Barbara Kingsolver would be thrilled.

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I'd have no problem paying the $4 a lb for a good, sustainably raised turkey. That happens to be the same price per pound I've paid a farmer near me that raises pastured chickens. I pick them up minutes after he's butchered them and take them home to my freezer.

What's kept me away from most of the offerings by Heritage Foods USA is that I balk at buying a dead turkey a $100 plane ticket. With a net price to you of $12 a lb ( based on the 8-10 lb price ) I'm sure some one more local ranchers could raise a bird.

If there are really enough people willing to pay $12 a pound there will be more local people willing to raise them. I bet the person who raised the ones sold by Heritage Foods would have been happy to get that.

So if someone really wants a heritage breed, they should also look around locally first. You might not find them at your local supermarket, but a nice trip out to the country might save you some money and put more of the money you spend in the farmer's hands instead of FedEx's.

Oh, talk a few friends and neighbors into getting one too, then you can carpool out to the farm.

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Mike, I totally agree. I want to eat healthier and better, but I'm also on a budget. I don't mind paying a little bit more for organic or hormone-free animals, but $12 a pound is ridiculous. Can the overhead on raising these animals be that much? I agree with you that it might be easier to find a farm around the area that adheres to these practices. It would be nice to have a website with a list of them to find them in the area.

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I bought an heirloom turkey a couple of years back, a bourbon red I got from a local store. I had assumed that I would love it and be a total convert because I'm a big proponent of heirloom everytihng and find normal turkeys practically tasteless. I'm always looking for the darkest meat on the turkey trying to find some actual taste. If I could buy a turkey that was nothing but thigh I would be a happy camper indeed.

I didn't like the heirloom turkey at all, and I won't buy it again. I was really, really surprised. It definitely had way more flavor than a normal turkey, but it was a dark gamey flavor, kind of like they flavor you get in a turkey liver, and it just tasted too strange to me.

From now on I think I'll just make sure I'm first in line for the dark meat on thanksgiving day.

FWIW The turkey I bought was $7.50 a pound and this year they're $3.50 a pound. I think once they become more popular and you can find them locally the price will come down. Ordering them online is only worth it if you're desperate to try one and you can afford the first-class plane ticket.

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Hmm... I think it runs me about 25 dollars total to get my yearly hunting license and the necessary material to shoot my own turkeys. Wild, non farmed turkey is much better and less costly too. You should try it.

Aside from that, you could raise your own meat for less than they are charging you. I understand that there are certain laws for those of us in cities, but that doesn't mean you can't always do something about it, I suggest http://pathtofreedom.com/pathproject/simpleliving/chickens.shtml

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We have wild turkeys in the area the the locals go out on turkey day morning and shoot one. I have also seen turkeys while driving. Too bad I dont have the gusts to shoot one moreless clean one. Im sure they taste alot better than the store bought!

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Good news to Marisa (and other foodies in Philadelphia)! This year the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market has heritage turkeys from Springfield Farm in Sparks, MD. The birds are available for pre-order at:
http://www.whitedogcafefoundation.org/purchase-turkey2007.html

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