April 5, 2006

A Secure Future For “Heritage Turkeys”

By Marjorie Bender

“Heritage turkeys” made a significant step forward as consumers once again made them the centerpiece of Thanksgiving, the quintessential American holiday. Preliminary census data gathered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) this winter show breeding populations of “heritage turkeys” are up 25%. Both the Standard Bronze and the Narragansett have shown exceptional progress, each moving to a lesser degree of endangerment on the ALBC Conservation Priority List.

In eight short years these colorful birds are making a comeback that is nothing short of amazing. As recently as 1997, “heritage turkeys” were in danger for extinction – remembered only by the aged and nostalgic. At that time, only 1335 breeding birds, of American Poultry Association recognized standard varieties of turkeys (a.k.a. “heritage turkeys”), were found. (Breeding birds are those that produce the next generation, thereby passing on their genetics.) There were so few of some varieties that ALBC feared they were all but lost: 6 Narragansetts, 77 Slates, 81 Blacks. Only the Bourbon Red, with 714 breeding birds, while endangered was not critically so.

By the winter of 2003, populations had increased by 220% totaling 4272: the Narragansett populations had increased to 368, Slates to 437, Blacks to 478, there were 441 Standard Bronze reported, 818 Royal Palms, and 1519 Bourbon Reds. While these increases all demonstrated significant improvement, all but the Royal Palm and Bourbon Red remained critically endangered with breeding populations of fewer than 500. (For a complete report and all of the data, see Heritage Turkeys in North America.)

This winter ALBC contacted a number of hatcheries, the first stage in a census to track population trends. Preliminary data show a 25% increase in the total breeding population to 5363. Narragansetts have increased 86% to 686, and Standard Bronze by 117% to 957, moving both of these varieties out of Critical status (fewer than 500 breeding birds) and into the Threatened category (fewer than 1000 breeding birds).

“Heritage turkeys” are enjoying renewed popularity thanks to the ALBC and other conservation partners. ALBC’s research and census work, initiated in 1997, were the first steps in their recovery. In 2001 Slow Food USA added a number of American varieties of turkeys to their Ark of Taste. In 2002, Slow Food USA took the additional step of coordinating production of heritage turkeys for distribution to their national membership. The demand created by this exposure, plus the very positive eating experiences of food editors like Marion Burros of the New York Times, and articles in other food magazines has supported the increased breeding by hatcheries and production by entrepreneurial farmers. This burgeoning niche market has attracted small- and large-scale producers alike.

Hatcheries and breeders have increased breeding stock in an effort to meet demand. Two merit particular mention.

• Privett Hatchery has been a leader amongst the hatcheries, maintaining the largest breeding flocks of standard turkeys and making poults readily available to the public.

• Frank Reese, Jr., Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch has been breeding standard turkeys for more than 40 years, and has sought to conserve color pattern as well as conformation and productivity. With the renewed interest in these birds, Frank recognized the opportunity presented to both rescue the standard turkeys from extinction and reacquaint discriminating consumers with the wonderful qualities in taste, texture, and history embodied in these birds.

The marketplace plays an increasingly important role in the success of standard turkey conservation. Since 2002 the market for “heritage turkeys” has approximately doubled annually, based on reports from producers and distributors in the ALBC network. For example, Good Shepherd sold:

• In 2002, 800 birds
• In 2003, 1200 birds and,
• In 2004, through a cooperative venture with a group of Kansas farmers, sold 4400 birds.

Distributors have been essential for providing access to these delicacies. Here are a few to illustrate the point. Heritage Foods, which developed out of Slow Food USA’s turkey project, has been a primary distributor of Good Shepherd turkeys, distributing fresh turkeys nationally in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, reports demand has doubled each year. LocalHarvest.org has connected small-scale growers directly to consumers through its internet site. They also brokered sales of $34,000 in heritage turkeys in 2004. Local purveyors, like Weaver Street Market in Carrboro, North Carolina, and Local Harvest in Kansas City, Missouri, have also played a valuable role, making heritage turkeys available to customers through their meat counters.

There is more to this complex puzzle. Breeders, small and large, experienced and novice, have come on board. Producers, those who raise the birds from day-olds to harvest, have rediscovered the economic and farm-system value of raising standard turkeys. These producers, however, have had a steep learning curve: much of the information on producing standard turkeys on range is no longer in print, and therefore hard to find. Reacquainting producers and breeders with this knowledge through workshops and publications is becoming a new area of focus. ALBC was recently awarded a grant from the Southern regional Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program to support these educational efforts, and further secure the future of standard turkeys.

Of course, none of this would be possible without processing plants. Independent poultry processing plants remain few and far between. With growing demand, a few more are coming on-line to serve the family farmer, but of all aspects of this project, processing remains the weakest link in this conservation story.

For more information see:

Birds of a Feather, Saving Rare Turkeys from Extinction, by Carolyn Christman and Robert O. Hawes
Heritage Turkeys in North American: The 2003 Census of Standard Turkeys, by Marjorie Bender

And the following articles in previous issues of the ALBC News:

“Turkey Project Participants Meet with Success”, Vol 20, Issue 3, p 7.
“Heritage Turkeys Increasing”, Vol 20, Issue 5, p 1.
“Research Confirms Health of Heritage Turkeys”, Vol 21, Issue 2, p 4.
“Growing Interest in Heritage Turkeys Requires Vigilance”, Vol 21, Issue 2, p 5.
“Ground-Breaking Results from Research on Standard Turkeys”, Vol 21, Issue 4, p 1.
“Good Shepherds of Turkeys”, Vol 22, Issue 2, p 10.

THE AMERICAN LIVESTOCK BREEDS CONSERVANCY, founded in 1977, is a non-profit 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 U.S. working to conserve heritage breeds and genetic diversity in livestock.