It’s called Turkey Day for a reason, pilgrims, and this year you want an organic one. First of all, you know how much better they taste (it’s true). Second, it’s Thanksgiving, and it just seems right to eat a bird that saw sunlight and walked outside like they did in 1621, not pumped with hormones and antibiotics by someone not wearing flannel.
What exactly is an organic turkey? To settle the free-range vs. organic question, which wasn’t easy, here’s a helpful document explaining the USDA’s rules, which say that in addition to not being fed drugs, plastic pellets, hormones, manure, etc., livestock must be raised with “access to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air and direct sunlight suitable to the species, its stage of production, the climate and the environment.” Michael Pollan says poultry farmers have all kinds of ways of getting around USDA regs, one reason why more people are opting for free-livin’ heritage turkeys, which can cost up to $14.99/pound. (Brooklyn Based has a list here.) For the purposes of our research, we kept it simple: called a whole bunch of markets and a few online vendors to get prices on a 13-pound organic bird, which serves eight to 10 people.
Fairway
480-500 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, (718) 694-6868
Cost of 13-lb. organic turkey: $45.50.
Pre-order by: 11/22
Fresh Fanatic
275 Park Ave, Clinton Hill, (888) 373-7404
13-lb. organic turkey: $45.50
Pre-order by: 11/16
Park Slope Food Coop
782 Union St, Park Slope, (718) 622-0560
13-lb. organic turkey: $51.50 (Koch), $55.25 (Eberly), (Having a friend who can smuggle one out for you: priceless).
No pre-orders
Perelandra
175 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, (718) 855-6068
13-lb. organic turkey: $52
Pre-order by: 11/18. (At that point, the turkeys will be at the store, and it’s first-come-first-serve). You can also order on their website.
Los Paisanos
162 Smith Street, Cobble Hill, (718) 855-2641
13-lb. organic turkey: $65
Pre-order by: 11/19.
Brooklyn Kitchen
616 Lorimer Street, Greenpoint.
(718) 389-2982
13-lb. organic turkey: $90.
Pre-order by: soon (There were only 21 left, as of 11/6 at 10:32 a.m.)
Online
Fresh Direct
13-lb. organic turkey: $44.85 (plus $6 delivery fee)
Pre-order by: 11/18
Local Harvest
13-lb. organic turkey: $69.
Pre-order by: No deadline but the may sell out so just do it. Ships 11/24 to arrive 11/25.
Lobel’s
13-lb. organic turkey: $87.08, plus free pinstripe cooler bag!
Pre-Order: By 11 a.m. on 11/23. You choose delivery date between 11/20 and 11/24.
D’Artagnan
13-lb. organic turkey: $92.99
Pre-Order: By noon on 11/23. Deliveries on 11/24 or 11/25.
To enhance your organic turkey experience, here are a few resources. Say your dad says “well, I never tasted any difference between this here turkey from the one we got at Kroger,” prepare by reading this debate. You can email a farmer questions (no deadline on this) to make sure you really can back up your case in the court of dinner. Plan ahead with some ideas from this for the cocktail hour, and in case you get cornered before dessert by Aunt Joan, do some research here. Happy Turkey Day!
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Ugh, please don’t spread misinformation about the impact of “organic” on animal welfare!
There’s absolutely NOTHING in the organic standard that guarantees your turkey will be treated well. It only means that they’ll be fed organic feed and not given any antibiotics. If you want an animal that saw the light of day, you need to do some serious research and find a REAL FREE-RANGE animal and that means going to a small butcher shop that deals with a small producer. It may be more expensive but you’re buying off at least some of your guilt for eating it in the first place.
Here’s where local farmers markets can help. DiPaola’s Turkey Farm has been taking orders for free-range turkeys for $2.99 per pound at the Grand Army Plaza and Cortelyou Road farmers market.
Try ordering by phone (609-587-9311). They’re located in New Jersey. The Times did a piece on this in 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/11dinenj.html
Thanks for the tip, Aardvark. Helpful info!
I’m sure Trader Joe’s will have some cheap ones too, though they do’t arrive until Nov. 13. Will keep you posted. I am not paid in any way to make this comment.
Trader joes did tell me they weren’t carrying organic turkeys this year, but if that’s not the truth, tell us!, and then tell them to pay you for correcting it…:)
how about you save a life (and your own health) by having a vegan thanksgiving. <3
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/
I got an organic free-range turkey from kroger this year for $2.99/lb. It cost me about $38 for a 12lb birdie.