Thanksgiving 2019: 11 NJ farms for fresh, local turkeys

Next month, when you gather around the Thanksgiving table, a beautifully browned bird will surely sit at its center.  

Be it brined or basted, stuffed or dressed, roasted, grilled or deep-fried, turkey is the  crown jewel of the holiday meal, a constant among side dishes that change with the whims of the home cook. 

But where will that bird come from? 

Most are supermarket turkeys, many gifted to loyal shoppers as a reward for pre-holiday spending. Others are prepared in restaurant kitchens and enjoyed by families who want a tasty turkey without the hassle. 

A smaller number come directly from local farms, where they are raised for months and reserved in advance by home cooks seeking the freshest poultry possible. This is the story of those turkeys and where to find them. 

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Far Far Away Farms, Allentown

You would never guess that Brian Clayton isn't a full-time farmer.

Forty hours a week, he practices corporate law. But in his off-hours and on weekends, he trades the suit and tie for jeans and a wide-brimmed hat and travels the long, gravel road that leads to his family's small farm.

See Clayton and his farm in the video above.

"I've been wanting to do this since I was a kid," said Clayton, a graduate of nearby Freehold High School. "We do it because we absolutely love it." 

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Clayton, 49, builds fences, maintains the property's renovated 1800s farmhouse, and tends to chickens, turkeys, goats and (sometimes) pigs, finding ways to keep predators at bay. So far this year, foxes and great horned howls have claimed nearly 100 of his fowl.

Brian's wife, Tina, 35, cares for their hundreds of chickens, one of which can lay as many as 200 eggs a year. She cultivates breeding groups and knows the birds' personalities, from the mild-manner rooster who keeps to himself to the hen with an attitude.

Tina gives her a wide berth, especially when there are chicks around. 

At the rear of the farm, on 1½ acres all their own, are the Claytons' few dozen Broad Breasted White turkeys. They arrive as 3-week-old poults, or young fowl, and spend several weeks in protective enclosures. Then they are free to roam the pasture – until their final day comes. 

"We like to say we want all our animals to live a good life and have just one bad day," said Brian Clayton, who processes his turkeys just a few feet from the field where they live. This means no chasing them in the middle of the night and transporting them to another facility, both of which can be traumatizing and, in Clayton's mind, inhumane. 

Far Far Away Farms provides turkeys for Thanksgiving – they are available fresh ($6 per pound) and frozen ($4.75 per pound) and in four sizes up to 31 pounds.  

Go: 131 County Route 526; 908-216-6602, farfarawayfarms.com.

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Dey Farm at Oliveira Acres, Cranbury

The Oliveira family has owned and operated this farm for nearly two decades, and it all began with Elias Oliveira taking a job on the 200-acre property.

Oliveira, originally from Portugal, worked on the farm before becoming business partners with original owner Gordon Dey. When Dey retired, Oliveira took over, and his family continued running the farm after he died in 2017.

The family raises lambs, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks and cows, plus a few hundred turkeys each Thanksgiving. The turkeys weigh between 12 and 25 pounds and are sold at market price; last year's cost was around $70 per bird. 

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"Nothing's frozen, everything's fresh," Jessica Oliveira said. "All our animals our live, they're out in the pasture, grazing on the grass. We really treat our animals well and really pride ourselves on having the best quality."

The animals are processed the morning they are picked up by customers. For Thanksgiving turkeys, supply is first come, first served, and orders are requested at least a week in advance. 

Go: 215 Dey Road; 609-395-0232.

Goffle Road Poultry Farm, Wyckoff 

If the turkeys at Goffle Road Poultry Farm are good enough for domestic goddess Martha Stewart, they are good enough for us! 

Three years ago, the Bergen County farm provided 5,000 turkeys for Martha & Marley Spoon, a meal-delivery service that offered a complete Thanksgiving meal. The fourth-generation farm, which started in 1948 and has since acquired farm land in Pennsylvania, raises free-range poultry – turkeys, chickens and ducks – without steroids or antibiotics. 

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Their turkeys range in size from 10 pounds to 36 pounds, depending on availability ($3.48 per pound). Orders are accepted through the Saturday before Thanksgiving by phone. Walk-in orders are accepted until turkeys are sold out. 

Go: 549 Goffle Road; 201-444-3238, gofflepoultry.com.

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Griggstown Farm, Princeton

If you have ever visited a farm-to-table restaurant in New Jersey or perused poultry offerings at Whole Foods or Wegmans, you may have seen the name Griggstown Farm. 

“We raise all of the birds ourselves and they’re all housed, processed and distributed at our farm, which makes it so there’s much less stress on the birds and makes for more tender meat,” George Rude Jr., general manager and son of owner George Rude, who founded the farm in 1975, told the USA TODAY NETWORK NJ last Thanksgiving.  “Plus, we feed them an all-natural vegetarian feed diet. We also get our chicks as day-old chickens, and we’ve been using the same hatchery for years.”

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For Thanksgiving, the farm sells nearly 3,000 turkeys, which come oven-ready and brined, if desired. Customers can choose between heirloom turkeys, which weigh between 7 and 18 pounds ($9.90 per pound) and the traditional Broad Breasted White turkey, between 14 and 28 pounds ($4.19 to $5.85 per pound).

Turkeys can be picked up between Nov. 23 and 27 at the Griggstown Farm Store in Princeton as well as markets in Bernardsville, Flemington and Philadelphia. 

Go: Griggstown Farm is at 484 Bunker Hill Road; 908-359-5218, griggstownfarm.com.

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More fresh turkeys:

Ashley Farms, Flanders: For Thanksgiving, the family-owned farm offers turkeys ranging from 14 to 45 pounds ($3.89 per pound). 25 Hillside Ave.; 973-584-7578, ashleyfarmsonline.com.

Hinck's Turkey Farm, Wall: A go-to for fresh turkeys for more than 80 years ($3.69 per pound); 14 Atlantic Ave., Wall; 732-223-5622, hincksfarm.com.

Lee Turkey Farm, East Windsor: A 150-year-old family-owned farm raising 3,000 turkeys each year ($3.69 per pound). 201 Hickory Corner Road; 609-448-0629, leeturkeyfarm.com.

Polnasek Poultry Farm, Hillsborough: An up-and-coming farm raising Broad Breasted White turkeys ranging in size from 12 to 20 pounds ($5.25 per pound). There are 40 available, first come, first served. 751 Mill Lane; 908-420-3364.

Spring Valley Turkey Farm, Old Bridge: Pasture-raised Broad Breasted White turkeys, 16 to 30 pounds ($4.49 per pound). 402 Spring Valley Road; 732-970-5265, springvalleynj.com,

The Farm at Glenwood Mountain, Vernon: The family-owned farm offers pasture-raised Bronze and Broad Breasted White turkeys ranging from 16 to more than 30 pounds ($6.75 per pound). The birds, which eat non-GMO feed made on the farm, are free of steroids, antibiotics and growth hormones. Orders accepted until Nov. 23; pickup will be Nov. 24 and 25 in Vernon, Wayne and Sparta. 1801 County Road 565; 973-446-0020, thefarmnj.com.

Three Meadows Farm, Bedminster: Owned by Somerset Hills Learning Institute, the farm is a job-training site for people with autism. Three Meadows Farm raises Double-Breasted Bronze turkeys from 12 to 30-plus pounds ($4.19 per pound). 1130 Burnt Mills Road; 908-212-1811, threemeadowsfarmnj.com.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey more than 15 years ago and has held a variety of positions since, but the work she does now is her favorite: food writing. Her favorite stories to write are the ones that make a difference for the Shore’s mom and pop restaurants. Write to her at sgriesemer@gannettnj.com and follow @jersey.shore.eats.