Our quest to discover the best-tasting Thanksgiving turkey (humanely raised without antibiotics!) led us 86 miles west of New York City to the picturesque rolling hills of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country, where we met with Luke Jaindl of Jaindl Farms to learn more about his family-owned fourth-generation farm.
Jaindl Farms was founded in the early 1930s by John L. Jaindl. In 1965, John’s son, Fred, purchased the farm. In those days they raised 200,000 birds per year and farmed over 500 acres of land. A marker of how much the farm has grown over the last 50 years is that today Jaindl raises 750,000 turkeys annually.
Luke puts the success and rich legacy of the farm down to two main virtues: Innovation and care. The turkeys are fed the highest quality feed available, all of which is made on the farm from freshly harvested grains grown by Jaindl. The birds are raised without antibiotics and live on clean straw bedding—which helps keep them clean and bacteria free—in “open air” pole buildings, which both minimizes stress and gives them access to sunlight.
But what really makes Jaindl turkeys so special is the unique broad-breasted breed that was developed on the farm. Renowned the world over, they are a product of selective breeding started by Fred (continuing today by his son, David), and the result is a deliciously lean bird that yields more white meat than other commercially grown turkeys. It’s no wonder that Jaindl turkeys have proudly carried the “Grand Champion” brand label since 1959 after winning the award at each of the National Turkey Federation shows throughout the 1950s. Or that for over 40 years Jaindl has supplied the turkey that graces the holiday table at the White House.
Click here to order your Jaindl Thanksgiving turkey.