By: Colleen Heenan
Tis’ the season to honor the turkey, this meaning people stuff their faces with them on November 27th and enjoy turkey sandwiches several days afterwards. If that is not honoring a piece of meat, I don’t know what is!
This will be my first Thanksgiving away from home and away from the related abuse. By abuse I mean, I receive a slew of friendly insults from my three meat-eating brothers because I do not eat meat. I will miss the insults greatly, but I still will not miss the turkey dinner.
This does not mean I frown upon people who consume the flesh of Turkey (or any meat at that) -especially on a day to give thanks for family, friends and food. But, I will gladly give some advice to those who are eco-conscious and want to enjoy a “green” Thanksgiving.
Since we are already talking about the Thanksgiving centerpiece, the bird, let’s look at a few green options. There have always been more then the frozen butterball turkeys to choose from, some of those other turkey choices are just now becoming more of an mainstream option. Let’s take a look:
Local Pasteurized Turkey: These birds are raised locally, which means less traveling for a fresher piece of meat and you support to the community farmers. These birds are usually raised on a diet of bugs and grass. They are able to roam free and are relatively lean in fat. A lot of these local farms will let you meet the bird and choose which one will be joining you on thanksgiving.
Organic Turkey: Most of these turkeys are approved by the USDA for their organic requirements. They are raised with hormone free and are usually feed grains that do not come from GMO crops. But these turkeys are packaged and travel many mile to get on your plate, which is not good for you carbon footprint. Also since these birds are grain fed, you have to wonder about the traveling time of the grains as well.
Heritage Breed: These mail-order birds are making a comeback. These almost-endangered birds have been being reintroduced to the dinner table. They are more delicate to raise, which means they need land to roam, a more primitive diet of bugs and grass and lots of sunshine. They also take a longer time to grow which could be why some prefer their more fatty taste. This does not mean the farmers raise their birds organically or sustainably. One must research where the bird comes from and what they eat.
None of these birds taste like the traditional frozen butterball turkey you were raised on, but they are worth a shot to try. But there are many other things that can fill you table with to make it a “green” Thanksgiving.
In season produce such as winter squash and potatoes can make many fabulous side dishes. Also, you can still find the remains of apple to make a tasty dessert with. And last but not least, a vegetarian Thanksgiving is always a green thanksgiving. It is nice that we have so many options for food; just remember to be thankful for the other great things in your life.
Tis’ the season to honor the turkey, this meaning people stuff their faces with them on November 27th and enjoy turkey sandwiches several days afterwards. If that is not honoring a piece of meat, I don’t know what is!
This will be my first Thanksgiving away from home and away from the related abuse. By abuse I mean, I receive a slew of friendly insults from my three meat-eating brothers because I do not eat meat. I will miss the insults greatly, but I still will not miss the turkey dinner.
This does not mean I frown upon people who consume the flesh of Turkey (or any meat at that) -especially on a day to give thanks for family, friends and food. But, I will gladly give some advice to those who are eco-conscious and want to enjoy a “green” Thanksgiving.
Since we are already talking about the Thanksgiving centerpiece, the bird, let’s look at a few green options. There have always been more then the frozen butterball turkeys to choose from, some of those other turkey choices are just now becoming more of an mainstream option. Let’s take a look:
Local Pasteurized Turkey: These birds are raised locally, which means less traveling for a fresher piece of meat and you support to the community farmers. These birds are usually raised on a diet of bugs and grass. They are able to roam free and are relatively lean in fat. A lot of these local farms will let you meet the bird and choose which one will be joining you on thanksgiving.
Organic Turkey: Most of these turkeys are approved by the USDA for their organic requirements. They are raised with hormone free and are usually feed grains that do not come from GMO crops. But these turkeys are packaged and travel many mile to get on your plate, which is not good for you carbon footprint. Also since these birds are grain fed, you have to wonder about the traveling time of the grains as well.
Heritage Breed: These mail-order birds are making a comeback. These almost-endangered birds have been being reintroduced to the dinner table. They are more delicate to raise, which means they need land to roam, a more primitive diet of bugs and grass and lots of sunshine. They also take a longer time to grow which could be why some prefer their more fatty taste. This does not mean the farmers raise their birds organically or sustainably. One must research where the bird comes from and what they eat.
None of these birds taste like the traditional frozen butterball turkey you were raised on, but they are worth a shot to try. But there are many other things that can fill you table with to make it a “green” Thanksgiving.
In season produce such as winter squash and potatoes can make many fabulous side dishes. Also, you can still find the remains of apple to make a tasty dessert with. And last but not least, a vegetarian Thanksgiving is always a green thanksgiving. It is nice that we have so many options for food; just remember to be thankful for the other great things in your life.
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