As the days grow shorter and we head towards the holidays, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) and the Vermont Fresh Network (VFN) wish to remind those planning for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that Vermont’s local turkey farms are ready to help. The time to order your local bird is now.
Vermont is home to more than a dozen turkey farms across the state, raising and producing local turkeys ready just in time for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. According to the National Turkey Federation, nearly 88% of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during Thanksgiving in 2016. In Vermont, nearly 48,000 turkeys and chickens were produced in 2016.
To help locate your dream bird, check out Vermont Fresh Network’s Local Turkey Finder. “Having a local turkey on the dinner table is a Green Mountain tradition while growing the Vermont economy,” said Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts. “We are thankful for all the farmers who feed us and provide us with quality fresh food every day.”
The Vermont Fresh Network can help connect you to a local farm and farmer near you, for a fresh Thanksgiving feast for your family. You can find farm fresh dinner ingredients for your turkey dinner at the same time.
“Thanksgiving is a time for us to celebrate with our family, our friends and our farmers. A locally grown turkey and locally sourced Thanksgiving dinner offers the freshest ingredients for a truly delicious meal,” said Tara Pereira, executive director of the Vermont Fresh Network, “And food grown in Vermont pairs perfectly with our local wine and cider.”
Along with local turkey and produce, the Vermont Fresh Network can connect you with a local wine and cider pairing guide and a list of Vermont Thanksgiving-week farmers’ markets by visiting DigInVT.com — an interactive website for agricultural and culinary events and experiences in Vermont.
