Sustainable Thanksgiving
Say “thanks” this turkey day with local foods that honor nearby farmers and the land they tend.
By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor
I am not politically aligned with my in-laws, with whom I spend Thanksgiving. When we vote, we support different values and visions. But when it comes to food — what we eat, where it comes from, and how it’s prepared — we might as well have grown up on the same farm. And our common relationship to food may be more important than which lever we pull at the ballot box every four years.
I called my mother-in-law a few weeks ago and suggested that we team up this November to produce a Thanksgiving feast full of local foods. She fully supported the idea. A schoolteacher in rural Benzie County, she’s been on a buy-America kick for a while now, partly out of patriotism and partly to enhance the quality of what she brings home.
When we gather for the traditional harvest meal in a few weeks, the turkey and stuffing, potatoes and gravy, sweet corn and squash, green beans and cornbread, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie will taste great. They’ll be full of healthy nutrients. And our purchase of them will support the local economy.
Whether you’re a city mouse or a country mouse, whether you like your T-day meal traditional or whether you introduce creative flair, whether you eat turkey or prefer tofu, you too can celebrate a sustainable Thanksgiving.
Using the Michigan Land Use Institute’s “Taste the Local Difference” (www.LocalDifference.org) website as your guide, it’s easy to find information on where to buy locally grown meats, fruits and produce throughout northwest-lower Michigan.
Let’s start with the bird. The Hubbell Farm on Galla Rd. north of Cedar and just north of Bel Lago Winery offers pasture-raised turkey, pork and chicken. Dan and Barb custom raise these livestock on an “as ordered” basis. Call them at 231-228-6390 or visit them online at HubbellFarm.net; as of early November they had at least 15 left to sell. The turkeys average 15-20 pounds each and cost $3.50 per pound — that’s expensive when compared to rock bottom prices at, say, Meijer in Traverse City. But these birds have lived much healthier lives (no artificial hormones or antibiotics added). And they were raised right here in Leelanau County by farmers who let them roam outdoors (at least until the snow arrives). Dan will butcher them the weekend before Thanksgiving, so what you pick up will be fresh.
Other northern Michigan farmers offering pasture-raised turkeys include the Duerksen Farm (call 231-587-8267 or 231-357-7784) near Mancelona in Antrim County and Halpen’s Land of Goshen (231-887-3333 or 231-360-7176) in Manistee. Order your bird soon because going local this Thanksgiving is all the rage.
As for veggies and the rest of the fixings, most Leelanau County farmers markets and produce farms have closed for the season, though look around and you still might find delicious treats such as apples, frozen strawberries or maple syrup. Our advice is to use the “Taste the Local Difference” website to find out what’s still in season. Note, if you’re a member of Sweeter Song Farm’s CSA (231-228-7301), you may have squash, pumpkins and other veggies coming your way. Peruse Taste the Local Difference’s website for more options, or ask your local grocery store which products are local.
We don’t know of any cranberries harvested in the Lower Peninsula, but you don’t have to drive to the bogs of Massachusetts to find them. Support Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and get your cranberries from the Centennial Cranberry Farm north of Paradise (that’s the name of a town in the U.P.!). Call Loren and Sharon House at 1-877-333-1822 or visit www.CentennialCranberry.com. They’ll sell and ship you cranberries in five-pound allotments.
Remember, you might not see eye to eye with your family members about some things, and avoiding discussions about politics or religion at the dinner table is good advice. But if you can all agree that the food in front of you is tasty, healthy and ethical, then you already have more in common than you realize. Besides, the first taste of your grandma’s delicious squash is a lot more enjoyable than a protracted debate about health care.