Here’s how to order your own fresh, local turkey

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Turkeys roam freely at Wholesome Valley Farm in Holmes County, Ohio, where they search for sprouts, bugs, and forage on the Clatterbuck’s family farm. Their diet is supplemented by non-GMO, organic feed from other local farmers.

By Mitch Allen

Trevor Clatterbuck’s Fresh Fork Market is a local buying club that delivers Ohio’s agricultural bounty every week to more than 2,000 members throughout Northeast Ohio. The meat, produce, eggs, dairy, breads, canned goods and more come from 100+ farms located within 75 miles of Greater Cleveland.

But Trevor is also a farmer himself, raising all-natural, market and heritage breed turkeys on his family’s Wholesome Valley Farm in Wilmot, Ohio, delivering them just in time for Thanksgiving.

And the good news is, you don’t have to be a current member of the buying club to enjoy your own.

“Our turkeys are raised on pasture, roaming freely,” Trevor explains. “And we plant our pastures intentionally for turkeys. They’re rich in perennial grasses and legumes, as well as annual treats like sunflowers, sorghum, and millet. This encourages their natural foraging behavior, developing healthy and flavorful turkeys.”

Because turkeys need additional supplements from a traditional feed, Trevor sources non-GMO, transitional organic feed from other local farmers.

Trevor and Allyson Clatterbuck with “Mia,” a great pyrenees, at their Wholesome Vallery Farm in Wilmot, Ohio.

The turkeys will be harvested just days before delivery and can be picked up on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, November 21-23, at 12 different drop-off locations: Akron, Cleveland, Beachwood, Brecksville, Cleveland Heights, Hudson, Middleburg Heights, Lakewood, Mentor, Solon, Westlake, and Rocky River.

Preordering is required, and the order deadline is Friday, November, 18.

Trevor features two different breeds depending on your family’s tastes. “Our market breed is the Broad Breasted Bronze, which is bred for more white meat. It’s the right choice for most customers,” he says. “We also have a limited supply of heritage breed turkeys known as the American Standard Breed. These turkeys have more juicy, dark meat than the market birds.”

Market turkeys weigh from 14 to 25 pounds, while heritage birds weigh 10 to 14 pounds for hens and 17 to 20 pounds for toms.

For more details or to order your fresh turkey, please visit FreshForkMarket.com or call 800-861-8582.

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