Turkey flocks healthy ahead of the holidays

Heading into Thanksgiving, both Vermont’s wild and domesticated turkey flocks were healthy and plentiful, despite an outbreak of the avian flu in many parts of the nation and the additional hurdle of inflation that challenged Addison County turkey farmers this year.

Tom could get things done, but Lisa kept things going. A perfect team, and a couple who propelled me into a farming career.

One of our native wildlife species historically played an important role on Thanksgiving Day. North America’s native wild turkeys were the ancestors of the Thanksgiving turkey on our dinner table. 

If sales data from Stonewood Farm are any indication, more people are planning to host Thanksgiving meals this year, compared with 2020 during the first year of the pandemic.

Our property has become a bit of a lonely hearts club, at least for our male turkeys. If you recall, last summer we got four day-old poults as pets to keep our full-grown hen turkey company. Sadly, the two young females met a tragic fate, as sometimes hap … (read more)