Last year, a trip to the Poulsbo Farmers’ Market’s inaugural “Eat Local for Thanksgiving Market” inspired the idea of an all-local Thanksgiving meal. But one ingredient was noticeably absent.
“It’s no joke getting your hands on local turkeys,” said Lari Seltzer, co-owner of Real Foods, a local, all-organic food store on Bainbridge Island. “I think they’ve all pretty much been spoken for, for weeks now.”
Much like farmers markets, Real Foods has amassed a growing following with its focus on fresh and local food since opening in 2008. The island market/café sells all fresh organic dairy and produce — with greens and fruit coming from local farmers — but for the Thanksgiving holiday, they’ll be bringing in a batch of fresh, free-range organic turkeys from out of state.
Central Market in Poulsbo, another locally minded grocer, also orders its heritage turkeys in from California, noting this region a less-than-optimum climate for raising the bird.
Of the few sources in the area that actually farm heritage turkeys, most typically raise only a few birds and also operate fairly well underground. Many have an already-established clientele, often selling out early in the season.
But as the annual “Eat Local for Thanksgiving” campaign continues amidst an already surging eat local movement, local turkeys are certainly a prized commodity around this time of year.
“That’s the hot topic of the hour,” said local farmer Nikki Johansson, president of the Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance. “Every source I know of is sold out.”
She recommends checking in with Port Orchard area local farm-raised meat store Farmer George, but noted that she’d heard of some local turkeys going at $9 to $10 per pound — translating into, well, you do the math.
And, while finding — not to mention affording — that local turkey may seem next to impossible, eating local for Thanksgiving is “absolutely possible,” says Jackie Aitchison, Poulsbo market manager and executive director of the Washington State Farmers Market Association.
“Turkeys are hard to come by,” Aitchison said. “But you can get potatoes and onions and apples and pumpkins and squash and kale. There’s lettuce, there’s chard, arugula. You can get local ingredients to incorporate local into your holiday.”
This weekend, the Poulsbo market will be open for its second annual ‘Eat Local for Thanksgiving Market’ from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 21 in the basement of the Poulsbo Library at 700 Iverson St., while the Bainbridge market kicks off its winter season that same day at the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church at the corner of Winslow Way and Madison Ave.
