Misty
Knoll
by
Suzanne Fisher
Nestled on
twenty-two acres in the Champlain
Valley basin, far from
the industrial factory farms
that mass produce most of the poultry our nation consumes, is a family
farm where
turkeys roam and enjoy green grass, fresh Vermont air and sunshine. These
turkeys do
not suffer the indignities of antibiotics to keep them from dying of
diseases brought
on by overcrowding, nor are they fed hormones that artificially cause
them to
swell to larger, more marketable sizes. They eat regionally produced
grain
grown about an hour away, in Canada,
and bugs and green plants. Each flock of birds stays together, lives in
an
enclosed, untreated pasture, and is moved to fresh fields when needed.
They are
given protection from the elements by rain shelters in each area. When
the time
for them to be harvested comes, they are not shipped by truck in cages
to a
factory but instead go down to the processing building at the farm
where they
were raised.
Chickens
are also raised at the farm. They live in specially designed chicken
houses in
which they roam free and have access to ample fresh air and water,
natural
grain feed, and clean bedding. Like the turkeys, the chickens also live
without
drugs and are harvested and processed on the farm.
Misty Knoll
Farm has been at this location on Route 17 in New Haven, Vermont
about fifteen years, and is owned by John Palmer and his nephew, Rob
Litch. New
Haven is between Burlington and Rutland, in Addison County, which is
one of the
areas of Vermont that remain largely agricultural, due in part to the
milder
weather they experience as a result of being close to Lake Champlain.
The farm
was an old dairy when they purchased it and turned the barns into their
own
processing plant. They also have added an additional 20 acres for
turkeys, and
are experimenting with popcorn and pumpkins on another 90 acres.
This year
Misty Knoll plans to bring more than 21,000 free-range, naturally grown
turkeys
and over 75,000 free roaming, naturally grown chickens to market. These
are
sold whole, in parts, or in pies made on the farm to natural food
stores,
restaurants and supermarkets throughout the Northeast. Although these
numbers may
look large to our members at Honest Weight, Rob says that in comparison
to the
big producers of poultry, the production at Misty Knoll is “not even a
blip on
the screen.” He prefers it that way, though, because staying small
helps them
to stay in control of the quality of what they produce, and to keep the
farm healthy
and productive without the use of chemicals.
If
you are wondering how the end products compare to conventionally
produced
poutry, you should take a look at the chefs’ comments on their website
or
cruise the internet for articles about their farm. The website is www.mistyknollfarm.com
and also lists some recipes from regional chefs that sound
wonderful. Be
sure not to read them when you are hungry! But for advice about
roasting a
Thanksgiving turkey, our in-house consultant Gustav has some good
recommendations to make.
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