Purchase Organic Pastured Turkey!
Raised on Cocofeed

Herb Roasted Pastured Turkey Recipe Here

What are Tropical Traditions Pastured Turkeys?

Tropical Traditions pastured turkeys are raised on pasture (grass, sunshine, insects, etc.) and on Cocofeed.

What is Cocofeed?

Cocofeed is an organic turkey-feed ration developed by Tropical Traditions that contains coconut pulp as well as other high-quality natural ingredients. The coconut pulp is the residue left over after coconut oil has been extracted from the coconut meat. Cocofeed contains NO soy. Read more here.

What makes Tropical Traditions Pastured Turkeys different from other turkeys?

1. Tropical Traditions Pastured Turkeys are raised outdoors on pasture.

Commercially produced turkeys are typically raised entirely indoors with thousands of other turkeys in close quarters. They typically never see the sun or pasture. Organic or “Free Range” turkeys also have no standard definition or industry guidelines for how long they must be outdoors on pasture, leaving the consumer very confused. The USDA definition of “free-range” is rather vague. In order to label their meat and poultry “free-range or free-roaming,” “Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.”(1) No mention of vegetation (pasture) is made. Poultry producers themselves seem to have no common standards on what the term means. Some producers interpret “access to the outside” as a small door on an end-wall of a 100 ft. long shed filled with un-caged birds moving about freely on a litter-covered floor. Others feel they are compliant with the spirit of free-range if their birds are outside in the open air and under the sun; even if their “range” is simply bare dirt.

When it comes to the consumer’s perception of “free-range,” arguably the vision that “free-range” most often conjures is of a bird happily hunting and pecking in the grass in an open field. Because of the wholesomeness associated with the term “organic,” many consumers take for granted that all certified organic poultry raised for meat and eggs are raised outside on green pasture. Sadly, this is not so. The term “free-range” is not even listed in the NOP (National Organic Program) “terms defined.”(2) They do give guidelines that say: “All organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors...”(3) So when someone purchases poultry products labeled “free range” or “organic,” the birds may never have actually seen the light of day or green grass its entire life. Technically, they simply have to have a door out of their confinement, but they don’t have to necessarily walk through that door to meet the requirements. To read more about how pastured poultry is different, go here.

2. Tropical Traditions pastured poultry are fed Cocofeed which contains no soy.

Cocofeed is an organic turkey-feed ration developed by Tropical Traditions that contains coconut pulp as well as other high-quality natural ingredients. The coconut pulp is the residue left over after coconut oil has been extracted from the coconut meat. Cocofeed contains NO soy.

In tropical cultures, coconut has been a traditional ingredient in poultry feed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The coconut pulp residue left over after coconut oil was extracted from the coconut meat is still a common animal feed component today in places where coconuts grow. This coconut pulp is high in fiber and protein. Mechanically extracted coconut pulp was also approved by the FDA as an animal feed and listed in the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials, Official Publication) as early as 1955. While coconut cannot supply ALL the nutritional needs of turkeys, there are multitudes of studies that have been done in the Philippines and elsewhere showing how coconut pulp can be a major component of poultry feeds when combined with other quality ingredients. Some of these studies are more than 50 years old.

In more recent history, with the development of fast-growing factory turkeys, soy has become a key ingredient in poultry feeds for the purpose of supplying a high concentration of protein to promote fast growth. It is very difficult to find a turkey in the US market today that has not been fed high soy-based feeds. Even turkeys advertised as “organic” or “free range” are almost always fed an organic mixture high in soybeans.

Our pastured turkeys are raised outdoors in summer on organic green pastures in Wisconsin.

3. Tropical Traditions pastured poultry are raised by family farmers.

Tropical Traditions Pastured Poultry turkeys are all raised by family farmers. These farmers run diversified farms practicing sustainable agriculture. They will rotate tracts of land with crops and other animals, or let it go fallow from time to time. When a batch of turkeys is raised on a piece of pasture, typically that pasture will not see poultry again for two or more years. In the interval, crops may be grown in that pasture, or it may go fallow allowing grass to grow, die, and decompose so that the soil is kept in balance and not contaminated from too much chicken manure. So when you buy Tropical Traditions pastured poultry, you are supporting small-scale family farmers and by-passing the system that produces the conventional “factory bird.”

About our Pastured Turkeys
We have various farmers throughout Wisconsin raise these turkeys during the short Wisconsin summers, when they can roam around outside on fresh green pasture. We have limited supplies, and they are offered on a first-come first-serve basis. While the turkeys are all raised on family farms, they are processed at a USDA certified processing plant that is also organic certified. All of the ingredients of the Cocofeed and the pastures they roam in are also certified organic.

How does Tropical Traditions Pastured Turkeys compare to other online Free Range turkeys?

*Price per turkey, not including shipping. Tropical Traditions price per turkey is $70.00 per turkey if ordering 2 turkeys, $75.00 per turkey if ordering one turkey. Prices as of November 15, 2009.

Was this information helpful to you? Share it with others:

Orders are shipped Mondays through Wednesday each week.*

Payments Accepted:
Credit Cards, PayPal, GoogleCheckout, Checks

(Avg: 5 out of 5)
Total Comments: 9
Recent Comments:
	by Adam
We had ours for Thanksgiving and it was the best ever!
	by Joleen
Our family has never been disappointed by any of the Tropical Traditions turkeys we've enjoyed these past several years during Thanksgiving. What a treat to find this new recipe to try from the Recipe Blog: Herb Roasted Pastured Thanksgiving Turkey! I can't wait to taste! Thanks!
	by Lynn
Our family will be enjoying a Tropical Traditions turkey again this year : ). It's SO good to know that this turkey was raised running free in lush green pastures and that it didn't get fed any soy - that's very important to us. We couldn't find a healthier bird anywhere - and yes it tastes great!! I agree - Thank you Tropical Traditions for going the extra mile to produce healthy wholesome food - our family appreciates your farmers! You should try their grass fed beef too - yum, yum!!
	by Becca
We enjoyed one of these Organic Pastured Turkeys last year, roasted much like I've prepared other turkeys. My sons took left overs home and shared with his roommates and told me that I was now voted the 'best cook' of all the moms in their house, and they ate his leftovers so quickly he didn't get enough! None of them knew at first this was an organic pastured turkey raised without soy, but all of them said they had never tasted turkey so good! We always enjoy the soup made from these turkeys as well. It's worth every penny to get such good quality and something to really feel thankful for! Thank you Tropical Traditions! We're looking forward to Thanksgiving again!
View More/Leave Feedback Comments

Shipped Frozen with Dry Ice.

(Lower 48 states - US only)
Orders are shipped frozen Monday through Wednesday each week
from Minnesota with dry ice in coolers. Allow 2-3 days for thawing.

References

(1) From the USDA site on meat and poultry labeling: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/index.asp

(2) NOP terms defined: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004445&acct=nopgeninfo

(3) From the USDA website on the National Organic Program: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/FactSheets/ProdHandE.html

*Note: Cold storage and frozen items like Pastured Poultry are shipped from a separate location (Minnesota) and have separate shipping charges from non-cold storage items. They are shipped in coolers with dry ice (the ice is used up by the time it reaches you most of the time.) Shipping charges depend on weight and zip code, and will be chosen at check out. If you are in a hot location such as the southwestern desert area of the US, you should choose 2nd day air or overnight to be sure your order arrives frozen. Orders are shipped Mondays through Wednesday each week. Due to the nature of the products, perishable food items such as meat, poultry and dairy are not eligible for refund or return. If the shipment is damaged we will replace it.