Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it’s time to start planning for the perfect celebration shared with the ones you love. One of the most important aspects of this holiday feast is undoubtedly the main attraction—a delicious, mouthwatering turkey. While turkeys are available at many chain grocery stores, you may want to consider a fresh, local turkey bursting with flavor, tenderness, and important nutrients instead of artificial enhancers.
Raised without antibiotics, growth hormones, or pesticides, pasture-raised turkeys are the most desirable option due to their superior flavor and nutrient content. Additionally, supporting local farming practices promotes environmental sustainability as these methods minimize harm to ecosystems and reduce your carbon footprint. When shopping locally this Thanksgiving, you can have confidence that you are not only buying fresh and high-quality products, but are also supporting ethical, sanitary, and safe poultry practices. With a multitude of traditional family-owned farms across New Jersey, let’s explore some of the top-rated local spots where you can purchase a fresh turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Goffle Road Poultry Farm | Wycoff, NJ
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This 4-generation, family-owned and operated farm has a wide variety of fresh, free-range poultry, including chicken, duck, and of course—turkey. Their goal is to deliver top-notch quality at an affordable price with a product that is all-natural, ethically grown, and free from antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, and animal by-products. Orders for fresh Thanksgiving turkeys can be placed online through a form on their official website, in person, or over the phone for pickup between the dates of Sunday, November 19, and Wednesday, November 22. The farm recommends placing your order as soon as possible as particular sizes may sell out before the cut-off date. The final day for orders is Saturday, November 18 with guests encouraged to store their bird or breast in the refrigerator until Thanksgiving for maximum freshness. Additional questions and recommended sizes can be found in their Thanksgiving FAQ here.
Abma’s Farm | Wyckoff, NJ
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As Bergan Country’s solo produce and poultry farm, Abma’s Farm offers guests a warm and family-friendly experience featuring a fresh-from-the-fields farmers market, petting zoo, greenhouse, tasting room, and more. This fifth-generation, family-owned business takes great pride in serving the community with the finest selection of fresh produce, greenery, poultry, baked goods, and eggs from their very own carefully cared-for livestock. Customers looking for a fresh turkey and additional sides can place their order online starting November 18 for holiday favorites such as free-range turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, soup, and quiche. For a list of the different selections of turkey and their pricing, visit their official website here. To pick up your bird, head to their farm store on November 20 between 8 a.m.-7 p.m., November 21, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and November 22, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Ensure that you have your order number easily accessible upon pick up for a smooth process once arriving.
Lee Turkey Farm | East Windsor, NJ
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Since 1938, Lee Turkey Farm has provided a fresh and high-quality array of home-grown fruits, vegetables, turkeys, and more. Each year, over 3,000 turkeys are locally raised and sold from their farmers’ market in Central Jersey. Throughout the year, Lee’s offers a wide selection of frozen, oven-ready whole turkeys and turkey parts. This includes boneless breast meat, breast on frames, thighs, wings, legs, giblets, necks, and stock – all perfect for your holiday feast or any other special occasion. However, only 1,000 fresh turkeys ranging from 13 to 30 lbs are available for Thanksgiving and orders have already been closed for the 2023 season. But don’t panic just yet—each year the farm anticipates this demand and offers an additional batch on a first-come-first-serve basis available for pick up on the Monday and Tuesday of the week of Thanksgiving from 9-7 p.m.
DiPaola Turkey Farms | Hamilton, NJ
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As a family-run business, DiPaola Turkeys was founded back in 1948 by original owner Art DiPaola Sr. and holds strong values of hard work, dedication, and quality passed down through generations. They take great pride in providing customers with the freshest and safest turkeys sourced from a USDA-inspected facility. They offer a diverse selection of poultry, including the high-in-demand whole turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving. To place an online or phone order, guests must email [email protected] with their pick-up location, date, and size range. Please note that any turkey that is over 26 pounds will require a credit card in advance with a no-show fee of $10. Turkeys can be picked up either at their farm store on Tuesday, November 21, from 8-5 p.m. or at a Grow NYC Markets location on November 18, 19, or 22 no later than noon. Act fast—they have already begun taking Thanksgiving orders and are expected to sell out soon.
Ashley Farms | Flanders, NJ
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Celebrating its 75th anniversary this fall, this multi-generational farm is renowned for its homegrown turkeys, sweet corn, tomatoes, and an array of other fresh produce. Taking the way they raise their turkeys very seriously, their poultry is bred from day one with a special formulation of in-house corn and soybean meal packed with a multitude of vitamins and nutrients. Additionally, they are grown with plenty of room to roam in spacious, well-ventilated barns and are ethically processed on-site in accordance with humane standards. With Thanksgiving turkeys ranging in size between 14 and 45 pounds, orders may be placed online through a form or by phone with a standard fresh turkey price of $4.69 per pound. Turkeys are available for pick up at their farm store in Mount Olive on the following select days: November 19 from 9 am-4 pm, November 20 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., November 21, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., or November 22, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Griggstown Farm | Princeton, NJ
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Vietnam Veteran-owned and operated for over 40 years, this South Jersey farm is proud to provide its loyal customers with naturally grown and processed poultry in-house on their very own USDA processing plant. With the use of a USDA kitchen and ethical practices, Griggstown ensures excellent quality within its freshly sourced poultry, baked goods, and prepared foods. There are a variety of turkey selections to choose from for your holiday feast, including Traditional Broad Breasted White Turkey, Heirloom Black Turkey, Brined Only, and Oven Ready. Orders can be placed online and are available for pick-up at their farm store between Saturday, November 18th, and Wednesday, November 22. For assistance in selecting the turkey that is right for your celebration, visit their detailed turkey offerings guide on their official website.
Spring Valley Turkey Farm | Old Bridge, NJ
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With a tagline of locally grown and farm-fresh, Spring Valley Turkey Farm is dedicated to the specific focus of providing the best quality turkey for the Thanksgiving season. Their Broad Breasted White Turkeys are carefully and thoughtfully reared, given almost four times the space they require to promote a free range and stress-free living environment. Their turkeys are freshly killed and processed just a few days before Thanksgiving and in compliance with strict USDA guidelines and procedures, ensuring the highest quality possible without added hormones, steroids, or artificial enhancers. To reserve your free-range turkey, customers are invited to use the drop-down menu on their Thanksgiving reservation page to select the approximate size and weight desired, which ranges between 12 and 35+ pounds. Upon placing your order, a non-refundable deposit depending on the size is required to ensure the availability of your holiday turkey. However, all deposits are deducted from the final cost upon pick-up. Spring Valley accepts cash only for pick-ups. Additionally, the details of when and how to pick up your order will be included in your confirmation email once a reservation is made.
Flatbrook Farm | Montague, NJ
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Owned by the Naftal family, this 375-acre farm offers sustainable produce, poultry, and other local products from June to November. Using pasture-based practices, they have raised nearly 75 turkeys, including Broad Breasted White Turkeys and Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys this year in preparation for November. These turkeys are fed a non-GMO diet and spend approximately six months grazing on pasture, which is twice as long as commercial turkey farming standards and ensures the highest quality possible. Free from growth hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides, these birds are processed two days before Thanksgiving for maximum freshness, ranging from 12 to 20 pounds each. While supplies last, fresh holiday turkeys at $7.50/pound will be available in Madison or Sandyston on November 20 and 21.
To reserve your bird, Facebook message Amy Weintraub-Naftal or email [email protected] as soon as possible.
Hinck’s Turkey Farm | Manasquan, NJ
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For over 80 years, this South Jersey staple has been producing farm-fresh, oven-ready free-range turkey, homemade desserts, and additional fresh food items at their retail food market and restaurant. Like many locally-sourced farms, their primary focus in producing turkeys is to create a healthy, sanitary, and stress-free growth environment for their well-being. This includes providing proper nutrition, ample space for movement, and protection from diseases or predators. By prioritizing the welfare of their turkeys, they are also able to ensure high-quality meat products that meet consumer standards for both taste and ethical considerations. To purchase this antibiotic-free, all-natural Thanksgiving turkey, orders can be made over the phone with turkey breast packages available for 5, 10, 15, or 20 servings. For more detailed pricing information and pick up/delivery information, visit their catering menu on their official website here.
Lima Family Farms | Hillsborough, NJ
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With a mission of sustainability and local distribution, Lima Family Farms is a family-friendly destination that is home to a variety of friendly animals—cared for by expert staff. They take pride in offering high-quality pastured pork, fresh poultry, free-range eggs, and 100% grass-fed beef by feeding the local community with their charitable contributions to several South Jersey farm-to-school programs. They aim to make their environment safe, hospitable, and integral for each animal they raise, including their pasture-raised turkeys. Fresh and vacuumed sealed Thanksgiving turkeys can be reserved only in person or by phone on a first-come, first-serve basis. Priced at $5.90/lb, birds are available for pick up November 21st from 1-5 p.m. and November 22nd from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. at their farm store in Hillsborough. There is a $40.00 non-refundable deposit on hold for all reservations and credited towards the final cost. With the turkey size varying, Lima Family Farms asked all guests to choose a weight range no smaller than a medium from 16-19 lbs and a large from 20-25+ lbs. To request an order or find additional contact information, visit their 2023 Thanksgiving order form here.
The Arctic Market & Butcher | Point Pleasant, NJ
Don’t limit yourself to just farms for the freshest holiday turkey—this local butcher not only offers the highest quality poultry but also provides convenient doorstep delivery. Located down by the Jersey shore, the Arctic Butcher features a wide variety of different cuts of ethically sourced meat including beef, chicken, pork, veal lamb, turkey, and so much more. Their Thanksgiving spread includes 5 different turkey options, such as turkey roast boneless, bone-in, and farm-fresh turkey ranging from 12 to 22 pounds. Orders can be placed for pickup or local delivery and shipping with availability starting immediately. For more information on pricing and delivery, visit their Thanksgiving page on their official website here.
Palmer’s Quality Meats| Neptune City, NJ
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Owned by husband and wife duo Doug and Joelle Palmer, this butcher shop located in the heart of Neptune City resources the highest quality meat, including grass-fed beef, game meat, poultry, pork, lamb, and more. By implementing zero-waste practices, this shop seeks to address the environmental, ethical, and safety concerns surrounding commercial farming practices through its use of sustainability. They also supply a delicious array of breakfast sandwiches, lunch specials, and housemade sausage made fresh in-house throughout the week. Palmer’s Quality Meats offers a fresh Thanksgiving menu featuring raw fresh local turkeys (brined or spatchcocked) and bone-in turkey breast (brined) alongside several other protein and prepared food options.
Reserve your bird by phone or through email at [email protected] with pick-up times the week of Thanksgiving during regular business hours.
About the Author/s
Laura DeSiena is a certified Jersey Girl with a passion for music, playing the guitar, and binge-watching 90’s sitcoms. As an aspiring writer and author, she hopes to publish a book someday. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her browsing the shelves of Barnes & Noble in search of her next read.
