2016 Grant Awardee Plainsong Farm

Plainsong Farm is interested in raising rare/heritage turkeys. The breeds of choice are as follows: Black Spanish, Blue Slate, Bourbon Red, Narragansett, White Holland, Chocolate & Royal Palm.

Plainsong Farm would be purchasing turkeys from Murray McMurray Hatchery which specializes in rare fowl. Their farm is highly interested in many heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables as well as heritage breeds of livestock. What’s more, we are interested in presenting these varieties and breeds to their community in a way which makes an impacting statement and empowers people to change the way they eat and view food. One of the biggest food experiences they know of to introduce these items is the Thanksgiving meal with its iconic turkey. The plumped-up butterball is engraved heavily in the minds of individuals and families as they envision the meal. Yet, for all the wonderful images that the Thanksgiving meal puts in people’s heads, the turkey oftentimes lack the flavor (unless smothered with gravy) to meet our expectations. At Plainsong Farm, they believe a meal as big and special as Thanksgiving deserves a table fowl with the complexity of flavor to match.

Moreover, they believe that the many traditions of turkey breeds should be a piece we remember and enact in our other Thanksgiving traditions.

The heritage/rare turkeys raised on their farm will be introduced to the community via many avenues. First, turkeys will be made available to their CSA members around Thanksgiving time so that they can enjoy the fowl for their special meal. The sale of these turkeys will be preceded with an on-farm culinary demonstration on heritage turkeys so that people have a better grasp of how the birds may differ from their standard counterparts. They think this educational piece is critical for people not to be disappointed at something new and different, or feel underprepared to work with heritage meats. Additionally, they are planning to save a few turkeys for select wholesalers (restaurants) that have the culinary expertise to really showcase the complexity and depth of flavor that comes with heritage turkeys.

Grant Application Information