Organic turkey in high demand

Many consumers are choosing to put an organic turkey on their tables this festive season. There are some good reasons for them choosing to do so. For a start, organic turkeys are raised more humanely than their conventionally reared cousins. Instead of being force fed in cramped conditions utilising an intricate system of tubes and intravenous delivery mechanisms to provide sustenance, organically certified birds have access to open spaces. This enables organic birds to forage for natural sources of food such as worms, bugs and insects.

When organic turkeys are fed grain to supplement their natural diet, the grain itself must be from certified organic sources. In contrast, conventional turkeys are fed conventional grain. Conventional grain, which tends to be cheaper than organically certified grain, is sprayed with industrial agricultural chemicals (pesticides, herbicides and fungicides) and grown in soil requiring significant quantities of synthetic chemicals (chemical fertilizers). Many pesticides in particular, once consumed, are stored in mammalian muscle, fat, and organ tissue. Consuming conventionally reared protein sources provides our bodies with a concentrated intake of industrial agricultural chemicals.

Because conventionally reared birds live in cramped conditions, disease outbreaks tend to spread fast among the immunosuppressed birds. To arrest disease before it takes hold, antibiotics are routinely administered to conventional turkeys. In contrast, organic birds must not be given preventative antibiotic treatments. Fortunately, due to their superior diet and the natural conditions the birds enjoy, organic turkeys tend to be less stressed, better nourished, and relatively disease free. Consequently, there is no need for organic farmers to constantly rely upon preventative antibiotic treatments. The increased prevalence of preventative antibiotics in our food chain is sought by many medical professionals to be responsible for a rise in both the quantum and severity of antibiotic resistant outbreaks within our hospitals in recent years. 

While it’s great to see consumers getting behind the dedicated – generally small scale – farmers responsible for bringing organic turkeys to our tables at this time of year, the bird flu crisis, which appears to be worsening in the UK, has taken its toll on organic farmers in East Anglia. The Daily Mirror reports that Waitrose, a major UK department store, will be left without any organic turkeys this year. Apparently, Waitrose’s supply of organic turkey was to be sourced exclusively from East Anglia. Although reports indicate that other major retailers shouldn’t be impacted, it might pay to pick up that organic turkey soon.

Speaking of picking up an organic turkey, you might like to consider sourcing your turkey from one of the following:

Australia: Sunforest Organic Farm

Canada: Organa Farms

England: Woodlands Organic Farm

Ireland: James Whelan Butchers

Scotland: Jamesfield Farms

United States: Diestel Turkey Ranch

Wales: S & J Organics