PHOTOS PROVIDED Turkeys are shown in a pasture at Pole Cat Hollow Farm in Marsh Creek, rural Howard.

PHOTOS PROVIDED
A prepared turkey is seen ahead of the Thanksgiving feast.

HOWARD — Greg Stuber and Nancy Kaltenbach at Pole Cat Hollow Farm in Marsh Creek, rural Howard, Pa., want you to choose your Thanksgiving meal based on its environmental impact. The upside for your family is that these turkeys taste better and have a higher nutrient density than their barn raised counterparts. Pasture raised turkeys maintain a juicier consistency and are not as susceptible to drying out during cooking.

Pole Cat Hollow Farm uses regenerative agriculture principles to improve their land and provide healthy, ethically raised food to their community. The goal of regenerative agriculture is to exceed sustainable goals and improve the soil and the local ecosystem.

The turkeys at Pole Cat Hollow Farm live in shelters that move daily until they grow large enough to be safe from aerial predators. By moving frequently, the waste from the turkeys naturally fertilizes the fields and negates the need for chemical fertilizers. By not using chemical fertilizers or pesticides, soil microbes can flourish. These microbes promote nutrient uptake in the pasture grasses.

The turkeys thrive on a diet of non-GMO feed, grasses and insects. Pasture raised turkey has more micronutrients, Vitamins A and D, and a higher percentage of Omega 3 fatty acids. Raising turkeys using these methods results in healthier soil, healthier plants, healthier animals and, ultimately, healthier people.

Pole Cat Hollow Farm is currently taking pre-orders for pasture raised turkeys with pickup points located throughout Centre and Blair County the week before Thanksgiving. People can pre-order at www.polecathollowfarm.com. There will be a limited number of turkeys for sale the week of Thanksgiving. Orders for turkey parts will open shortly before Thanksgiving.

People can also feel free to contact Nancy at nancy@polecathollowfarm.com or by calling 814-360-3300.