Minute details for this year's on demand turkeys

written by

Aaron Miller

posted on

September 17, 2024

*Originally written in September 2020. Updated in September 2024.

Bear with me. I have a bunch of interesting turkey details to share with you.

Our turkeys are sold on demand! That means you order one when you need one. No preorders. No hoops.

Fall turkeys will start going to the processor in September and will continue to be sent through November. That means that you can start ordering whole turkeys soon!

Here are the basics - Our turkeys are a “white” breed, live on green pasture, and are naturally raised and processed.

Once they are a couple weeks old and can tolerate chilly nights, our turkeys live 100% on green pasture. They are moved daily so the pasture stays fresh, and they leave behind wonderfully fertilized soil.

In addition to what they can forage, the turkeys eat a soy-free, corn-free, and GMO-free feed (a lot more on that below). They aren’t given hormones or antibiotics.

When processed, we don’t add any junk in our turkeys. They aren’t injected with artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, tenderizers, or anything synthetic.

I am always wanting to find out more about how my food was produced. So, I’m diving deep to answer the question, “What’s in the feed?”

I mean, I know the feed ingredients, but where do they come from? How are they produced? Why are they needed? To find out, I called our feed supplier, Vernon from Panorama Organic in Berks County, PA. Here’s what I found out.

The turkey feed is specially formulated blend of wheat, field peas or lentils, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, barley, fishmeal, kelp, molasses, and a nutri-balancer. Vernon works with Fertrell, the organic mineral supplier, to figure out the best blend.

Fertrell uses computer models to analyze feed mixes for optimal nutrition based on protein, energy, metabolism, etc. Then, Vernon makes small changes based on what he sees first hand - what’s working and what’s not working. Vernon is both a farmer and a feed supplier. This process is constantly happening. He’s always supplying the best feed possible.

100% of the ingredients in the feed are grown in the US or comes from the Atlantic Ocean. That’s pretty neat!

Here are some notes on the feed components:

Wheat (20%) - When compared to corn, wheat is higher in protein, amino acids, and energy content. The gluten in the wheat helps the feed bind together in naturally forming pellets. The wheat is sourced locally as much as possible. When local, we know the farmer and that it's "grown organically". If bought in from a distributor, we always buy “certified organic”.

Field peas or lentils (40%) - Peas and lentils are a good protein and energy source and are often used as a soy replacer in feeds. But, you can’t feed too much otherwise you may have issues with digestion. These are “certified organic” and come from North Dakota, South Dakota, or Montana. Sometimes Vernon buys direct from farmers he knows and sometimes he uses a broker like Organic Valley Brokering.

Flaxseed and flaxseed oil (20%) - Flax is one of the most concentrated sources of unsaturated fatty acids and results in a healthier fat profile in the turkeys. Feeding flaxseed results in a huge increase in omega-3 fatty acids, especially in the white meat. The flaxseed and flax oil is grown and sourced with the same standard as the peas and lentils (above).

Barley - This is used sparingly, because too much can make sticky droppings. It provides energy but is mainly used for its fatty acids. Barley contains twice the amount of fatty acids as wheat. This all comes from local PA farms within 20 miles of the mill. It is either “certified organic” or “grown organically”.

Fishmeal - The fish meal is used in the ration both as a great source of protein and amino acids, but also because it attracts the birds to their feed and actually helps them digest it better. The fishmeal is sourced from Fertrell. It is a 100% whole sardine meal that is wild-caught off the coast of South America. The fishery has a sustainability certificate so they only harvest what they can take to sustainably keep the fish population going for the future. They use mixed tocopherols as the preservative (the only preservative allowed under organic regulations) and never use Ethoxyquin.

Kelp - This is an excellent and natural source of vitamins and minerals. It boosts the turkeys’ immune systems, bone health, and overall well-being. The kelp comes from Fertrell. It is Acadian kelp, harvested off the northern US and Canadian coasts.

Molasses - Molasses is added for flavor and minerals but mostly because it settles the dust created by the feed. Just a little molasses is added, about 15 lb per ton of feed. The molasses comes from Honey Brook, PA. It is “certified organic”.

Nutri-balancer - This comes from Fertrell and is called the “poultry pre-mix”. It gives extra vitamins and minerals and also helps the birds metabolize. It contains ingredients like calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, salt, and lactic acid bacteria and a bunch of other bacterias.

Once all the feed ingredients are sourced, Panorama Organic grinds the feed in its mill or Vernon’s nephew’s nearby mill. Nowadays this kind of local craft milling is extremely unique.

In Vernon’s area, there used to be mills on every other street corner. But then the “Walmart effect” came into agriculture. Now there are mega mills that small farmers and small mills cannot compete with. It’s just one more reason that high quality nutrient-dense food costs more.

I personally am so thankful for farmers like Aaron from Miller’s Bio Farm and Vernon from Panorama Organic. My family owes its health to them.

Questions about anything? I’m happy to look into it for you. Really, it’s my pleasure.

Pastured Meat

Farming Practices

Finally, egg test results are in! Guess what? Yolk color does not matter.

Exciting news --- we've been waiting for months and just got our egg test results in!!! Keep reading for the reasoning behind the tests and a little analysis of what the results mean. Want to skip straight to the hard data from the lab? Click here. A Quick Recap Explaining Why We Tested Eggs. Earlier this year, we lost trust in the feed supplier for our laying hens. Even though they said the feed was corn & soy free, something wasn't adding up (you can read more details about the drama here). So, we switched.At that time, we made the choice to NOT include any colorants in the feed, even natural ones like marigold and paprika (you can read about every single ingredient in our new feed here). Despite having the same new feed and the same pastured living conditions, some flocks produced orange yolks and some produced yellow yolks.This led to a lot of customer confusion. I mean, aren't pastured egg yolks supposed to be orange? Isn't that how you know an egg has max nutrition? That's what I thought, too. I knew we needed to verify some things. So, we bit the bullet and paid for lab testing. We sent 5 different egg samples to Dr. Stephan Van Vliet, PhD. He's the Director of Food Metabolomics Lab at the University of Utah. And, he's the same guy who tested our chicken (without us knowing) and found that our chicken had the perfect 1:1 omega 6/3 ratio, which is basically unheard of even with pastured corn & soy free chicken. The 5 Egg Samples We Tested. Here's what we sent to Dr. Van Vliet. All eggs were from late spring, when pastures are growing. We are choosing to keep the other egg brands’ names private. Here’s some info about each sample provided. 1- Miller’s Bio Farm (Yellow Yolks) Pasture raised in mobile coops moved regularly to fresh pastureRaised on regeneratively tended pasturesCorn & soy free . 2- Miller’s Bio Farm (Orange Yolks) Pasture raised in mobile coops moved regularly to fresh pastureRaised on regeneratively tended pasturesCorn & soy free . 3- National Brand Regenerative Eggs (the most expensive you can buy in the supermarket) Brand Claims: Pasture raised; freedom to forage outdoors year round; 108 ft2 per henRegenerativeCertified Organic Certified Humane . 4- Local Pasture Raised Competitor (using our OLD corn & soy free feed supplier) Brand Claims: Pasture raised Free rangeRegenerativeCorn & soy free . 5- National Brand Conventional Eggs (the cheapest you can buy in the supermarket) Brand Claims: Excellent source of vitamins D, E, B2, B12, and B5140mg omega-325% less saturated fatVegetarian fed . The 4 Most Important Results. There were 100+ tests done on the egg samples. That's a lot of data! I wanted to make it a little easier for you to digest. So, after reviewing everything and having a conversation with Dr. Van Vliet, these are what I think are the 4 most important findings. 1- Yolk Color Does NOT Matter. The Feed And Farming Practices Are Most Important. That's right. As I scrolled through the 100+ tests done on the eggs, the orange and yellow yolks consistently had very similar results. With the exception of a couple vitamins (which technically make the yellow yolk eggs slightly more nutritious than the orange yolk eggs), the nutritional content of our orange and yellow yolk eggs was exactly the same. Wow. Most notably, the yellow yolk eggs had significantly higher Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) compared to the orange yolk eggs. Vitamin B2 is a yellow colored compound, and Dr. Van Vliet thinks this extra pigment might be why those yolks are yellow. From this point forward, we're calling our eggs "honest yolk" eggs. After all, nearly every egg farmer nowadays adds color to the feed. And it's kinda a sad thing, since the farmer then loses an important indicator for what the hens are foraging for. For example, the farmer that had the flock producing yellow yolks noticed that the chickens weren't as interested in the pasture. Maybe it was the plants that were growing. Maybe it was the soil. Maybe it was the nature of those birds. He doesn't know for sure. But, with one change at a time, he can slowly figure out how to get the hens to eat more greens. Without the "honest yolk" that wouldn't really be possible. 2- Our Eggs Had The Best Omega 6/3 Ratio At 4:1. Our eggs had the best omega 6/3 ratio at 4:1 (and we're already chatting about how to get it even lower!). And, the eggs fed from our old feed supplier had the worst ratio at 12:1. Me oh my we made the right choice to switch feed suppliers!!! There must be something in the old feed (maybe soy or corn oil like we thought there might be) that's bringing that ratio waaaay up. I mean, isn't corn & soy free feed supposed to lower that ratio? Corn has a 25:1-60:1 ratio. Soy has a 8:1-9:1 ratio. At the very least, it should be lower than the national conventional brand, whose hens are definitely eating corn and soy. For a little reference, humans should eat a 1:1-4:1 omega 6/3 ratio for optimal health. But the conventional Western diet typically provides a 20:1 ratio. Having too many omega 6s compared to 3s can lead to a host of issues including inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, asthma, depression, fatigue... the list goes on and on. I mean, this is just one reason Americans are overall in poor health. 3- Our Eggs Had The Lowest PUFA Content. When PUFAs are consumed in excess (like the conventional Western diet gives you), it can have some awful health impacts. It can suppress thyroid function, lead to inflammation, cause oxidative stress, and result in a variety of diseases. You can learn a lot more in the PUFA predicament blog post. This is why a lot of our customers are looking to reduce their PUFA intake. And it's a reason many come to us. Since seed oils are a big contributor to high PUFAs, animal-based eating is a good way to lower PUFAs. And especially when animals are 100% grass-fed and not fed corn and soy like our animals, you can get those numbers even lower. I was excited to see the test results verify the impacts of our farming practices and feed choices. We have the lowest PUFA eggs amongst the ones we tested. 4- Our Eggs Had The Highest Vitamin Content. When you look at the individual results for each vitamin, the results were kinda all over the place. But, when you add up all the numbers, Miller's Bio Farm's eggs came out on top! This is especially exceptional because the conventional eggs boasted having high amounts of certain vitamins... and they sure did hold true to those promises. This means they are heavily supplementing their birds. It's incredible that we beat them without oversupplementation! All Of The Data Is Available To You. We are giving you access to EVERYTHING. There are 100+ test results. After all, you deserve to know everything about what you put into your body. The data is available in two formats: A spreadsheet with all of the raw data. It's divided by tabs for fatty acids, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins (view spreadheet data here). A 30-page pdf that summarizes notable data (not all of it). It has lots of nice charts for easy comparisons (view pdf data here). What do you think about the results? What's the #1 data point you look for when it comes to eggs? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required, start typing for the guest option to appear 😊

Bah Bird Flu. About raw milk safety and why we we're not worried.

*DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor or a scientist. I'm a passionate real food consumer that loves research and learning new things. Sources are listed at the very bottom. -----Did you hear the news? Raw Farm USA, a raw milk supplier in California, was shut down last week. Why? Because bird flu (in some capacity) was detected in their milk.Wow! This is getting serious. Bird flu is not longer just a worry but something that's being enforced. As you know, we take milk safety very seriously at Miller's Bio Farm. It's our goal to produce an ultra low risk product for you. And, with the proper farming practices and safety standards, we believe raw milk can be a nourishing and healthy and safe food. First off, our cows are fed a natural diet of 100% grass and spend a lot of time exercising outside in the fresh air and sunshine. This keeps them naturally happy and healthy. No need for routine drugs or anything like that. Health problems are rare. Second, we have small herds of max 50 cows per farmer. This allows the farmer to keep a close eye on their cows. They can detect any issues quickly. Third, we have meticulous practices for milk safety. This includes making the udders and teats free of manure and dirt, cleaning with extra hot water (nearly boiling), using acid sanitizers for equipment, and having a fully stainless steel piped system for bottling milk. We go above and beyond what's simply "required" as a raw milk producer in PA. Not only do we hold a raw milk permit and go through the required inspections and tests, we also test every batch of milk on site for general bacteria counts. This ensures we are cleaning well and there aren't any big issues. But... When it comes to bird flu, we're simply not worried. I've tried to dig in and find something of real concern. But, I can't. From what I've read, there's simply no scientific basis for the vilification of raw milk as it relates to bird flu. Here are the three biggest points: 1- There have been zero cases of bird flu linked to raw milk consumption. Of the 58 total cases of bird flu in humans in the US this year, none have been linked to raw milk consumption. All have been dairy workers who are believed to got it through direct contact with poultry and cattle [1]. So why the worry? Why the hubbub? Why require testing and shut farms down? It's as if the powers at be are desperately trying to find a connection, to find the first case. In fact, this past Wednesday, there were dozens of articles that came out saying a child in California tested positive for bird flu and it's linked to raw milk. An hour later, articles came out saying the child in fact tested negative. But, that bad press was already out there and likely won't be edited. I don't understand how enforcement can be allowed when there's no proof to justify it. 2- Testing for bird flu in milk detects fragments of the dead virus, which doesn't necessarily mean the virus can infect milk drinkers. This month, the USDA enacted a new federal order that requires raw milk samples to be collected and shared with the USDA for testing. This includes both raw milk intended for pasteurization or intended to be sold as raw milk. If there's a positive test, the USDA can track those animals [2]. But, what are they testing for exactly? Well, the qPCR tests are looking for RNA fragments that belong to the virus. It doesn't mean the virus in the milk is intact or can actually infect anyone. This leads me to a question --- did any of the RNA fragments match viruses other than bird flu? Well, I don't know. But I assume they could, since bird flu is a strain on influenza, and we all know how many strains of the flu there are! Then, they do an egg inoculation test. The viral fragments are injected into an egg. If the virus replicates and grows, then the sample is considered to contain "live virus". If it doesn't, then it's considered safe, having only "dead virus" [3]. 3- Raw milk is innately antiviral. It inhibits the growth of viruses both in the milk as well as in your body. There's a pretty awesome study from 1987 that tests the growth of rotavirus and coronavirus in raw vs. pasteurized milk. It's so simple, it would be hard to misread the results. It found that, when a virus is added to raw milk, there was zero viral growth. Did you get that? Zero viral growth. But, when the same virus is added the pasteurized milk, 30-80% of the live virus was recovered depending on the level of inoculation [4]. This means that the synergistic properties of raw milk do not allow viral growth within the milk. Raw milk kills viruses in it. Pasteurized milk breeds them (of course this would be after pasteurization). Wow! Moreover, there's a systematic review from 2023 that looks at dozens of studies on the antiviral properties that drinking raw milk gives to the consumer. It found over and over again that there are bioactive compounds in raw milk that, when consumed, stop viral entry, block replication, and inactivate viruses [5]. So, science says that raw milk not only kills viruses within it but, when you drink raw milk, it can also help you fight viruses in your body. Another wow! It seems to me that most of the bird flu drama might be political...? Did you know the USDA commissioned Moderna to develop a bovine bird flu vaccine in July [6]? In fact, they started field trials this fall [7]. It seems that a warp speed bird flu vaccine for cows is just about to be released. That timing! The "powers at be" continue to repeat that "the milk supply is safe" and "pasteurization kills the virus." But, after COVID, I think we might know what repetitive phrases like that mean. Could there be an agenda? Are you worried about bird flu? What's your take on the situation? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below -- no account required, start typing for the guest option to appear 😊PS: The media sure does a good job of instilling fear. We understand that you may not have the same viewpoint as the farm. You might be hesitant about raw milk right now. That's 100% OK. This is why we offer both raw and minimally pasteurized milk. The choice is yours! ----- Sources Is Raw Milk Safe? Officials Ramp Up Testing Amid Bird Flu OutbreakUSDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus1 in 5 milk samples from grocery stores test positive for bird flu. Why the FDA says it’s still safe to drinkAntiviral Substances in Raw Bovine Milk Active Against Bovine Rotavirus and CoronavirusMilk Antiviral Proteins and Derived Peptides against ZoonosesFeds prepare for bird flu jump to people with vaccines, testsUSDA Builds on Actions to Protect Livestock and Public Health from H5N1 Avian InfluenzaBird Flu and Raw Milk: Where is the Evidence?

Thanks for clean food! Want to send some love to our team?

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving week filled with clean nourishing foods and people you care about 🥰 As I reflect on what I'm thankful for, I was reminded of an email we got last week from a fairly new customer. Here's what it said: ----- "Hi, I've been a customer for a couple of months now, and I wanted to send a quick note of appreciation for your amazing products AND your organization. "I have many food and chemical sensitivities, and it has been a multi-year battle to find food I can actually eat, even with the prevalence of Whole Foods and other organic markets in my area. Everything I've tried from your website has been fantastic, and above all I appreciate your total transparency when it comes to animal feed, production methods, etc. I've learned about all kinds of things I need to watch out for in grocery stores, and I would have considered myself a well-educated consumer! "But beyond that, I'd like to compliment your business model — the website is easy to use, your workflow appears to be incredibly efficient, and I know how much work that takes behind the scenes. "Keep up the great work!" ----- I mean, how wonderful was that!? Reading it made me so happy. I immediately forwarded it along to the team to brighten the day. After all, everyone who works with Miller's Bio Farm has lots of hard work to do to get you your food. This got me thinking... wouldn't it be nice to give to give a little something back to the Miller's team this Thanksgiving? What if we compiled a list of thank you notes to share? You with me? Want to express your thanks? I'm making it as easy as possible. Simply leave a comment below. It could be something in general. It could relate to a certain product that you love. It could be to the farmers. It could be to the packing or customer team. It could be to the driver who delivers your order. Hey, it could even be to our website, which also does a lot of work taking your orders! ⬇️ Comment below ⬇️ Our team would LOVE to hear from you. I'll share every single comment with everyone at Miller's the week after Thanksgiving 😊 *No account required -- start typing for the guest option to appear.

Minute details for this year's on demand turkeys

Our turkeys are sold on demand! That means you order one when you need one. No preorders. No hoops.

Here are the basics - Our turkeys are a “white” breed, live on green pasture, and are naturally raised and processed.

I am always wanting to find out more about how my food was produced. So, I’m diving deep to answer the question, “What’s in the feed?”

The turkey feed is specially formulated blend of wheat, field peas or lentils, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, barley, fishmeal, kelp, molasses, and a nutri-balancer. Vernon works with Fertrell, the organic mineral supplier, to figure out the best blend.

100% of the ingredients in the feed are grown in the US or comes from the Atlantic Ocean. That’s pretty neat!

Questions about anything? I’m happy to look into it for you. Really, it’s my pleasure.

More from the blog

Finally, egg test results are in! Guess what? Yolk color does not matter.

Bah Bird Flu. About raw milk safety and why we we're not worried.

Thanks for clean food! Want to send some love to our team?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566