Every Thanksgiving, my family descends on my house for the traditional feast. I do the turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. And other family members bring appetizers, wine, salads, potatoes, side dishes and dessert - usually my sister Joan's sinfully delicious pecan and pumpkin pies.
And each year, my search for the perfect turkey brings me to Maple Lawn Farms in Fulton, Maryland, about 30 miles east of Washington off Route 29.
The farm was started by a guy named Henry Iager back in 1839. It is now run by the fifth generation of his successors. Today, the Iagers raise turkeys and Holstein cattle.
Over the years, they've sold off parts of their acreage for a large school complex and shopping center - you can see them in the background. And every year I make this pilgrimage, there's a nagging fear that by the next year it will be a townhouse complex.
So, why drive all these miles for a turkey?
These are not your typical Butterballs from the supermarket. These guys had a wonderful life scratching around a barnyard, foraging for worms when they didn't feel like eating the organic turkey chow concocted by the staff PHd turkey nutritionist. The toms and hens cavorted with each other and made baby turkeys the way nature intended for it to happen. They didn't shoot up drugs or eat junk food. These were happy birds!
But what's this? As I stepped out of my car and looked down, I saw a giant turkey feather.
Ouch!
Then I looked around and there were lot more feathers on the ground. A whole lot more. I was reminded that these guys were running around the barnyard just this morning! And then, WHACK! My sister tell me the Iagers feed these guys a little Grey Goose before the round up so at least they go down happy. I hope so.
I went inside feeling a little bit queazy, but they had some spiced cider and molassas cookies to make me feel better while I waited in line for my bird, a 19-pound hen.
I'm sure she'll taste absolutely wonderful. Every bird I've every gotten from Maple Lawn has been perfect - quite a feat in that I am far from the perfect cook. Right now, I rooting around the kitchen drawers to try to find directions on how to use my fancy convection oven so I don't have to get up at four in the morning to get her in the oven.
Notice, it becomes "her". Not "it". If she came from Safeway, I wouldn't be having these thoughts right now!
So, to all of my friends on Active Rain, have a wonderful holiday, full of good food and lots of love!
Patricia - I love the look on the woman's face in the background! LOL She really LOVES her job!
You have great Thanksgiving! That's big bird you're cooking.
Patricia,
Happy Thanksgiving...we cook ours in a rotisserie...cooks quickly and stays delectably juicy...awesome!!! Thanks, Fran
I could never eat an animal I personally new - I am still in denial about the whole cow=steak!
Patricia,
These are gorgeous. They look like they lived the good life. Give them your culinary best and let go of the guilt.
Pat, I'm sure it will be delicious when it's cooked. Too much information for me. lol. I wonder if my sister is making a fresh turkey? She's probably calling the butterball hotline for directions.
Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Im not opposed to hunting or such farms, I just prefer to keep my distance from all the animals I eat.
I had a friend years ago that had a farm and raised cattle. There was one little cow that was quite sickly and almost did not make it. I fed that cow a bottle a few times a week, we played, he grew up big and strong, I still petted him and talked to him. Then one day I was presented with 8 of the finest steaks I have ever seen. I know it was business to them, but it was personal to me. I refused the steaks, I was not going to eat my buddy.
Thanksgiving is special....every year we get together as a family...this year was no exception...the food was great...don't know where the Turkey came from but I am sure it wasn't from a place that cared about their product or gave anyone cookies. Nice post Patricia...I can smell the pies!
Welllllll..... I think that I would rather have a turkey bred and grown in our good ole NC turkey farms where the turkeys have standing room only, over fed and grown just for the intent of getting killed and eaten than to have a turkey that had a good life and family and friends around them and all of a sudden that life ends. I can stomach it better not knowing that they had a good life. HOWEVER, lately those organic chickens in the grocery store that were raised without antibotics and allowed free range do taste so much better than other chickens.
This reminds me of being 9 years old and my best friend had a turkey in her garage one Thanksgiving. We chased and played with that turkey. Then it was gone. Her mama had rung its neck and cooked it. I don't remember the rest of the story but knowing my Mama she probably kept me away from that experience and told me they let the turkey go. I think I will go call my best friend and ask her what ever happened to that turkey. ;-)
Pat, I always enjoy your posts!
I make it a point not to make friends with any animal I plan to cook. I love animals. They're delicious..
I hope you had a splendid Thanksgiving!
Patricia- that woman in the background could surely have used some spiced cider and molasses cookies it seems to me!
Jackie
Its nice to know they went down happy! =)
There is a little farm about 25 minutes south of Grand Rapids called Otto's Turkey Farm, and your story sounds very much like theirs.
As I looked at the photos, I wondered if I was the only one who noticed the lady in the background. Obviously not. If I were there, I'd have the face on, but it would also have had a bit of a green tint.
I'm afraid I don't eat anything that doesn't have Saran Wrap around it, Pat.
Here's a little personal aside:
My sister, who lives in Miami Beach, would never prepare and cook a whole bird - turkey or chicken. According to her, it was too much like handling a dead body, which, of course, it is. (Glad dinner is already over?)
One year at Thanksgiving she decided to invite friends and her husband's family to Thanksgiving dinner. Knowing this, my mother cooked, stuffed and froze an entire Turkey. Then she and I drove to the Atlanta airport to send it to my sister on a soon-to-depart flight. I sat in the car while my mother carried the bird into the freight building which had an entire store front of glass. I watched as the guy at the counter spoke to my mother. He was looking at her rather strangely.
When she came out, she was somewhat exasperated. She had explained to the clerk that her package had to make the next flight to Miami. He got increasingly concerned about her insistence. Finally she told him it was a frozen turkey. His question - "Hey lady, don't they have turkeys in Miami? So then she had to explain about her daughter's phobia. The look on his face was priceless.
It didn't stop there. When we got home, I was instructed to call my sister "collect" and ask for Mr. T Bird. (Before everyone had free cellular long distance and too cheap to pay for the call.) So, being a dutiful daughter, I did.
"Operator, I want to make a collect call to Mr. T. Bird."
The call is dialed and my sister picks up and says, "There's nobody here by that name," and she hung up.
Once again, my mother says to call using the "code."
"I'm not doing it!"
Of course, mom won.
The operator dialed the call, and I waited for my sister to pick up.
"Operator, I want to make a collect call to Mr. T. Bird."
She heard my voice.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Bird is not here," she said.
My turn. "I'll call back for Mr. Bird at 9:30," I cued her.
So, the bird made its 9:30 arrival on time, and my sister had a Thanksgiving turkey for her guests.
Pat:
The lady in red in on the left did NOT want you to take her picture. Fun post; even better commentary! Thanks!
Mike in Tucson
Patricia, what a nice post. I admire the fact that you went out of your way to use meat from an animal that lived a good life, and have a grateful heart for its contribution to your life. Good for you, and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
Diane, I enjoyed the turkey story!
I've grown up around farms and have known many a dinners before they were cooked. I can say of all the animals that I have eaten the Turkey is the dumbest and if you really got to know them, you wouldn't feel so bad. Sounds harsh, but turkeys are dumb and mean!