Posted on 11/26/2009 8:35:12 AM PST by nickcarraway
Handmade chocolates, artisanal cheeses, vintage Champagne — consumers are thinking twice about splurging on such luxurious goods during the tough economic times. But sales of at least one fancy food item have held up: gourmet turkeys that easily cost $100 or more.
“It’s a hot item,” said Bill Niman, a prominent advocate for sustainable agriculture who this year jumped into the so-called heritage turkey market — older breeds of birds that had all but disappeared until championed by preservationists and foodies.
He raised 2,500 birds for Thanksgiving and “sold every bird.”
Mr. Niman’s turkeys were priced at $6.99 a pound. Many small farmers sell their birds direct to customers for as much as $10 a pound, or 10 to 20 times the cost of a typical supermarket turkey.
That means a heritage turkey big enough for a large Thanksgiving gathering, say 18 pounds, can run $180. Even at that price, farmers who breed heritage turkeys are recording brisk sales.
Heritage turkeys are old-fashioned breeds that resemble their wild ancestors more closely than do modern breeds. Devotees say they are more flavorful and have a higher proportion of dark meat than the modern birds.
But even with high demand and prices to match, many of the producers say they are having trouble making money. That is because the old-time breeds — with names like Black Spanish and Bourbon Red — take longer and cost far more to raise than their modern competition, a turkey breed known as the Broad-Breasted White. Broad-breasted turkeys grow quickly, have lots of white meat and are docile enough that they can easily be mass-produced in large-scale poultry operations.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Diestel Turkeys are best:
http://www.diestelturkey.com/products_hol_turkey_spec.htm
They are specially bred to be small boned with more meat.
We just get turkey breast. Got tired of making soup and turkey pot pies out of all that left over dark meat.
Different strokes for different folks.
I bought my 9.75 pound turkey two days ago for $3.70.
I have had the Bourbon Red turkey and it’s delicious! Even when slightly overcooked it beats most store-bought turkeys hands down. More power to these folks if they can stay in business in these tough economic times.
Like these breeders, the Russell Mocassin and Limmer Boot companies still try to do things the old-fashioned way here in the USA. If you can afford to patronize these firms, please do so; maybe the big guys will get a hint about quality and manufacturing in this country.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Ill stick with a Butterball.
yum! my favorite part of the turkey is the wing...
remind myself to check it further later thanks bunny slippers
That’s what you call your spouse? Just kidding.
To each his own,but I think the dark meat is the most flavorful and juiciest part.As I write, I can smell that bird in the oven,better go and check in on him.To you and everyone; Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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