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Where to get your local, pasture-raised Thanksgiving bird 🦃

November 11, 2025

Happy Veterans Day! Today, we’ve got our annual roundup of the best places to get your local, farm-raised Thanksgiving turkey 🦃 None of that factory bird for our holiday table here.

📣 You all had A LOT to say about the closing of the Larkin Hi-Fi Bar in Albany. In our most commented-on reader poll ever, 81% of you expressed disappointment that the Lark Street staple would be shutting its doors. But an equally opinionated 11% of you said “good riddance.” Click here to read all of your reactions to this 🔥 story.

This comment perhaps encapsulates our feelings the best: “Albany is such a frustrating situation. Why can’t our capital city be amazing with a thriving downtown, a state-of-the-art state museum, low crime, and high ranking schools? Other cities make it happen. It’s not an impossible dream.”

We can dream the impossible dream. And yes, we CAN make it happen here.

🗞️ Lastly, we’re moving the furniture around (again). We’re going back to publishing 2x a week. We just felt forcing all of the content into one issue made it too long to read. So, we’re splitting the newsletter into Tuesdays (Talk of the Town, Capital Digest, Home of the Week) and Thursdays (Top 5 Weekend & all the events, but no Talk of the Town and no Digest). And we’re also nixing the index altogether (Today in The 518).

Let us know what you think!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

 

A gorgeous pasture-raised turkey at Buckley Farm in Ballston Spa 📷️ Courtesy of Buckley Farm

🦃 Where to get fresh, farm-raised turkey for Thanksgiving

If you’re looking to serve up a Thanksgiving bird that’s been ethically raised—on pasture, with access to fresh air and foraging, and with no hormones or antibiotics—you’ve got some excellent options within an hour’s drive of Albany.

Happy turkeys are tasty turkeys. Pasture-raised birds get exercise and eat a varied diet of insects, seeds, and grasses, resulting in meat that’s firmer and more flavorful than industrial turkeys. Also, turkeys raised outdoors have higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin D. They aren’t pumped with water, salt, and preservatives, meaning you're paying for meat, not filler.

Here’s a roundup of Capital Region farms offering locally raised turkeys for your holiday table. Hurry and reserve your bird now because some of these sell out weeks before Thanksgiving.

1. Buckley Farm – Ballston Lake, NY (Saratoga Co.)

  • Practices: Organic, pasture-raised, free-range

  • Price: $6.99/lb | $50 deposit

  • Why it’s great: Dedicated to sustainable farming. Their turkeys roam freely, forage naturally, and are fed organic grain.

  • Reserve here

2. YundWell Pastured Poultry – Canaan, NY (Columbia Co.)

  • Practices: Fully pastured, small-scale operation

  • Price: ~$6.79/lb | $30 deposit

  • Why it’s great: A small, family-run farm where turkeys spend their days grazing in open fields. Slower growth leads to rich flavor, dense meat, and high nutritional value.

  • Reserve here. Looks like they’re sold out for pre-orders, but more may be available for pickup on Nov. 23. Call the farm for more details.

3. Laughing Earth Farm – Cropseyville, NY (Rensselaer Co.)

  • Practices: Certified organic, pasture-raised, fresh (never frozen)

  • Price: $6.95/lb | $21 deposit

  • Why it’s great: A favorite for organic-conscious customers. The farm emphasizes sustainability, soil health, and humane animal treatment.

  • Reserve here. You can also get a Thanksgiving vegetable share featuring seasonal veggies for $30.

4. Tiashoke Farm – Schaghticoke, NY (Rensselaer Co.)

  • Practices: Pasture-raised turkeys; restorative farming

  • Price: $5/lb | $25 deposit

  • Why it’s great: Great value and local flavor. Tiashoke is a family-owned, multi-generation farm that takes great care of their animals, from birth to harvest.

  • Reserve here

5. Marchaland Farms – Greenwich, NY (Washington Co.)

  • Practices: Pasture-raised, GMO-free feed

  • Price: $4/lb

  • Why it’s great: Budget-conscious option with ethical practices. A solid pick for quality at a lower price point.

  • Reserve here

  • Practices: The best grocery in Albany, hands down. Here’s why we love Honest Weight. The best part? If you’re an Honest Weight member owner, you can get up to a 24% discount on your bird. This is definitely where we’re getting our turkey this year.

  • Price: Whole turkey ($4.99-$5.99/lb) | $20 deposit

  • Why it’s great: Offers pasture-raised, non-GMO turkeys without hormones, from two Vermont farms: Misty Knoll Farm in New Haven and Stonewood Farm in Orwell. Both get raves from fans that have been eating their turkey for years.

  • Reserve here

7. Primal Butcher & Delicatessen — Albany & Saratoga

  • Practices: Turkeys are humanely raised on NYS family farms in a stress-free environment and fed vegetarian diets (although they don’t say which farms).

  • Price: $4.19/lb

  • Why it’s great: High-quality butcher with convenient locations in Albany and Saratoga; plus you can have them brine your turkey for an additional $9.99. No need to clear out your fridge! And they’re offering a special—a fully prepared Thanksgiving dinner for two for just $45.

  • Reserve here

👨‍🍳 Chef Elliott Vogel is leaving The Delaware Restaurant & Bar in Albany. Apparently the parting is on friendly terms. The chef cited personal family reasons for this departure. His last dinner will be a Global Tour Wine Tasting Menu on Nov. 18. [Times Union]

💰️Better check under the couch cushions. On Nov. 16, Market 32 and PriceChopper will double the value of pennies you bring in with a gift card—up to $100 in pennies. So who’s got 10,000 pennies laying around? [News10]

🍕In case you missed it, Simone’s Kitchen has opened a new concept called Lily P, served out of Frog Alley Brewing Co. in Schenectady. The menu consists of wood-fired pizza by the slice or whole pie, plus elevated bar food like smashburgers, fried chicken sandwiches and wings. The pizza is described as a hybrid of Neapolitan and New York-style pizza. [Instagram]

14 Spring Street, Albany, NY 12210

Step inside this charming 1-bedroom, 1-bath home in the heart of Albany, just steps from Lark Street, Washington Park, and the Empire State Plaza. Highlights include a spacious living area, updated kitchen, and a rare heated, two-car garage for year-round convenience. Enjoy walkable access to shops, dining, entertainment, and major state offices. Ideal for owner-occupants or investors seeking prime location and low-maintenance living. Don't miss this gem in one of Albany's most vibrant neighborhoods, at an accessible price!

The deets: 1 bd, 1 ba, 1240 sf. Asking: $239,000. Days on market: 4. See the full listing here.

Note: Our Top 5 Weekend Picks will publish on Thursdays again. Check your inboxes!

TUESDAY

👨‍🎨 “Caravaggio” is touted as “the most extensive film ever made about one of the greatest artists of all time,” screening at Proctors.

🖼️ “The Aura of Upstate,” a love letter to upstate New York, screens at Opalka Gallery tonight. The short animated doc is followed by a Q&A with the artist.

WEDNESDAY

🏙️ The Downtown Albany Strategy–Open House is your chance to give input on the massive revitalization of downtown.

🎷 The Dave Kitchen Quintet plays jazz and pop classics at The Palazzo Ristorante in Schenectady.

🖌️ Paint Your Inner Dragon at Context Collective invites you to paint your dragon eye guided by oracle insight and sound therapy.

FRIDAY

🖼️ The Albany Institute of History & Art hosts An Artful Evening, a festive cocktail party with a silent auction and open bar.

🎤 Lost & Found Kitchen & Bar celebrates Femininomenon Sing-A-Long’s One Year Anniversary!

🚣‍♂️ Reflections on Waterways is a symposium which revisits the various celebratory performances done along the route of the Erie Canal commemorating the 200th anniversary of the waterway.

💎 Wolf Hollow Brewing Company invites you to the Jade Boss Permanent Jewelry Pop-up.

🗣️ Opalka Gallery puts on one of its regular PechaKucha Nights. Come for fast-paced presentations on a variety of interesting topics.

🎭️ “The Unopened Door—A Whimsical Tale For Grownups” at the Arts Center of the Capital Region uses narrative myth, adventure and shared storytelling to explore the ways in which “we see the world not as it is, but as we are.” Through Nov. 22.

SATURDAY 

🍗 This year’s Capital Region Wing Wars go down at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom in Troy.

🍁 The Arts Center of the Capital Region puts on its Fall Fest 2025, featuring pumpkin painting, live music, raffles, and more.

🕹️Gamer Girl is a first-of-its-kind event designed to empower women and girls to connect, learn, and lead in tech and gaming.

🎸 TrueSongs, a beloved annual Caffè Lena event, turns lived experience into art, pairing local residents with songwriters and storytellers to illuminate the work of nonprofits shaping a stronger, more compassionate community.

🎅 It’s that time again. Santa's Playland 2025 at Quick Response returns for the holiday season.

🎬️ Break ꩜ut Symposium 2025 at EMPAC brings together filmmakers, writers, critics, and curious minds to think together about the evolving shape of documentary.

👗Sand Lake Town Library in Averill Park hosts the Women's Clothing Swap.

💧 Tired of trash? Join Riverkeeper and NATURE Lab to celebrate the sixth season of Water Justice Lab, which includes a screening of “The Story of Plastic” and Q&A panel.

🥘 Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria with Ozoz Sokoh presents an immersive evening of West African culture with Nigerian-born culinary anthropologist and author Ozoz Sokoh, in conversation with WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke, at SPAC.

✍️ Meet Elisabeth Paling Funk, author of "The Dutch World of Washington Irving," for a talk, reception & book signing in the Ten Broeck Mansion.

🛼The All Stars Roller Derby are back at The Albany Armory!

👩‍🎨 The Albany Institute of History & Art invites you to Curator Talk: Dows Dunham and the Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan.

SUNDAY

🏳️‍🌈 A Big Gay Market goes indoors for the season.

🦎 After three back-to-back sold out winter shows, the Saratoga Reptile Show is back.

MONDAY

🎷 The Glenn Miller Orchestra plays Cohoes Music Hall.

ART ON VIEW:

GET TIX:

Albany Center Gallery Speakeasy Gala is Nov. 22 at Common Roots Brewing Albany Outpost.

SAVE THE DATE:

The Downtown Albany Hot Chocolate Stroll returns Saturday, Dec. 6.

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

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