Food lovers gobble up turkey farm's supply early

US - It may seem a little early to start thinking of Thanksgiving dinner, but people who want fresh turkeys are already preparing to meet their meat.

Genoa Township resident Sarah Dudley Short ordered her Thanksgiving turkey in September to be sure the local turkey farmer gets her reservation while the supply is still available.

"Ever since I found a good source, I've ordered a fresh turkey," said Short. "It's a tradition, but you have to order now. "If you wait till November, they are hard to find."

Short used to purchase grocery store frozen turkeys, but three years ago she tried a fresh bird and became hooked. She found out about Roeske Farms from a co-worker and since then has ordered the birds from Roeske.

"When you are going to have company, you might as well serve the best. They are awesome, fresh, juicy, tender. You know what they're being fed, you don't know that when you buy from the store."

While many retail businesses start the holiday season early to increase sales, the season for turkey growers Patricia and Eric Roeske begins in August, when they order their annual supply of poults (turkey chicks).

Eric Roeske, 46, a lifelong resident of Hartland, and his wife, Patricia, 43, purchased the turkey business two years ago, from neighbor and well-known turkey farmer Tom Tyson (not of Tyson Foods) to expand their produce and vegetable business.

Source: detnews.com