This Thanksgiving, skip the frozen grocery store turkey. If you want to go the healthier route, we have the rundown of area turkey purveyors who sell farm-to-table, organic, ethical, or otherwise sustainably raised Thanksgiving birds. You can order ahead at these farms to guarantee that the turkey you set on your table on November 27 is one you’re proud of.
KellyBronze
This is a rare bird: Bred from a heritage breed brought over from England, KellyBronze turkeys are plucked and dry aged for seven days, a method that the company says “further tenderizes the meat and intensifies its flavor.” On the farm, birds roam free and wild through the Crozet countryside.
Order by: Mid-November
Pickup Location: KellyBronze provides home delivery before Thanksgiving — or you can pick the bird up at the farm (6975 Jarmans Gap Rd., Crozet) on November 22 or November 26.
Ayrshire Farm
All Ayrshire turkeys are pasture-raised, certified organic, and certified humane. The farm is also regenerative, and the turkeys stay in open spaces with space to roam, roost, and graze just like they would in the wild. Turkey orders are selected based their size request, offering an average in the 20-pound size range. Ayrshire requires a $50 deposit to hold the turkey until you pick it up Thanksgiving week.
Order by: November 21
Pickup Location: 21846 Trappe Rd., Upperville
J&L Green Farm
This family farm is ready to make your Thanksgiving Day meal as stress-free as possible. With multiple pickup and shipping options, the farm offers broad-breasted white, pasture-raised, GMO-free turkeys that range in size from 10 to 22 pounds. Orders open October 20.
Pickup Location: Grab your bird at a drop site listed here, have it delivered by the farmer, or have it delivered via UPS. For the authentic farm experience, you can pick the frozen bird up at the farm store at 4010 Swover Creek Rd., Edinburg
Whiffletree Farm
This Warrenton farm raises its turkeys on fresh pasture and feeds them with non-GMO feed, with no chemicals or antibiotics. The turkey you order comes frozen, but, according to Whiffletree’s site, the birds are frozen for two months rather than the “six-month norm” of industrial turkey growers.
Pickup location: You can grab a bird at the Farm Store at 8717 Springs Rd., Warrenton (no pre-order needed) or pre-order to pick it up at one of 23 locations.
Honey Brook Farms
Honey Brook Farms raises its turkeys on an organic farm with no GMOs, herbicides, or pesticides. It offers frozen and fresh options for holiday turkeys in a range of sizes. Pre-ordering turkeys requires a $40 deposit.
Pickup location: Pick up at the Farm Store (19030 Bel Pre Rd., Brandy Station) or one of four farmers markets around the region: Burke, Reston, Falls Church, and Leesburg.
Feature image courtesy KellyBronze.
