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i learned recently that an average, organic, pasture-raised turkey only grows to about 12-15lbs naturally. so that 30lb bird you're thinking of cooking up comes with a bonus: growth hormones! i hope that at the LEAST, we love our families enough to not serve them biochemicals.

Heather, i love this post!

here are a couple more things:

LocalHarvest catalogs farms, markets, restaurants, ect that are growing and serving the best items for and on the planet. a sorted list of member farms and markets is here: http://www.localharvest.org/inarea.jsp?lat=34.448124&lon=-119.25256&ty=-1&rad=50&zip=93023

also, perhaps we could consider having a home screening of a brief documentary on exactly the subject that Heather raises, followed by a discussion! HopeDance FiLMS rents out their films, and they've got a 13-minute one called "Meet Your Meat": Nine billion animals are raised and killed every year in the U.S. This video shows the lives and deaths of chickens, cows and pigs and makes poignant case for vegetarianism.

you can also go - right now! - to http://www.themeatrix.com and watch several brilliant Flash animations about the meat industry in our country.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
-Mahatma Gandhi

A great and timely post. I am mostly vegetarian. I don't buy meat or fish, but will eat it occasionally if it is offered at a place I'm eating at. I subscribe to the Indian philosophy, both in India and as in American Indian. In a climate like India, and with its cow culture, I'd foreswear meat entirely. In the northern climates, I'd eat meat only to survive, like the American Indians, or the eskimos. And then, I'd kill animals, with their permission, after prayers and sacrifices of grains to the gods. I'm against the killing of animals, but in some climates it seems necessary. And, there is the fact that animals kill animals. On their level, killing seems built into nature.

I go to the Hare Krishna meetings at Bill Roberts house in Mira Monte, on the first and third Tuesdays at 7:30. This coming Tuesday, he's having a free tofu turkey feast. Everyone is welcome, and you don't have to subscribe to the Hare Krishna theology or lifestyle. There's always a free vegetarian meal at 8:30 after the readings, chanting, and discussion. I personally love the Radha and Krishna theology, and I can distinguish that from the cultural conditioning. The Indian culture is wonderful, and has largely resisted the awful aspects of westernization, although terrible inroads are now being made. If you're interested, you can give me a call at 302-2431, for directions or information; or call Bill Roberts himself at 640-0405. The Krishna lifestyle of course includes vegetarianism.

By the way, when God said "Do not kill" to Moses, did she mean men or animals, or both? I think the turkeys would vote for both.

So where are some good places to get an organic, pasture-raised turkey in this area?

Here are a couple leads my wife turned up for others that might be interested:

http://www.diamondorganics.com/prod_detail_list/89

http://www.wellnessgrocer.com/organic-valley-turkey-10-14lbs-p-1501.html?=

Robert:
per my search, nowhere close. at least, nowhere close enough that the good karma of acquiring it would balance with the bad karma of having driven so far to get it (unless, of course, you're in a hybrid or electric car).

poke around inside that localharvest.org site that's linked in the third post from the top, and see what you can find...

What about the heritage turkies that Rainbow Bridge and Westridge pre-sell each year?

Farmer and the Cook have some frozen birds available.