Ferndale Market

Type: Farm

Produces: Turkey

Location: Cannon Falls, MN

Miles from Coop: 208

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Traditional Methods: 75 Years of Raising Free-Range Turkeys

Fern and Dale started their farm in 1939, selecting the land for its perfect turkey raising qualities: sandy soil, in a river valley abutting Little Cannon River, which provides excellent drainage for healthy outdoor animal-raising conditions: “I gain more appreciation for it every year,” John gives a nod to his grandparents.

“My grandfather was a bit of a visionary for his time, a pioneer in wanting to grow turkeys for a living. Before that, everyone would just grow a few backyard turkeys for themselves.”

While the farm was initially on-trend by specializing (amid the great transition in agriculture from self-sufficiency family farming to specialization and commodity farming), they bucked the trend when animal-raising turned to confinements: “We were the holdouts after everyone else had quit raising them outside.”

Free-range, naturally:

“This is the only way my grandfather would have known how to raise turkeys – and everyone used to,” John notes.

The old fashioned methods have come back into vogue in the post-Omnivore’s Dilemma era, when people once again want to know where their food comes from. While Ferndale’s free-range turkeys are “perceived as being niche or specialty market,” John points out, “it makes me chuckle because, really, we’ve changed very little.”

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Two Words: Rotational Grazing

It’s music to a conscientious omnivore’s ears:

“We keep [the turkeys] rotating onto fresh pasture. It’s a true free-range program, outdoors from early spring.”

Managing their two fifteen- and twenty-acre turkey ranges is labor intensive, but “We take pride in managing the land well, and we never have to use pesticides or herbicides. When you do it right, it’s a closed-loop, with the turkeys fertilizing the grass,” – not to mention eating the bugs (all of which makes the turkey taste good).

Also unlike conventional turkeys, Ferndale has a no antibiotics nor growth promotants policy: “There’s the most pride for us in not using treatment antibiotics, as it’s a testament that we’re doing it right.”

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      Roasted Ferndale Turkeys (featured above)  are included in New Pi's Holiday Meal package.

 

The Turkey Tip to Rule them All (from the turkey farmer):

You’ll have a tasty turkey with any cooking method if you buy a good turkey and don’t overcook it.

THE RULE: It’s done when it hits 165°F (taken with a meat thermometer).

Let it rest 15 minutes for the juices to stabilize, and you should have a good bird.


Ferndale Market Products

Checkout these great products from Ferndale Market

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Ground Turkey

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Gluten Free Spinach and Feta Turkey Sausage

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Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Turkey Sausage

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Whole Turkey

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Uncured Cranberry Turkey Sticks

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Uncured Turkey PepperJack Sticks


Other Local Producers

Be sure to check out these others great local producers!

Larry Schultz Organic Farm

Larry Schultz Organic Farm

“They have that old-fashioned flavor, the way turkeys used to taste. I think you’ll agree there isn’t a more tasty bird around!”

Owatonna, MN

Wilson's Orchard

Wilson's Orchard

They have a robust pick-your-own apple business at the farm, where they also make apple cider, apple turnovers, and apple cider donuts, and they grow pumpkins. What more could you ask for?

Iowa City, IA

Jorge's Organics

Jorge's Organics

The best part of what I do is that I enjoy every bit of what I do. I like to work in the soil, seeding, taking care of plants, harvesting...but the best part is enjoying a fresh healthy meal

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Echollective Farm & CSA

Echollective Farm & CSA

Echollective Farm feels more like a family than a business. Members of this collective garden and CSA make their decisions gathered around the kitchen table.

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Joanna's

Joanna's

Joanna's tonic syrups are handcrafted in small batches, and made with natural ingredients to create the perfect additions to both cocktails and mocktails.

Iowa City, IA

Oak Hill Acres

Oak Hill Acres

Andy manages over 4,000 flower cuttings in their two greenhouses and thirty acres of organic produce.

Atalissa, IA

Old Capitol Tofu

Old Capitol Tofu

Jake, Matthew, and the gang at Old Capitol Food Co. make their local organic tofu in Iowa City with organic Iowa soybeans and pure, reverse osmosis water for the freshest, cleanest tasting tofu around.

Iowa City, IA

Thousand Hills Cattle Co.

Thousand Hills Cattle Co.

Thousand Hills sources beef from small Midwestern independent family farms that must meet the most stringent requirements around.

Cannon Falls, MN