How Eight Heritage Turkeys Kicked a Butterball’s Butt

(Page 2 of 2)

August 21, 2008
By Don Schrider, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 
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All but two of the varieties — the standard bronze and the Butterball — had been grown on Ayrshire Farm, fed organic feed and raised and processed humanely, following the standards of Humane Farm Animal Care.

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This event was the largest comparison of turkey varieties to date and was an opportunity for several of the turkey varieties to be “boarded” onto the Slow Food USA Ark of Taste — a designation recognizing unique culinary flavors and traditions. Invitees enjoyed being present at an Ark boarding, and heartily endorsed the worthiness of the slate, royal palm and midget white turkey varieties.

The event was produced through a partnership of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Humane Farm Animal Care, Slow Food USA and Ayrshire Farm.

For more information on the turkey varieties, placings, hosting organizations or turkey facts, click here.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, founded in 1977, is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect over 150 breeds of cattle, goats, horses, asses, sheep, pigs, rabbits and poultry from extinction. It is the pioneer organization in the United States working to conserve heritage breeds and genetic diversity in livestock.
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  • Susan Patterson 9/4/2008 1:46:09 AM

    Midget White turkey and the Beltsville Small White turkey are two separate breeds with two separate standards. The Midget White was developed as a lab animal, the Beltsville Small White was developed as a small family meal. There is a difference here that some cannot see. They see only a small white turkey. The difference is important to people who breed and promote heritage turkey breeds. The Beltsville Small White turkey was nearly lost to us. It is a unique breed with some unique charactoristics, such as being the best laying turkey that there is and being a broad breasted turkey that breeds naturally and incubates and hatches their own eggs very well.

  • Jim Archer 9/3/2008 5:45:29 PM

    This is not really a valid taste test as the turkeys were not all raised under the same conditions and not fed the same.
    I believe the midget white should be called the Beltsville Small White. It is a breed created to meet the commercial demand for a small turkey carcass. Was developed in Beltsville, Maryland. I don't really feel it should be called a Heritage Breed.

  • Aly Van Dyke 8/29/2008 1:37:55 PM

    As a 20-year-old, culinary-challenged individual, I never put much thought into the taste, texture or appearance of the turkey my mother got from the store. And for some reason, I doubt she put much thought into it either.
    But when you are making a special meal, either in celebration or experimentation (which for me often ends up in disaster), I think it's worthwhile to be picky about what you chose to cook with, and that's what I appreciated with this article.
    Ingredients, and especially the main course, should be prepared with attention to detail. And if you're going to go all-out once or twice a year, why not make use the highest quality of ingredients to make your special dish that much more enjoyable?
    Who knows, maybe a heritage turkey tastes good enough to make even my cooking edible.

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