SEATTLE - On this Thanksgiving eve, here's something about turkeys in our state. There were 23,000 turkeys raised in 2002. Now, that number is dropping below 3,400.
It's feeding time at the Heirloom Heritage turkey farm in Spanaway. Owner Dawn Turbyfill raises heritage turkeys, a breed that tends to have darker meat and, accoding to Turbyfill, better flavor.
"They get the free range, they get to be turkeys, they get to do what their instincts tell them to do," she said.
About 60 of them roam her 8-acre ranch alongside the chickens.
But big business and higher feed prices are pushing the little guys out. Smaller turkey farms like this one are struggling. In fact, the state's seen an 80 percent drop in the number of turkey farmers in the last 7 years.
"I've probably lost that much in my flocks," says Turbyfill. "I brought my flock numbers down that much because I have a set budget for my feed."
Add to that last year's rough winter that further thinned her flock by almost half. All her losses add up to no turkeys for sale this Thanksgiving. Yet Turbyfill remains confident.
"I don't think anything can price me out of doing business," she said, hoping to cash in now that people are paying more attention to where their food comes from.
This Thanksgiving, she's just thankful she's living her dream.
"If you love something enough, it'll all work out," she said.
Turbyfill is focusing on breeding this year, hoping to have turkeys for sale next Thanksgiving.
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