Less than a decade ago, it seems, a turkey was a turkey was a turkey: Nothing fancy, usually frozen, invariably fuller breasted than the turkeys of old. Relatively few consumers concerned themselves with how much freedom the foul had or what sort of feed it was getting. Only the rarified gourmand had even heard of a “heritage” or “heirloom” turkey; and the trend of finding a local farm to choose one’s own bird wasn’t even an option for most people.
That was 10 years ago. Things change. For one thing, the “fresh” bird has trumped the frozen bird ( “fresh” meaning the bird has never been frozen, even though it might have been deep-chilled at a temperature of 26 degrees Fahrenheit and feel slightly frozen).
(Photo: American Livestock Breeds Conservancy)
So fresh vs. frozen is a key element for today’s consumer to consider. We also have to navigate a bewildering maze of bird options – from “100 percent organic” (the feed has no synthetic ingredients, production and processing meet strict FDA standards and labeling must be independently verifiable); to plain “organic” (95 percent of ingredients are organically produced, the rest can be synthetic); to “made with organic ingredients” (70 percent of the feed is organic); to “free-range or free-roaming” (meaning simply that the animals have an opening to the outdoors); and beyond. We’re now talking heritage turkeys, and turkeys that never touch a soy product. But more on that in a sec.
With all this to choose from, the consumer must be careful about labeling, says Barbara Haulmann, spokesperson for the U.S.-based Organic Trade Association (OTA). “For instance, the term ‘natural’ simply means it is minimally processed and there are no additives at the end. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the bird was raised,” she says.
Whatever the different gobblers are called, according to varied sources the demand for “fresh” or “organic” turkey has jumped more than 200 percent in the past five years.
Overall, the OTA reports, retail sales of organic poultry, not just turkey, have continued to grow, with the association’s most recent data showing a 30 percent leap in organic-bird sales between 2005 and 2006. A few years ago, the OTA also projected a 30.7 percent annual increase in all organic-meat sales between 2004 and 2008. It appears that number is right on target.
However, Butterball Turkey CEO Keith Shoemaker has observed that organic-turkey sales still represent less than one-half percent of the overall retail market. That appears to be changing. When you consider that general grocers such as Kroger, Safeway, Wegmans and Albertsons now carry organic and free-range turkeys, it’s clear that what was once a niche market is becoming a mainstream demographic.
“We’ve always sold free-range turkeys, but a few years ago, we introduced the organic free-range turkey,” says Whole Foods’ national meat coordinator, Theo Weening. “And each year, we doubled our sales of organic; in fact, they’re still doubling. Then, two years ago, we introduced the heritage – the old breed of turkey – and we’re also seeing an increase in those sales. All of our regions carry them, and each store probably sells 10-12 heritage turkeys a year.”
The latter breed – a type that originally populated North America and almost went extinct – has a wilder, gamier flavor and is often used as an ancillary meat to the more conventional turkey, Weening says.
Yes, things certainly have changed. And change is good in this case. For our bodies, our environment and for the hallowed bird itself.
In fact, as organic and free-range turkeys have become more popular, Rick Pitman, proprietor of Mary’s Free-Range Turkey in Fresno, Calif., says he’s noticing a new trend: that more and more consumers are concerned with how the turkey is treated, how it was raised.
Until recently, he observes, sales were driven more by the consumer’s desire to eat healthier and avoid antibiotics, animal byproduct and growth hormones – things that end up in a conventional frozen turkey.
“But people have become more aware of the conditions under which the turkeys are raised,” says Pitman, whose father founded their farm in 1954 and which now has six ranches. “So in the last three years, this has become a very strong concern, as we’re seeing in the communication from the consumer back to the farmer… We hadn’t really experienced that before three years ago. And it’s not just turkeys, it’s all animals,” he adds.
Greg Smith, the business development manager of meat for Texas-based Central Market, says all of these things are coalescing to boost sales. The consumer wants a healthier diet, a healthier bird and a healthier environment. And this translates into another thing: If you want to special order a heritage turkey or the most recent entry into the market – the “grass-fed, non-soy-fed” turkey – now is a good time to do so, pilgrim.
Otherwise, you’re safe.
“If you’re buying a free-range certified organic, you can usually find them (at most grocers) up until the week before Thanksgiving,” confirms Smith, whose employer, Central Market, is a gourmet grocer with eight stores in Texas. In fact, Central Market doesn’t start taking special orders until Nov. 6, and its annual “Holiday Guide” doesn’t go online until Nov. 5. (This comprehensive section includes cooking and preparatory instructions for various “holiday” meats, as well as healthy recipes for Thanksgiving side dishes.)
Smith also says the heritage turkey is the hottest “new” turkey option for consumers.
“It’s one of the original breeds of turkey that were here when the country was founded. They have a normal proportion of white meat to dark, and they can actually fly.”
“Their flavor is very intense. Foodie type people really like them,” says Elizabeth Hutchins of the Rehoboth Ranch in Greenville, Texas, where they sold out of heritage turkeys in August.
But says Smith, there’s no doubt that the specialty bird has hit the mainstream, which forces gourmet grocers to look ever further and harder for the next big thing when talking turkey. “It makes us stay on top of our game, and that’s good.”
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