Locally sourced, free-range heritage-breed turkey. It’s the ultimate Thanksgiving bird. But you have to pick it up. No one is welcome before 7 p.m. on Turkey night at John Harnois‘ farm. That means driving along rural roads to find the farm in the dark. Since I go by myself, I don’t have a navigator to tell me where to turn, and this year the moon was not full. Last turn: the farm is marked by smudge pots, with a sign that reads “crows yield.”
Webster Township
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There are kids with flashlights to direct traffic. Cars must be parked quite far; some people bring wagons and carry away multiple birds. I follow the smudge pots, past the small buildings and through the smell of chickens to reach what is clearly my destination: a truck with fresh, plastic wrapped turkeys in the back; a table laden with more. “Heritage or Broadbreast?” “How big did you want it?” “Those are over here — is 12 pounds 9 good enough?”
And “Please let me know if you liked it. I want to hear how it tasted.”
Almost as fresh as you could want.
The pictures are dark, but it was a November night! [photo] [photo]