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Holiday birds flying out of Tennessee farms


NASHVILLE — Most of us wish Thanksgiving promotions would hold off at least until summer is over. If you want a locally raised turkey on your table, however, there’s no time to spare. Farmers are taking reservations now for turkeys and other meats that are in high demand for the holidays.

tennessee farm turkeyA directory of farms that accept holiday meats and poultry reservations is available now at Pick Tennessee Products, the farmer to consumer service provided by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The directory is posted here.

“We will have turkeys available for Thanksgiving,” Walter Bates of Hoe Hop Valley Farm in Benton said, but he recommends pre-ordering his birds.

“We're raising a small flock, about 25, of Broad Breasted Bronze Thanksgiving turkeys at Liberty Trace Farm,” Kevin Krause said from his farm in Hampshire. “We have several orders already and getting more daily from our existing customers.”

Most Tennessee farms are small family farms, so herds and flocks are limited. Once flocks have matured and are ready to market, there’s no time to raise more to fill additional orders.

David Horwath of Katharos Farm offers both turkey and bone-in cured ham. The Maury County farm will also have special holiday combination packages to help customers plan their special gatherings through the entire holiday season. A number of farms offer special orders of meats that not only make meal planning easier, but also make excellent gifts.

Pick Tennessee lists hundreds of farmers, like Karen Overton of Wedge Oak Farm in Wilson County, who sell a variety of meats all year long including beef, pork and poultry. Overton makes numerous artisan sausages and bacons, and sells large and specialty cuts of meat if they are pre-ordered.

Other farms that offer popular pre-ordered holiday meats, like rack of lamb, beef tenderloin and steaks in addition to Thanksgiving turkeys, include J & J Farm in Lexington, Pure Pasture Farms near Springfield, and Glendale Farms in Williamson County.

Find local farms and farmers markets with Pick Tennessee on the Web and by mobile app. Follow Pick Tennessee on social media for information about seasonal farm fare and activities.

Published September 19, 2017








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