Thanksgiving Turkeys, Autumn Harvest Shares, and more!

Hi friends! We hope you are delighting in the crisp fall weather as much as we are here at the Merc. With our doors enwreathed by colorful gourds and the aroma of Pumpkin Spice Lattes wafting from our coffee bar, we can’t help but start thinking about our favorite holiday: Thanksgiving! 🍁

Thanksgiving is a special time that we get to emphasize our mission at the Mercantile: to make healthy, local foods more accessible to our community while supporting local agriculture. When we consider Thanksgiving tradition and the history it embodies, we acknowledge the sanctity of our land and people that nourish us – honoring those who have stewarded our land in both past and present, cultivating food sovereignty right in our backyards. 

We believe that in choosing to eat organic foods produced by farmers that we know and trust, we strengthen our connections with our bodies, communities, and land. With every dollar we spend on food, we cast a vote for which agricultural systems we want to support. There’s a certain pulse of pride we feel in choosing to invest directly in the future of our local ecosystem and economy through the everyday act of eating!

This year, we hope to provide you with virtually everything you need for a meaningful, locally-sourced Thanksgiving celebration. As we’ve done in years past, we are excited to offer the option to pre-order local and regional Thanksgiving Turkeys from two of our trusted farm partners, Day Spring Farm and Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-Op.

In addition to Turkeys, we are offering Autumn Harvest Vegetable Shares for all those classic side dishes to complement your Turkey entree, or make hearty main dishes for our vegan/vegetarian friends! Each share will include a mix of local produce from our favorite sustainable and organic farms, featuring fall favorites such as winter squash, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, leafy greens, garlic, onion, celery, herbs, and roasting vegetables. 

We have also curated a wonderful selection of autumnal-themed goods to liven up any gathering, from artisan-made table runners to beautiful local flower arrangements – available to order through our online Thanksgiving shop! And on the topic of livening things up... all of our organic wines are discounted by 10% when ordered by the case! 🍷

All of the items in our Thanksgiving Shop will be available to pick up on Tuesday, November 22nd!

Below you’ll find a brief summary of each of our farm partners and their autumn offerings, so you know exactly where your food is coming from. 

Beyond Thanksgiving, we encourage all to consider investing in these farms’ CSA programs. Nothing makes shopping and healthy eating easier than receiving weekly shares of exceptional produce, handpicked just for you.

Local Organic Turkeys from Day Spring Farm. Day Spring Farm in Middleburg, VA, is a USDA-certified organic, non-GMO, chemical-free farm located just 14 miles from Hamilton. Their turkeys are pasture-raised on organic grains and fresh grass with plenty of free range and exposure to nature’s elements (sunshine, a nice breeze, bugs, soft rains…), ensuring they live and grow as happily and naturally as possible. Each bird is processed on site under USDA organic standards, eliminating the added stress of transportation on the turkeys, and the environment. It's $50.00 to reserve a turkey, which may grow to weigh anywhere between 10-28 lbs. Since their size isn't guaranteed, you may reserve by size range (10-12 lbs., 12-20 lbs., or 20+ lbs., priced at $8.00/lb.). The final price will be calculated at pick-up. They will be harvested the Sunday before Thanksgiving to be immediately packaged, refrigerated, and moved to our store for you to pick up on the 22nd.

Regional Non-GMO Turkeys and Organic Vegetables from Lancaster Co-Op. Lancaster Co-Op is a non-profit agricultural collective of over 100 member farms in Lancaster County, 120 miles from Hamilton. Their turkeys are raised on three of their small-scale member farms, all of which strive to give their birds a happy and healthy quality of life. Unlike factory farmed turkeys, these birds are raised in flocks of no more than 750 per farm. They enjoy lush, open pastures, and certified organic feed free of chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics. Birds will be harvested beginning in early November, and immediately packaged and frozen following butchering to preserve quality. It's $50.00 to reserve a turkey, which may grow to weigh anywhere between 10-28 lbs. Since their size isn't guaranteed, you may reserve by size range (12-16 lbs. or 16-20 lbs., priced at $5.75/lb.). The final price will be calculated at pick up on November 22nd. Seasonal organic produce from their small-scale member farms will also be featured in our Autumn Harvest Vegetable Share.

The greatest difference between these pasture-raised turkeys and those that are conventionally/industrially-raised (supplied in chain grocery stores) is that the latter usually aren’t exposed to sunlight until the moment they’re transported to a processing plant for butchering. Factory-raised turkeys are often kept in dim-lit, climate-controlled, overcrowded barns with unsanitary conditions. Their growth is usually catalyzed by cheap GMO grain feed and their wellness sustained by antibiotics. Having access to open pasture is a freedom that encourages a natural growth cycle for these birds, but requires far more resources and labor from the farmers, as many natural conditions pose threats to these turkeys (predation, temperature changes, disease). So while these turkeys are pricier than what you’d typically find at the supermarket, the level of care provided by each farmer ensures that their quality and nutritional value is worth every pound!

Lydia’s Fields (Wheatland, VA) is an organic vegetable farm located 6.5 miles from Hamilton. For 10 years, Lydia’s Fields has practiced regenerative agriculture in harmony with Virginia nature to cultivate high quality, sustainably grown vegetables. Their farming practices are 100% natural and environmentally-friendly, meaning no pesticides, herbicides, or other synthetic chemicals interact with the crops. Their seasonal produce will be featured in our Autumn Harvest Vegetable Share.

Chilly Hollow Farm (Berryville, VA) is a small, sustainable vegetable farm located 17 miles from Hamilton. They’ve been committed to organic, chemical-free farming practices for over 10 years, void of any synthetic herbicides or pesticides. We’ve loved being a part of their Wholesale CSA program this season and been trying our best to keep our shelf supply up with y’alls demands! Their seasonal produce will be featured in our Autumn Harvest Vegetable Share.

All orders can be placed online, or by calling or visiting our shop. They will be prepared by us with care and made available for pick up the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, November 22nd!

Thank you for shopping local this Thanksgiving!

💚  Your Friends at the Merc