Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. So as a family tradition we head out to the turkey farm about 45 minutes from my house the weekend before t-day to get our bird.

Waterman is just south of Dekalb, and is home to Kauffman Farms, which raises and sells the Ho-Ka brand turkey. Fresh, never frozen, and direct to the public. Their birds are also offered in Chicagoland stores around Thanksgiving & are highly thought of for quality and taste. The bird is minimally processed, and its a local company so I am all over it.
We picked up a 18# bird @ $2.49/lb., worth every penny.

Also grabbed about 4#'s of turkey wings @ $.99/lb. a steal.

I was going to grab a turkey breast to smoke, but decided I dont feel like messing with it this Thanksgiving. Whole bird will be stuffed and done in the oven.

http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/xx181/jimswside2/1120/1120042.jpg


not many birds in the pens:

http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/xx181/jimswside2/1120/1120041.jpg

my haul:

http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/xx181/jimswside2/1120/1120056.jpg

Kauffman Turkey Farm
8519 Leland Road
Waterman, IL.

http://www.hokaturkeys.com

You 1st inspired me with the pork, now I gotta do some research on turkey? Great stuff there man thanks for the tour.:thumb:

kewl beans.. Nothing wrong with buying really fresh turkey... Shame the closest turkey farm to me is over 3 hours away..

It is nice to know what you are getting....err...not getting! Dang... $3.60 for that package of wings? Or is that the weight?

It is nice to know what you are getting....err...not getting! Dang... $3.60 for that package of wings? Or is that the weight?

that is the weight, and basically the price as they were $.99/lb. :thumb:

Neat trip Jim..... Never seen Turkey wings in the local stores..... Looking forward to see what you do with them. :thumb:

Now that's a great price for good looking healthy birds :thumb:

Over here christmas day is turkey day.

I'm probably looking at around $5 a lb for a fresh organic free range norfolk black turkey. Yep it's bloody expensive, but it is only once a year and it is seriously good meat. We're all dark meat eaters and these birds are close to the wild ones, so even the breast tends to be moist and tasty (normally wouldn't give you tuppence for turkey breast).

Neat trip Jim..... Never seen Turkey wings in the local stores..... Looking forward to see what you do with them. :thumb:

I was thinking of using the wings for gravy, but I think i have enough other stuff I dont want to "waste" them

I am thinking some deep fried or smoked turkey wings.

Now that's a great price for good looking healthy birds :thumb:

Over here christmas day is turkey day.

I'm probably looking at around $5 a lb for a fresh organic free range norfolk black turkey. Yep it's bloody expensive, but it is only once a year and it is seriously good meat. We're all dark meat eaters and these birds are close to the wild ones, so even the breast tends to be moist and tasty (normally wouldn't give you tuppence for turkey breast).


nice. X-mas day is beef usually, (x-mas eve is dinner in Chinatown)

I like turkey a couple times a year, $2.49/lb isnt bad for a feah bird, frozen commercial ones alre like $.79-$.99 /lb around here.

That is a great tradition, no turkey farms around here.. lots of turkeys, no farms... I had to laugh your x-mas eve dinner stirred up the scene from The Christmas Story... fra fra ra ra...
Thanks Jim for sharing your holiday tradtion with us! Make sure you get some food porn to go with!

That is a great tradition, no turkey farms around here.. lots of turkeys, no farms... I had to laugh your x-mas eve dinner stirred up the scene from The Christmas Story... fra fra ra ra...
Thanks Jim for sharing your holiday tradtion with us! Make sure you get some food porn to go with!

lol, that is a great scene from that movie...

Some pics will be taken.

it's interesting what different countries eat for christmas.

Traditionally - going back to victorian times - it always used to be goose.
It was the victorians who turned christmas into the huge commercial deal it is today.
Turkey is quite recent, they are a fairly 'new' import from the new world - anything under 200 years is considered historically recent in england :-).
And given the massive amount of fat and small amount of meat on a goose you can see why.
Hams here are traditionally for boxing day and new year.
Which reminds me I need to get a boneless leg joint into cure.

Mind you because turkey is now factory farmed and pushed as a cheap meat all year round, a lot of uk households are now reverting to beef and even goose is making a comeback.
I - personally - like to keep turkey as a special deal. So we only have a whole one once a year, hence the desire to get the best one I can.

I've made sausage and snackstix from turkey legs and thighs. And I think I'll pop into the supermarket on christmas eve to see about picking up a couple of half price turkeys to joint up for the freezer. But a whole turkey is christmas day only :-)

I work for a small family owed buisness and the owner gives everyone a Ho-Ka turkey for Thanksgiving.

They are great.