Trusted purveyors of delicious birds.

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You only get one or two chances to cook turkeys right every year, so make sure the centerpiece of your holiday table is a flavorful bird raised naturally by farmer's who care about the environment. There are plenty of places that will kick-start the process for you if you're cooking your own, so you won't have to do as much cooking on the big day if you're cooking your own. 

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But if you're cooking yourself, you want to get the best raw gobbler possible. Several types of whole and raw turkeys, as well as brined, smoked, sauteed, and roasted turkeys are available online from reputable purveyors that you won't find in a big-box grocery store's freezer section. Pre-order one now so you don't have to worry about the green bean casserole next year.

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Crowd Cow

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There has been a long tradition of raising animals among the Amish in the Mid-Atlantic region for centuries. In addition to the passion they have for being stewards of the land, they also maintain a traditional way of life, resulting in a high-quality, broad-breasted bird that is both succulent and low in fat, 2.5 grams per 4 ounce. During the season of Thanksgiving, Crowd Cow offers a 15-18-pound pasture-raised turkey which can be shipped frozen from one of its independent farmers in Amish Country, in addition to providing a voucher for all of the animals that are shipped out of this company all over the country.

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Porter Road

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Try a Porter Road turkey to find out if happy turkeys taste better. The chef-owners of this Nashville-based meat shop make sure the animals are raised in the best possible environment by visiting them regularly. They source all their meat from trusted farms in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Jolly Barnyard in Southwest Kentucky will supply Porter Road with its Thanksgiving turkeys this year.

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In addition, they sell whole turkeys weighing 13-15.5 pounds, which usually serve up to 15 people and can be shipped frozen. At Jolly Barnyard, the birds roam freely outside on outdoor pastures, foraging for bugs and foliage as wild turkeys do. The birds are exercised, socialized, and are presumably very happy.

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The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint

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The one person who orders turkey at a barbecue joint is always that one person. The turkey, if you can believe it, is the star of the barbecue pit at Guy Fieri-approved The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Instead of saucy ribs, pulled pork, or sausage, it's turkey. The company's whole smoked turkeys are now available through Gold Belly for delivery. Using sweet pecan wood, the shed slow smokes whole birds for 27 hours, giving them a crispy exterior and a tender interior.

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Heritage Fiids

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In the selection of your bird, you probably haven't considered its DNA, but that's all poultry farmer Frank Reese thinks about. For four generations, his family has raised heritage turkeys, which are the oldest continuous breeding line in North America. These rare and endangered breeds are only raised and sold by Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch on a commercial basis that is USDA certified.

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The flocks are encouraged to roam freely on pastures and mate naturally because they are purebred, one of eight varieties of Standardbred turkeys in existence. This ranch offers fresh heritage turkeys that are 16-18 pounds in size, never frozen, and come with the neck, giblets and the satisfaction of supporting the ranch.

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Williams Sonoma

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It is convenient to purchase a prebrined turkey to save time and space in the refrigerator. Willie Bird turkeys are grown on the farm and roam freely on grassy, oak tree-shaded hills in Sonoma County, where they eat natural grains and roam freely. In addition to being free-range, pre-brined, organic turkeys are soaked in the signature autumn spice brine made by Williams Sonoma.

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The savory blend includes fruits and herbs like apples, juniper berries, lemons, garlic, peppercorns and rosemary. Once cooked, the bird turns out extra flavorful and extra juicy, sans the extra work.