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November 12, 2008
This Thanksgiving, build your holiday spread around a traditional heritage turkey. Prized for their flavorful and succulent meat, heritage turkeys may cost more than conventional birds, but they are allowed to roam, fly and breed naturally, unlike their industrially raised cousins. Commercially farmed turkeys are bred and fed to ensure they bulk up to an average of 25 pounds in just four months. That rapid weight gain causes skeletal and muscular problems, leg disorders and other health issues that prevent turkeys from reproducing naturally. Heritage turkeys are given more than 28 weeks to reach a marketable weight naturally, and their purchase also supports the small family farms that have committed to preserving these dwindling breeds. Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch turkeys, available through heritagefoodsusa.com, have a lineage that can be traced back to the 1800s. Or search localharvest.org for heritage turkey farms near you.
© The Green Guide, 2008
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