It’s almost turkey time! No matter how you celebrate this time of year, a local, pasture-raised turkey is the quintessential centerpiece of gatherings with family and friends. Purchasing a local, pasture-raised turkey is a small act that falls into the spirit of the season: celebrating the harvest, honoring our small farmers, and cherishing community. Note: this post was last updated Oct. 2023.

In addition to being more delicious, nutritious, and raised humanely before slaughter, this year, we may see turkey prices on par with grocery store prices because of astronomical inflation. This begs the question–if you’re going to spend more money on your holiday meal regardless, why not use those extra dollars to support a local farmer? 

So if you are one of the 88% of homes in the US that consume turkey in the month of November, let your purchase of ingredients mirror your commitment to sustainable agriculture. 

Check out this list we’ve put together of 17 CFSA member-farms raising turkeys for the holidays. You’ll find:

  • Contact Information
  • Details on how to order
  • A description of their turkey production practices.

If you don’t see a farm close to you, you can expand your search by talking to farmers at your local market or asking your favorite farm-to-table restaurant where they source poultry. A quick chat with the farmer or perusal of their website should inform you that their production practices align with your values.

Charlotte Metro NC

Evans Family Farm, Jessica Evans
Location: Mt Ulla, NC
How to order: On-farm pick up, market pick up at Uptown Farmers Market in Charlotte, as well as home delivery within our local radius available.
Farming practices: Our turkeys are pasture raised and supplemented with a locally grown non-gmo grain.
Contact info:

Triangle NC

Eight Arrows Farm, Heather Mangum
Location: Roxboro, NC
How to order: Reserve your holiday turkey for $25. You will pay the balance when you pick them up at the holiday market or upon delivery. Our whole turkeys are $9.50 lb.
Farming practices: Eight Arrows Farm raises all their animals on the pasture, rotate the animals daily, and supplement with organic grain.
Contact info:

Bull City Farm, Samantha Gasson
Location: Rougemont, NC
How to order: Preorders in September lock you in at $7.50/lb for the Bronze Broad Breasted and $8.50/lb for the Black Spanish. After that, you’ll pay $8 and $9/lb, respectively. All our birds never leave the farm and are processed and then frozen. We have the ability to start the thawing process for you. Pick-up dates are Nov. 19th and 22nd at the South Durham Farmers Market and Nov. 20th out on the farm. We are willing to work with you if you have another date you would prefer. You can also preorder turkey breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings.
Farming practices: We raise Bronze Broad Breasted and Black Spanish turkeys (a heritage breed listed as Threatened by the Livestock Breeds Conservancy) on pasture 100% of the time. They are fed a non-GMO feed and loads of bugs:) Our birds listen to classical music at night as a predator deterrent. Not sure if that is what makes them taste so much better than the average bird or not, but I’ll take it.
Contact info:

Oak Ridge Farms, David Duong
Location: Zebulon, NC
How to order: Deposits are required to purchase an ORF thanksgiving turkey. We start accepting Deposits starting 9/20/22. Visit www.oakridgefarms2.com and purchase an item called -Turkey Deposit- select any availability pick-up date available, but please note turkey will not be available till 11/19/22. David will contact you to make final arrangements.
Farming practices: Pasture Raised, NonGMO Fed, Processed on Farm.
Contact info:

Fickle Creek Farm, Fickle Creek Farm Team
Location: Efland, NC
How to order: Order online. Turkeys will be $7.30 to $7.90 per pound. Orders require a $50 deposit to be reserved. Our turkeys are Broad-Breasted Whites that will be frozen at pickup at the farm on Friday, Nov. 17, from 12-4 PM and Saturday, Nov. 18, from 1:30-3 PM or at market on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
Farming practices: We raised Broad Breasted Whites from day-old poults. They were pasture-raised on our farm and fed non-GMO feed.
Contact Info:

 

Jimmy Acres Farm, Jake Tommerdahl
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
How to order: Place orders by emailing us at jimmyacresfarm@gmail.com. Simply indicate which size turkey you would prefer (Small <15 lbs or Large 16+ lbs). The price is $8.00/lb and pick-up is at our Chapel Hill farm stand the Monday before Thanksgiving. We also offer $5 delivery to the triangle area.
Farming practices: Our turkeys are raised out on pasture and are continually rotated to fresh forage. We feed our birds locally milled organic grains from Reedy Fork Farm in Elon, NC. Our turkeys are sold fresh, not frozen.
Contact Info:

Dawnbreaker Farms/Carolina Pastures, Ben Grimes
Location: Hurdle Mills, NC
How to order: Reservations can be made online or in-person at the Carrboro Farmers Market. Pick-up will be Saturday, November 18 at Carrboro Farmers Market and also the Cobblestone Farmers Market in Winston-Salem, NC. Raleigh pick-up TBA.
Farming practices: We raise pasture-raised, GMO-free Thanksgiving turkeys. Our flock of non-GMO Broad-Breasted White turkeys is rotated to fresh pasture weekly, where they graze and hunt grasshoppers and bask in the glorious fall sun. Our turkeys are a centerpiece with a story to tell and a flavor that will be remembered well after the guests return home!
Contact info:

Ninja Cow Farm, Dan Moore
Location: Raleigh, NC
How to order: We take deposits in-store only.
Farming practices: The pasture-raised, non-GMO fed turkeys come from Brittany Ridge Farm, who also provides rabbit and chicken to Vivian Howard of PBS’s A Chef’s Life. We are a retail outlet for Brittany Ridge, which is one of our partner farms. 
Contact Info:

    Eastern NC

    Shenk Family Farm, Rachel Shenk
    Location: Newport, NC
    How to order: Deposit via website. Pick up on farm.
    Farming practices: Pastured raised with non-gmo feed.
    Contact info:

    Bynum Family Farm, Kristina Bynum
    Location: Maysville, NC
    How to order: Fresh, never frozen turkeys are available for reservation now! Order here. Pickup is the Saturday before Thanksgiving at The Market at Cedar Point or on the farm!
    Farming practices: Our turkeys are raised on green pastures, the way nature intended, and are given non-gmo feed that is grown and milled in NC.
    Contact info:

     

    Midlands SC

    Project Victory Gardens, Matthew Rutter
    Location: Townville, SC
    How to order: Join us for a true farm-to-table experience! We have a limited number of heritage-breed Bourbon Red turkeys. You will have the opportunity to join us on the farm on Nov. 19th and help process your own turkey, dress it out for Thanksgiving, and make an incredible brine to bring out the wonderful flavor. The price includes your turkey, a custom brine mix, a farm-to-table demonstration, including the opportunity to taste a turkey expertly prepared in the Farm Kitchen, a custom recipe book with some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes, and an experience to last a lifetime. Bring your family! We can make other arrangements if you would rather not participate in the butchering process. Hens should weigh approximately 12-16 pounds and Toms approximately 16-18 pounds. The price is $10/pound. Military, veterans, and first responders pay $6/pound. This is a very limited opportunity. We only anticipate only 20-25 turkeys being available. Please secure your spot early with a $50 deposit.
    Farming practices: Our heritage breed Bourbon Red turkeys free range across the whole property. They are supplemented with locally milled food. Heritage breeds are known for their exceptional taste and rich flavor. Project Victory Gardens is Certified South Carolina and Homegrown by Heroes. It is also a 501(c3) veteran-operated agricultural education nonprofit organization.
    Contact info:

    Up On Cedar Knoll Farm, Jackie Cavallin
    Location: Blythewood, SC
    How to order: Email us first to confirm availability. Reservations are confirmed by receipt of a $20 deposit per turkey. The deposit can be sent as a check via Paypal using our email address or via Square. Please include the desired weight range when making a deposit/reservation. Average weights for our Bourbon Reds, after processing, are 7-11 pounds for young hens, 11-19 pounds for young Toms, both at $10.00/lb. Smaller to mid-range weight birds reserve out quickly! As always, turkeys will be fresh, not frozen, and come with roasting instructions. We will humanely harvest on-farm Saturday, Nov. 19. Pickups will be on-farm on Sunday, Nov. 20, and Monday, Nov. 21. We do not ship. Balance due at pick up: cash, check, Paypal, Square for debit/credit card.
    Farming practices: We raise heritage Bourbon Reds, which are laid, hatched, and raised free-range (cage-free) on our small farm. These turkeys forage naturally on our wooded pastures and are supplemented with herbs, various plants & trees, acorns, and also vegetables grown in our garden. Never any antibiotics, no added hormones. SCDOA Meat/Poultry Handlers License: H-00-218, SC.
    Contact info:

    Five Forks Sustainable Farm, Lisa and Taylor Rees
    Location: Pageland, SC
    How to order: We prefer email, a personal message on Facebook, or ordering through our online store. Please let us know the approximate desired weight. Price is $8/lb, with pickup at Union County Farmers Market or at the farm. A deposit of $20 is required and can be made online. We can deliver with a small delivery charge.
    Farming practices: We are raising a small flock of 35-40 Broad-Breasted turkeys on pasture with supplemental feed. Turkeys range from 10-30 lbs. Order early for the best selection of desired weight.
    Contact Info:

    Oakley Family Farm, Nicola Hardesty-Oakley
    Location: Barnwell, SC
    How to order: We are currently taking deposits on turkeys. The turkeys will be processed on Saturday, Nov. 19, or Sunday, Nov. 20. Customer can decide and pick up will be the same day as processing.
    Farming practices: Our turkeys are raised without antibiotics or hormones. We never use fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or insecticides on any of our land.
    Contact Info:

    Raven Micro Farm LLC, Rachel and Steven Roth
    Location: Pageland, SC
    How to order: Please either email or call us.
    Farming practices: Raven Micro Farm offers a truly free-ranged, silvopastured, soy free, corn-free and non-GMO fed turkey.
    Contact Info:

    Lowcountry SC

    Blue Sky Sunny Day Organic Farm, Tim Rowe
    Location: Walterboro, SC
    How to order: Email if interested and to see if we still have birds available.
    Farming practices: Free-range certified organically raised turkeys. Pasture-raised since three weeks old on our certified organic pastures eating bugs, grasses, and feed from Reedy Fork Farm in North Carolina. $7.00/pound, frozen.
    Contact Info:

    Chucktown Acres, Alex Russell
    Location: McClellanville, SC
    How to order: All orders will be placed on our website. Turkeys will go on sale in late September
    Farming practices: Regenerative. Pasture-raised. Non-Gmo.
    Contact Info: