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Troll Bridge Farm, located in Arcade, N.Y., offers broad-breasted white turkeys for Thanksgiving, typically weighing between 16 and 19 pounds. Priced at $5 per pound, the total cost ranges from $80 to $95, up from $3.50 per pound in 2019. The farm purchases the turkeys as poults for $10 each and raises them in a brooder for the first five weeks, incurring electricity costs of about $60 per month.
The farm invests in a water station wagon and shelter for the pasture, costing around $800 to build, with an additional $400 spent on wood flooring replacement. Water is stored in 250-gallon totes priced at approximately $75 each. Pine shavings serve as bedding for the brooder, with costs ranging from $8 to $25 per week, up from $5 to $20 in 2019. Feed expenses have increased to 28 cents per pound, with turkeys consuming nearly one pound of feed daily.
Electric fencing for containment in the pasture costs $300 every three years, up from $250 in 2019, with a fence charger priced at $350 and expected to last 10 years. Processing each bird at the slaughterhouse costs around $10, up from $5 per bird in 2019, covering butchering, inspecting, bagging, and labeling.
The turkeys at Troll Bridge Farm are pasture-raised, with a focus on maintaining natural practices such as avoiding beak cutting and toe clipping common in large corporate farms. Lisa Skillman, who operates the farm with her family, has a background in farming and a passion for working with animals and the outdoors.
Originally starting with goats in 2007 and later adding turkeys, chickens, and pigs in 2018, Ms. Skillman’s farm experienced increased demand for pasture-raised animals in 2020 due to meat shortages in grocery stores during the pandemic. This year, the farm sold out of its 41 turkeys earlier than ever, on Nov. 3, reflecting the growing interest in locally sourced, sustainable meats.
With many farms in the area facing high demand and even turning away customers, Troll Bridge Farm stands out for its commitment to natural farming practices and providing quality pasture-raised turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Source: The NY Times
