by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author Turkeys are amazing. This has been our first year raising these beautiful, large birds and I must say I’ve learned a lot! When we first decided to raise turkeys, I thought they would be like big chickens. And granted, many things about their care are similar. But the personality […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author I opened the garden gate the other day with a little tinge of sadness. I wasn’t going in to pick a delicious fruit or vegetable, but instead, rallied the chickens toward the door. The rusty horseshoe that we found while plowing has kept the gate closed to the chickens […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author When I received the photos of Dickie Bird Farm, it was the rural ambiance that attracted me to this entry. The rich monotone browns of the barn wood and the sunlight through the chinks in the boards gives it an almost candlelit glow. Our barn is like this, and […]

by Herman Beck-Chenoweth, J. R. Smyth Jr. and B.C. Wentworth Turkeys are so fascinating, fast and large that Benjamin Franklin suggested that the turkey would be suitable as our national bird. “I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country,” Franklin wrote. “He is a bird of bad moral […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author It was a difficult decision to decide to raise our own heritage turkeys. These nine little poults are the first animals that we’ve raised with the sole purpose of harvesting for meat. And while I’m not a vegetarian, I’m still having some emotional issues bridging the gap between cute […]

by Suzanne Roark Photos by author Thinking of raising up a turkey for Thanksgiving or any other holiday or for any day really? Here are a few bits of advice and knowledge I’ve picked up in my experiences with turkeys. Just a few short years ago the choices for the average person to have a […]

by Suzanne Roark Photos by author Every year it seems like we are behind the eight ball when it comes to getting ready for the winter. It’s not like we don’t know winter is coming and what we’re in for, we just always seem to get caught up in other things. So you can image […]

by Suzanne Roark Photos by author   Fall and winter are my favorite seasons. Something about the days growing darker and colder, the sweet smell of decaying leaves and finally the quiet awe of the first snowfall. Thanksgiving is not far away when the trees grow bare. Fall is the perfect time for reflection and […]

by Don Schrider, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy — Illustration by Georges Louis LeClerc Buffon On Feb. 25, 2008, about 70 people congregated at Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Va., to take part in a blind taste test comparing one variety of industrial turkey and eight varieties of heritage turkey. All the food professionals, chefs, food connoisseurs […]

Guest post by Candice Last Saturday, my son, daughter, and granddaughter all came over to help decorate the “real” Christmas tree. Since the back half of our property is sand, we grow our own. We all hiked back to the field and looked over this year’s selection. Hubby climbed under the branches and sawed off […]