Having worked for the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, I’ve answered many frazzled cooks questions. So I am here at the Community Winter Market, November 21, 2009 to guide you to a successful and less stressful Thanksgiving Day turkey. Even if you know your way around a drumstick there are questions to be answered and this Turkey Lady will do her best to help you become your own Holiday Hero.

The big question at this point in the game in early November is does size really matter. Well for sure! If you want to have ample portions but little or no leftovers plan on 1 pound per person. If you want to savor delicious turkey sandwiches the next day, or you have plans for some scrumptious casseroles in the days ahead you better plan on 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person. Sounds like a lot well think about this you’ve got to remember you are not buying a boneless, skinless cut of meat. The overall weight when you buy a turkey includes bones, packaging, giblets and something called drip weight. So plan ahead and buy 1 ½ pounds per person you can always freeze your leftovers for another day.

I invite you to visit my website at TurkeyTools.com if you need to Talk Turkey to Me or pick up your copy of my cookbook, Talk Turkey to Me, at Inglenook Pantry, 11 North 5th Street, Geneva IL on your next trip to the Community Winter Market. Find out why the FOOD NETWORK featured me as a turkey expert in a Throwdown! with Bobby Flay!

You can still enjoy the benefits of a local farmers’ market with the comfort of it being indoors during the cold months! Come buy the same food that you would at the Geneva Green Market, and there’s still time to order your heritage or broad breasted white turkey for Thanksgiving.

During this transitional period, the Geneva Green Market, NFP will be holding weekly meetings. Check our website for times and dates. Everyone is welcome at the meetings, but if you want to get involved, talk to a board member at the Community Winter Market to find out how you can become a member.

On Saturday, November 21st, the Community Winter Market will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving Localvore Challenge. Participating vendors will have the majority of the ingredients you will need to eat an entirely local Thanksgiving dinner. Sign up early for local free-range turkeys.

For the months of November and December the market will be held every Saturday for the first three weeks of each month. Check out the web site for future days in 2010.

Featured farmers/producers:  Curd and Whey Cheese Shop, Erehwon Farm Esther’s Place, Farm direct Black Angus, Grandma’s Farm Fresh Eggs, Hasselmann Family Farm, Inglenook Panty, Robinson Family Farm, Stojan’s Vegetables, Tomato Mountain Farm, Twin Gardens, and Webb Family Farm.

Galena Cellars Vineyard and Winery proudly offers you more than 40 distinct, award-winning and nationally recognized varieties, and will be sampling at the Thanksgiving Festival. Local wines can enhance your Thanksgiving Feast, and change the way you think about eating local. In order to make your meal truly local, Galena Cellars helps you find whatever wine suites your taste.

You must be 21 to enter their web site: www.galenacellars.com

On Saturday, November 21st, the Community Winter Market will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving Localvore Challenge. The vendors will have the majority all the ingredients you will need to eat an entirely local Thanksgiving dinner. Sign up early for local free-range turkeys.

Irv Pavlik will be a feature musical guest at the Thanksgiving Festival,  Saturday November 21 and Holiday Festival on December 19.  Check out his music on youtube http://www.youtube.com/irvpav

The R Family Farm

www.R-FamilyFarm
Poplar Grove, IL 61065
815.519.4341 – Cindee
cjrobinson0217 [at] msn [dot] com

• Broad Breasted White Turkeys $4 a lb
  
• Bourbon Red $5/lb
• Delivery Charge to the Community Winter Market, Geneva,  IL.  $1 per pound ($15 maximum) or you can pick up at the R-Family Farm’s Open house, Poplar Grove.
  

R Family Farm raises Broad Breasted White and Bourbon Red Turkeys. Cornish Cross Broilers, and assorted chickens for eggs, goats for milk and meat, and Berkshire pigs.  All of the animals are raised out on pasture, as nature intended.  We also grind and mix our own feed here on the farm.  Each set of animals has their own “mix”.  The chickens and turkeys get raosted soybeans, flax, kelp, a probiotic, and other good things.  The broilers and turkeys are raised in hoop houses to keep them safe from foxes.  The hoop houses are moved every day to fresh grass.

Bourbon Red turkeys are a heritage breed and are excellent in taste. The Bourbons are a very slow growing bird and take 26-28 weeks to reach full growth and will reach up to 14 pounds.

The Broad Breasted White Turkeys are very fast growing and only take 16 to 18 weeks to be ready to eat.  They grow 12 to 30 pounds.  We use NO hormones,  No steroids, and NO antibiotic in any of our feed!  The turkeys are processed at an Amish federally inspected facility.

Hasselmann Family Farm

www.hasselmannfamilyfarm.com
Milledgeville, Illinois
815.493.8630 – Scott
hasselmannfarm [at] gmail [dot] com

Family run farm located in beautiful northwestern, Illinois near the town of Lanark, two hours northwest of Chicago. As fourth generation farmers, they raise Berkshire hogs, Milking Shorthorn cattle, Suffolk sheep, Moscovy ducks, chickens, goats, and Broad Breasted White turkeys.

All their livestock and produce is raised outdoors on pasture in harmony with the natural environment. Their pigs can be pigs and play in the mud and their chickens can be chickens and scratch in the soil.

• The Broad Breasted Whites are $4 per pound
• Delivery Charge to the Community Winter Market, Geneva,  IL.  $1 per pound ($15 maximum)

Grandma’s Farm Fresh Eggs

Sugar Grove, IL 60554
630-466-4616 – Bonnie/Paul
grandmasfarmfresheggs [at] yahoo [dot] com

Grandma’s Farm Fresh Eggs will also be selling turkeys. Our family primarily raises chickes, turkeys, quail for eggs all are allowed on pasture or fed hay and grains when not on pasture. Talk to them directly at their booth at the Geneva Green Market to find out more information or via email.

• Black Spanish Heritage Breed $6 a lb includes delivery to the Community Winter Market

We purchased our little piece of paradise, our nursery and home in 2001. We were so joyful and appreciative of our find, a neglected farmhouse on 5 acres of potential along the Fox River. Much of the property was infested with garlic mustard, invasive roses and poison ivy, and everywhere a generous distribution of car parts, tires, glass and other trash from generations before us laying about the property, it was not as conducive to the wildlife, the birds and the butterflies we had hoped to be there. After many years of much intense effort, and ongoing hauling, scouring and hand pulling, our property is becoming a fit paradise, providing the healthy habitat for the birds and butterflies we wanted to see, as well as for the insects, frogs, ducks, heron, deer and more. We see so much more.

We also have encouraged a balance of biodiversity on our land, maintaining a portion for human enjoyment and well being, and a portion for earth and wildlife. It is important to us to care for ourselves, our earth and our community in keeping a healthy, safe and beautiful environment for all.

As we grew our nursery, we reserved the portion of our property which lies along the river to be left unfarmed. Now it not only acts as a natural buffer between our nursery and the river, but it has recovered beautifully. Native plants regenerated throughout the area, providing not only peaceful, lovely surroundings for ourselves, but also the food, water, and shelter needed by the surrounding wildlife. We have especially encouraged birds to visit and stay, we leave our fallen hollowed trees, along with installed bat-houses, birdhouses and such, because not only are birds beautiful and one of our joys, but they help control many of the pests we would otherwise need to contain by other more invasive and means.

The plants we grow and install help cleanse the air and water, reduce noise and control erosion. We have a diverse variety of fruiting and flowering plants, the whole property rich with food and shade for many a beneficial predatory and pollinating insect to live well. The perennial plants we grow are kept healthy and chosen for their strength and disease resistance, as well as for their beauty.

We mulch and use compost throughout our property, which not only helps conserve water, but requires little weed maintenance, and reduces the air pollution and gas consumption involved in mowing those areas. It also helps reduce our waste; in composting we are able to reclaim much of our organic material for the land. Both of these actions helps transport and create an abundance of microbial life within the soil, factors that contribute to our little need for additional pest and disease controls. This also contributes to our soil being balanced, fertile and rich in nutrients. We make the extra effort so that we don’t need to resort to synthetic chemicals for our fungicides, herbicides and pesticides. We never use synthetic chemicals on or around our herbs or vegetables.

We recycle and/or re-use many of our pots and plastic materials and the majority of our organic wastes are composted. We consume responsibly in the first place creating little waste and advise our suppliers of our packaging preferences in the hopes that they too will help in the reduction of waste.

We continue to seek and employ improvements in our operations to further contribute our time and care in a positive way, and we continually strive to understand what best we can do to be true caretakers of our little piece of paradise.

Here is their sustainability statement:

Our family is committed to growing our food and fiber using organic and sustainable methods.  We have chosen to grow our crops and raise our sheep naturally because our Creator destined things to be grown in a way that respects the abundant resources He has blessed us with.

We feel farming with organic methods is the only safe and wise way to farm; thus, we want our family, soil and products to be healthy and pure.  We also believe that it is our responsibility to help others learn techniques for raising their food and fiber all naturally.

Inglenook is also hosting the Geneva Winter Market starting its third season in November on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Peaches that you are currently seeing at the Green Market, will show up in pies and cobblers throughout the winter. Even if you haven’t been canning and freezing this season, you will still be able to eat locally year round.

This movie will put a smile on your face with the understanding of how the conventional agribusiness machine works, because you will know you don’t have to be any part of it.  The hope and inspiration will have a lasting impression. For our health, our children and our future. I highly recommend the whole family come, watch and be inspired.  Karen Stark, Geneva Green Market, NFP

The screening is for the purpose of educating the general public on the importance of eating healthier, locally grown food. Those in attendance will learn why this is such an important movement and how they can participate.

Thank you to the following for helping in bringing this movie to the Fox River Valley.  Batavia Environmental Commission, blue haven Capital LLC – Geneva, Natural Resource Committee, Geneva, Pure Prairie Farm, Batavians for Clean Energy & Conservation, Diane L. Peterson, Klean Kanteen & To Go Ware, Slow Food City’s Edge, Conservation & Garden Dept. of Batavia Women’s Club, Orenda International, Unitarian-Universalist Society of Geneva, and Spiritual Green Connection.