Everything You Need to Know About Pasture-Raised Turkeys (and Cooking a Beautiful Farm-Raised Bird This Thanksgiving)
Thanksgiving is a holiday built around intention, gathering, gratitude, slowing down, and sharing a meal that actually means something. For the past seven years, we’ve been proud to collaborate with Hurd Farm to bring you pasture-raised turkeys raised with care, integrity, and a commitment to true farm-fresh flavor. This long-standing partnership allows us to offer birds that are raised outdoors on pasture, fed a natural diet, and handled with the same high standards we hold for our own farm-raised poultry.
If you’ve been buying our pasture-raised chicken, you already know: once you taste real, responsibly raised poultry, there’s no going back. These Hurd Farm turkeys are the Thanksgiving version of everything you love about our chicken: bigger, richer, and deeper in flavor, with all the benefits of a bird raised in a truly pasture-based system.
Here’s everything you need to know about choosing, preparing, and cooking a truly beautiful farm-raised bird this Thanksgiving.
If You Love Our Pasture-Raised Chicken, You'll Love Pasture-Raised Turkey Too
One thing customers always tell us about our pasture-raised poultry is, “The flavor is just… better.” The same is true, sometimes even more true, for our pasture-raised Thanksgiving turkeys from Hurd Farm.
More Movement = More Flavor
Just like our chickens, these pasture-raised turkeys spend their days rotating through fresh pasture. They forage, flap, peck, explore, dust bathe, and chase grasshoppers.
All that movement means:
fuller, richer flavor
firmer, juicier texture
meat that tastes clean and real
Industrial or “conventional” turkeys cannot compare because they do not get sunshine, space, or a natural diet.
A Little Variation? That Means It’s Real.
If you’ve bought our chickens, you know size isn’t uniform because real animals raised on pasture do not grow factory-perfect. The same is true for Hurd Farm pasture-raised turkeys.
You may notice:
a leaner, more natural breast shape
stronger, more muscular legs
slight size and shape variation
Uniformity is a sign of industrial agriculture. Variation is a sign of authentic pasture-raised poultry with character, flavor, and integrity.
Why Pasture-Raised Turkeys Taste Better
A Diet That Goes Beyond Feed
Hurd Farm turkeys eat grass, seeds, insects, and whatever nature offers that day. That diverse diet creates:
complex flavor
nutrient-dense meat
naturally juicy, satisfying finished bird
It is the same difference you taste in our pasture-raised chicken.
Sunshine, Space, and Fresh Air = Quality
Pasture access impacts flavor more than most people realize.
The way an animal lives becomes the way the food tastes.
Ethical, Regenerative, Local
Pasture-based systems:
build soil
honor the animal
protect local farmland
strengthen the Seacoast NH food system
When you buy a local Thanksgiving turkey near you, you support a farming model that values land, animals, and community.
How Much Pasture-Raised Turkey Do You Need?
A simple rule:
1–1.5 lbs per person (maybe? this isn’t based in science…just experience!)
Choose larger if you want leftovers, and trust me, you want leftovers
Pasture-raised birds are flavorful and satisfying, so you get more mileage from each pound.
Prepping and Cooking Your Fresh Pasture-Raised Turkey
1. Let It Come to Temperature
Allow your fresh turkey to rest at cool room temperature for a short period before roasting. This ensures even cooking and juicy, flavorful meat.
2. Brine for Extra Flavor
Pasture-raised turkeys already have incredible flavor, but a brine—especially one of our Stock + Spice kits from the farm store—adds extra moisture and seasoning.
3. Dry for Crispy Skin
Pat the skin dry before roasting. Moisture produces steam, while dry skin yields beautifully crisp, golden skin.
4. Butter and Herbs
Like our pasture-raised chicken, a little butter under the skin plus fresh herbs elevates the flavor:
Local butter
Garlic
Rosemary, sage, thyme (PS we should have fresh herbs in the farm store!)
5. Cooking Temperatures
Whole turkey: Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing.
Turkey parts (breasts, thighs, wings): Should also reach 165°F (74°C) internally.
Stuffing inside turkey: Should reach 165°F (74°C) if cooked inside the bird.
Tip: Use a reliable meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone. Let the turkey rest for 15–20 minutes after cooking; the temperature may rise slightly during this time.
6. Rest Before Carving
Let the turkey rest before slicing so juices redistribute and the meat stays tender.
Flavor Combinations (All Available at the Farm Store)
Farmhouse Classic: Local butter, fresh garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme
Maple Herb Glaze: Local NH maple syrup, butter, cracked pepper
Citrus and Fennel: Orange zest, fennel seed, olive oil
Need help planning flavors? Just ask—we love helping families create the perfect Thanksgiving meal.
Everything for Your Local Thanksgiving Meal Is at the Farm Store
The Vernon Family Farm Store makes it easy to shop local for Thanksgiving. We carry:
Eggs, local butter, cream, milk, soft and hard cheeses, yogurts, etc
Stock + Spice brine kits, turkey stuffing spice blends, pie spicing and more!
Garlic, onions, shallots
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots, parsnips, beets
Mushrooms, cabbage, kale, spinach, arugula
GF Frozen blueberry crumble (limited amount!)
Our own bone broth
Local cranberries, cider, apples, honey, jams, and seasonal goods
Fresh baked sourdough, GF sourdough breads, rolls and more
All our own pasture raised meats: chicken, lamb, pork and beef
One stop, all local, all from farms you trust in Newfields, NH.
SHARE YOUR MEAL WITH US
Tag us in your Instagram & Facebook stories @vernonfamilyfarm
We love to see you in the kitchen!
