Turkey Harvest

This year I was lucky enough to reserve one of eighteen turkeys from Los Poblanos Organic Farm in Albuquerque where I participate in the work share program. I helped feed these Heritage Bronze Breasted turkeys and shovel their poop over the last few months. It was cool to have the opportunity to kill my own food and share it with my friends.

How it works: First you catch her,which was pretty easy because they were in their coop. You do this by grabbing her feet and swinging her upside down because this mesmerizes them. Then you put her head down into a bucket with a hole cut in it. You hold her straight up and down (and this is the hard part) you make two deep and hard incisions in a V shape on either side of the jugular. Once the blood has drained and she stops thrashing, you swing her around into a very hot tub of water to loosen the feathers. You pluck all the feathers out (a long and tedious process), cut the head and feet off and then remove the insides. You then clean her out and she is ready to cook. As difficult as it was to end her life with my own hands, I highly recommend this experience if you ever get the chance.