Turkey Farm

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Home THE STORY of THE TURKEY FARM Owners Marilyn and Bob Neal and the crews who have worked here over the years built The Turkey Farm into Maine's largest Turkey farm. In 2010, The Turkey Farm entered its 25th year. Also in 2010, Marilyn entered her 68th year and Bob entered his 71st year. Age and health have forced us to reduce the scale of Maine's largest Turkey farm. Our farm has thrived on repeat business. We have more than 100 sharers in Community Agriculture and we sell year-round at farmers markets in the Brunswick area. At Thanksgiving, more than 80 percent of our customers return each year. We believe they come back because of the taste and texture of our Turkeys. And, while we have cut back, the taste and texture of our Turkeys will not change because our philosophy of farming has not changed. Our 60 acres of farmland have more than seven acres of fenced range, and we rotate ranges so that none is occupied by Turkeys for more than 30 months in 60. For parts of every season, each range lies fallow so the perennial grasses and other growth can rejuvenate after Turkeys have been on the range. We try to populate the ranges at no more than 400 adult Turkeys per acre, about 100 square feet per bird. The litter from the farm's brooderhouse, where Turkeys spend their first few weeks until their feathers have grown in to insulate them from the weather, is composted and spread on the family's garden and sold to other gardeners. Since 2001, The Turkey Farm has used only feed that is certified to be free of genetically engineered grains. To our knowledge, no other farm in New England has taken this step. Using genetically clean feed is in keeping with our philosophy of walking lightly on the land. We believe that genetic engineering works more to the advantage of the corporations that own the seed patents than to the animals and people who eat the food. And, so far, the yields with genetically modified seed don't surpass the yields of conventional seed. We also fear that not enough is known about such effects as drifting for genetically modified feed to be assuredly safe. The price of genetically clean feed is about 13 percent higher than conventional feed, and since 2006, the cost of our feed has more than doubled. We raise our Turkeys as close to naturally as we can, and we operate our farm as sustainably as we can. We give our birds no routine antibiotics, although we will treat sick or clearly threatened birds with whatever medications appear most likely to help. We last used antibiotics in 2004, at the end of an outbreak of fowl cholera. We never use hormones, which are illegal for poultry. We get the taste and texture that bring customers back again and again by raising and processing our birds differently from those of big-store growers. Starting with the commitment to free ranging our birds, we stay as natural as we can. We do not feed our birds any antibiotics routinely, although we will use whatever medications seem necessary when birds are sick or are clearly threatened by a virulent disease. We do not feed hormones, which are illegal for poultry. We have not had to use any antibiotics since 2004.

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