Friday, April 25, 2025

The jury is still out on whether there are health advantages to buying organic turkey over a normal turkey. There are lots of factors to consider when you buy your turkey, including how it was raised what it was fed, and perhaps most importantly, how it tastes.

These turkeys at Fenwood Farm in Ancaster live the high life. They have room to roam and eat organic grains and alfalfa.

Carol Fennema, Fenwood Farm: “That really enhances the flavour and also helps us to raise the birds without any drugs or any antibiotics.”

Farmer Carol Fennema says their natural diet makes them juicier and more flavourful. But so far, studies haven’t shown organic meat to be more nutritious.

Kate Park, registered dietician: “Most of the research we have comparing different types of turkeys shows there’s not a significant nutrient difference.”

Still, there’s some concern birds fed antibiotics can carry antibiotic resistant bacteria — and if prepared improperly, pass it on to humans.

You can also buy birds that aren’t organic but they are naturally raised. That means that they are still antibiotic free but they cost a little bit less.

Money is a big factor when buying Thanksgiving groceries. When it comes to an organic versus conventional turkey, you have to decide if buying a humanely raised, drug free bird is worth the price. They can cost up to twice as much.

“That’s the comment we have all the time. That’s the best turkey we’ve ever had.”

For Fennema’s customers, it is.

Sometimes, the decision between organic and ordinary is knowing, for certain, what’s in your food.

Kate Park: “If you’re buying directly from the farm or from the market it’s much easier to ask those questions. Where in a grocery store, it’s almost impossible to tell.”

Another thing we may not consider when shopping for turkey is salt. A lot of pre-seasoned, stuffed turkeys are full of salt, and if that’s something you’re watching, you may want to prepare your own from scratch, whether or not you choose organic.