Our Rutland Farm Store at 216 Wachusett Street is open for special hours this week. We have a selection of fresh birds available there, as well as gravy, sides, pies and rolls, produce, eggnog and apple cider, fresh meats and all the Thanksgiving fixings! This week’s Farm Store hours: Sunday 11-5, Monday & Tuesday 11-6, Wednesday 11-7
Our turkeys are pasture raised with plenty of room to roam. They are fed a locally milled feed that we select to ensure they are happy and healthy for their duration of time on the farm.
The birds are humanely harvested then brought back to the farm for sorting, packing, and cold holding until they make their way to your home. Our delivery and pickup options occur in the handful of days before the holiday. This offers you choices on how long you’d like to have your turkey and how you’d like to prepare it.
These are not adjustable so please select the location/date that works best for you.
If we have extra turkeys available, we will have them for sale in the days before the holiday in our Rutland farm store. That is only if we have extra that are not reserved, and sizes will be limited.
Looking to complete your meal?
In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving we will add plenty of holiday focused add-ons including gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted squash, a holiday produce box, and more. Of course, we’ll offer our entire regular store as well so you can purchase your regularly needed groceries, too.
Will you have rolled turkey breast again?
Yes! While we will not be offering rolled stuffed breasts this year due to time constraints, we will offer rolled breasts. Our rolled breasts will be available for purchase on our website the entire month of November, and delivered frozen like our other cuts of meat. This year's rolled breasts will be smaller than in the past due to a large number of requests for smaller sizes this holiday season.
Not sure how much turkey you need?
We recommend 1-1.5 pounds of turkey per person; this should provide some leftovers, too. Each family differs in their protein consumption so this is only a suggestion based on our own families, the sides we make, and leftovers we desire.
Handling your turkey:
If your delivery or pickup location is many days before you will be preparing your turkey, please make sure you have a very cold location to keep it. At the farm we hold turkeys at one degree below freezing for longevity (referred to as a deep chill). Once they get to your home if they are held in the refrigerator you need to ensure a proper cold setting. If you don’t have space to keep your bird refrigerated, you can place your bird in the freezer for a day or two to hold and then thaw in the refrigerator. Alternatively, many people without storage to hold their turkey prefer picking it up on our farm in Rutland on the Wednesday just before the holiday.
Many folks like to brine their pasture raised turkeys to increase moisture retention and add even more flavor. Make sure you have a vessel that can hold your turkey to brine and plenty of ice on hand to keep the water freezing cold.
What's Inside my Turkey?:
Our processors work hard to include giblets with each bird, when possible. Although there are exceptions, the majority of our birds will have "the big four": neck, heart, liver, and gizzard. It's likely the neck will be found in the main cavity while the other organs will be in a bag in the neck cavity.
Cooking Your Turkey:
People cook their turkeys many ways; even our staff have different methods that they think is best. Some prefer to start their oven at a higher temperature to brown the skin right off the bat, while others end on a higher temperature to brown. Either way, we suggest about 12-13 minutes of cooking time for each pound of (unstuffed) turkey in a 350 degree oven. Always make sure your turkey reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh and once your turkey is removed from the oven, let it rest 15-20 minutes before carving.