course sampling along the way.
The turkeys are the same as before. Heritage breed. No GMO feed. Pasture raised. No anti-biotics. The turkeys are delivered fresh and chilled having never been frozen. 15-20 pounds is the target but they are the size they end up. Fair warning. Two years ago they were big. Last year they were on target.
The before shot of our turkey….Ok, it’s a Google image. I forgot to take a picture of before.
I don’t know how many Christy will let me have this time, but I’m sure we’ll sell all we can get. Heck SWMBO might buy half the allotment. We’ll be taking deposits from now till when Christy cuts us off. It’ll be first come, first serve. Deposits are $40 payable in the store. The price per pound will be $7.99 per pound.
So goes the line from Arlo Guthrie’s iconic song, Alice’s Restaurant. If you wonder how folks who grow their own food and sell the best proteins in NC eat, here you go. In our case, Thanksgiving 2016 was such a dinner as Arlo spoke of, minus the going to court, and the implements of destruction.
After escaping the country last year for Thanksgiving, we ended up hosting at our house this year for SWMBO’s side of the family. That meant my father-in-law and his wife and my brother-in-law and his wife. Plus the gaggle of cousins.
The star of our meal, our Brittany Ridge Farms fresh turkey
Since we were hosting, Grandpa and my brother-in-law ended up doing the cooking (and Barb, who actually did most if it). Our Brittany Ridge Farms turkey showed up fresh, never frozen, and a whopping 24 pounds! It barely fit in the oven.
Is it done yet?
There was some consternation over the turkey cooking slower than they thought it would. I guess 24+ pounds cooks slower than a typical 16 pound turkey. Since SWMBO and I were not part of the cooking team, we sat back and heckled mainly. I’m sure it helped.
Brittany Ridge Farms Thanksgiving turkey
In the end, it came out beautifully. Since I was playing a Thanksgiving drinking game, this was cause for a drink. “Dinner is at least 30 minutes late. Take one drink.” We’d also passed several milestones by this point.
Now on to the carving.
The two boys, carving and sampling
This was our first Thanksgiving in our recently self remodeled kitchen. Having two islands was awesome. Dave and I were able to hop over to this island and work on the bird with plenty of room to spare. Note I’m representing our honey farmer, Buck Naked Farm with the apron. It’s my favorite one.
Help yourself!
This countertop was part of the original house, which was taken from another house when our house was built (40 years ago). It was an antique (100+ years) when it came to our house which means the wood of this counter is at least 140 years old. Then you consider the tree itself was probably 75 years old before it was cut. That means the seed for this tree went into the soil in the late 1700 to early 1800s. There is a lot of history in this wood. I spent 6 months restoring this countertop that is holding the food you see above. It was worth it.
The kids table. Why don’t we seat them at this table at every meal?
Ahh, dinner at last.
The key to a successful dinner? Put the kids at the kids table.
Home made pies for Thanksgiving
Sweet potato, pecan, apple, and in deference to our Caribbean trip last year, key lime pie. All home made, and all topped with Simply Natural Creamery whipped cream and ice cream.
Wildflower, showing us how it’s done.
Everything is better with sprinkles.
I gained the requisite 3 pounds after this meal. And was fairly useless. I think I went to bed at 6:30.
I hope your Thanksgiving meal was as good as ours. Remember, next year we’ll be taking orders for turkeys again. By November 1st, we are already sold out. Get your orders in early.
Whether you are rich or poor, stuffed or starving, we all have something to be thankful for. Even our worst days in this country are better than most people’s average on this planet.
For us here at Ninja Cow Farm, we are thankful for our health, our family, our lives and our friends both new and old, distant and close. We get so busy in our work and our lives, that it’s so easy to focus on the troubles ahead and forget the blessings we’ve blindly walked past. I know I’ve tripped over, and cursed, something that I’m amazingly lucky to have. Like Legos on the floor, in the dark, left by the kids.
We’ve all been there
Rather than curse the Lego, or the kids who left them. How about the fact that I have wonderful and loving kids with money and time to play with Legos.
Whether you are at Angie’s restaurant today participating in her annual free Thanksgiving dinner (Hi Angie, you are a rock star!), stressing over an overly dry stuffing with in-laws pouring in, or even where we were last year for Thanksgiving (yeah, we didn’t suffer a bit last year), remember that the time you spend worrying is wasted. The time spent giving thanks for your many blessings adds to your life.
The kids in paradise
At Ninja Cow Farm, we are thankful for all of you. Our customers, our friends, and our family. We’ve had a great time in 2016 and we have even more in store for 2017.
Now if I can just get through Christmas and New Years without murdering somebody…. (Oh yeah, be thankful) It’s hard to take your own advice sometimes.
And just to put all this in perspective. I’d like to share something just sent to me from someone in the Civil Air Patrol. It’s from General George Washington, our first President.
Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. Many of you may wonder; did it start with the pilgrims and we adopted a day or was it something special? The first official day of Thanksgiving dates back to Thursday, November 26th 1789. At the request of Congress, President George Washington issued a proclamation on behalf of The United States. It was continued from time to time by other presidents but was set into practice as the 4th Thursday in November by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War (that’s the War of Northern Aggression to you folks down South, Editor), and then made into Law by Congress in 1941. I share the original proclamation, unedited, by President George Washington and ask that we reflect on the many blessings this nation has had since its founding.
From my family to yours, I wish you all a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving Day.
Ch Maness
Thanksgiving Proclamation
Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other trangressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
