Pastured Poultry
Randle Farms will be offering something new for the holiday seasons this year: pastured turkeys. The turkeys will be heritage crosses, a combination of Bourbon Red, Black Spanish, and Royal Palm turkeys. These breeds all originated from the American wild turkey, and were perfected and grown for hundreds of years for their hardiness and intelligence.
There's a good chance you've never tasted a heritage turkey, or don't remember it if you have. They were completely replaced by the Broad Breasted White turkey in industrial production by the 1960's, which means it's been 50 years since you could find them in the grocery store. If you can't remember Thanksgiving 1959, the taste was richer and fuller, with more dark meat, and far juicier. The difference is in the genetics, which cause the bird to grow about twice as slow as an industrial bird, but also how they grow.
The birds raised and processed on our farm will live almost identically to the wild turkeys that now roam our pastures. They will follow the sheep, eating the pre-cut grass that they prefer. They will graze around our vegetable crops, keeping the insects controlled. They will dine on the over-ripe vegetables from the garden. Most importantly, they will be given the freedom to be turkeys, providing you with a product that not only tastes great, but one you can feel comfortable supporting and serving at your table.
Our turkeys will never be fed animal proteins, nor will they come in contact with any chemicals in any way, and they will never leave the farm until you pick them up. And by purchasing one of these heritage crosses, you support the heritage breeds themselves, which have been rapidly declining in numbers since they were replaced by the great industrial Broad Breasted White. The Bourbon Red, for instance, is estimated to only have 1,000 breeding birds left in the entire country.
Since this is our first year growing a large number of turkeys, we'll be treating it as a trial to determine how the birds will best fit into our production schemes and to gauge your interest. To that end, we will only be growing 50 birds, divided between a Thanksgiving week harvest and a Christmas week harvest. The birds will cost $5.00/lb, and weigh about 15 pounds. To reserve your order, we ask that you please fill out the form attached, indicating the number of birds and the season for each, and mail or drop off a $20 non-refundable deposit per bird. Turkeys will be reserved upon receipt of the deposit. The deposit will be subtracted from the final cost, and the remaining balance will be paid when you pick your turkey up at the farm.
All reservations must be made by March 31st. Checks should be made payable to Randle Farms, and mailed to 9215 Lee Rd. 54, Auburn, AL 36830.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Contact us.
100% Alabama Born and Raised
Our turkeys will be hatched on WNT Farm, in Cullman Alabama by Jon Bussey. Jon is a sustainable farmer and turkey breeder. We are excited about working with another small, Alabama farmer to deliver a superior product to you. We hope to soon be able to connect you to Jon and WNT Farm through his website.
About Heritage Turkeys
Heritage birds were replaced commercially by the Broad Breasted White almost 50 years ago. Before industrialized agriculture came along, heritage birds were prized for their intelligence, hardiness, and quality meat. Each bird has a story, originating from different parts of the country from different small farms, not too different from Randle Farms.
Our Production Model
The turkeys raised for your holiday meal will live almost identically to the wild turkeys that have grown on our farm this year. We have watched these poults religiously since they were born and first grazed our pastures, counting their numbers, learning their habits, and even noting some personalities. It will certainly not be work for us to study and admire these interesting and beautiful animals.
Our birds will be raised Salatin-style, by the production models set forth by Joel Salatin on Polyface Farms in Virginia.
Why A Heritage Cross...
...And not just a pure heritage bird?
Heritage crosses provide all the desired traits of the heritage birds (hardiness, intelligence, health, slower growth) with the added bonus of hybrid vigor. The hybrid crosses will also have a greater meat percentage than pure heritage birds, but will grow at the same rate so that they aren't incapacitated by their own body weight as commercial turkeys are.
The Heritage Turkey Taste
Just like a chicken raised outside industrial parameters, our turkeys will have a fuller, juicier taste.
