Fresh From Our Farmers: Talking turkey for Thanksgiving (w/video)

If you have not yet settled on what you’ll prepare for Thanksgiving, there is still plenty of time, whether you want a traditional feast or something different.

Sebastopol’s Victorian Farmstead is taking orders for heritage breed turkeys and the familiar broad-breasted turkeys, both from BN Ranch.

“BN” stands for Bill Niman, the well-known rancher who sold his meat company a number of years ago and is now raising turkeys and beef at his farm in Bolinas. The turkeys roam the pastures, foraging as they like to do, exploring, soaking up sun and roosting in trees. Their diet is supplemented with a special made-to-order vegetarian feed that contains no GMOs and no corn. They are sold fresh, not frozen.

The broad-breasted turkeys are $7.75 a pound, the heritage birds $9.75 a pound. Weight ranges from about 10 pounds up to 22 pounds. To reserve a turkey, head to vicfarmmeats.com, where you’ll be able to choose its size and pick-up location.

Not all sizes are available for pre-order, Adam Parks of Victorian Farmstead explained in a conversation last week. He does not know how many medium-sized heritage turkeys will be available or how many large broad-breasted turkeys there may be. You can always change your order at pick-up if the size you prefer is available.

Heritage turkeys have more flavor and a richer texture than their broad-breasted cousins and require slightly different treatment in the kitchen. You’ll find instructions for preparing a heritage turkey at “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. No matter the type of turkey, allow about 1 pound raw weight per person.

If you don’t want turkey, you are not alone. Parks has found that leg of lamb, chuck roast and his house-made porchetta are very popular for Thanksgiving. These all can be ordered through the website, as well, or you can stop by the farm’s Chop Shop at Sebastopol’s Community Market, located at 6762 Sebastopol Ave., No. 100, in the Barlow.

Victorian Farmstead raises some of its products but also works with several North Bay ranchers to provide its customers with a wide array of local eggs, poultry and meat. Ranches include Stemple Creek Ranch, Langley Farms, Rossotti Ranch and Salmon Creek Ranch, in addition to BN Ranch. Victorian Farmstead, founded in 1972 by the Parks family, is located at 1220 Gravenstein Highway North in Sebastopol. Christmas tree sales begin the day after Thanksgiving.

In addition to the Chop Shop at Sebastopol’s Community Market, products also are available locally at the Sonoma Farmers Market on Friday morning at Depot Park just north of the town square in Sonoma and at the Community Farmers Market at the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Building on Saturday morning.

For more information, visit vicfarmmeats.com.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 17 books to date, including “Vinaigrettes and Other Dressings.” Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com