Turkey farm supplies many local markets, tables - Observer-Reporter

LEECHBURG - Turkeys make quite a journey from egg to Thanskgiving table. Fresh turkeys purchased locally likely started that journey at Pounds' Turkey Farm in Leechburg.

Co-owner Beverly Pounds said the turkeys arrive the day they are hatched. They typically arrive in January from Michigan. The day-old poults are kept in a special room at warm temperatures surrounded by food and water. The temperature is slowly lowered to make them more hearty.

'When they're about a month old, they can handle any weather conditions,' she said.

Then, they are moved to open-air coops where they can get fresh air and feast on bugs, but they are protected from predators like raccoons, possums, weasels and the occasional coyote.

'They're not in any way caged,' she said.

The coop allows the farmers to regulate the turkeys' diet, giving them a diet of healthy grains and grit to aid them in digestion. The birds are raised without growth stimulants, hormones or antibiotics. She said it is best for them to grow slowly so they develop a layer of fat under the skin.

The farm raises about 11,500 turkeys each year. About one-third go to businesses for their employees, one-third to markets and one-third are sold from the Pounds' store, she added.

Many of the turkeys were already processed and packed Friday. About 1,000 remained for Christmas orders, but many coops on the farm are now empty.

'It's strange seeing them all empty when they were just so full,' she said.

Pounds married into the family business, which wsa started with her father-in-law, Harry, in 1935.

'I always thought I'd marry a farmer, and I can't tell you why,' she said. 'I wasn't raised on a farm.'

She said she has a degree in education. Now she and her husband, Tim, and his brother, Rick, run the farm. Their five daughters and three sons-in-law also help out , along with Pounds' 94-year-old mother-in-law, Thelma.

Pounds says Thelma likes to stay busy, putting labels on the products and mowing the property on a tractor.

Many of the markets the farm sells to are also family owned.

For SpringHouse Country Market co-owner Marcia Opp, buying from a business that operates on the family-owned model was one of the appeals.

'We love that they're a family farm,' she said. 'We just loved the freshness factor because that's a big part of who we are - fresh, homemade, from scratch. It just makes for a very special taste for Thanksgiving.'

SpringHouse, in North Strabane Township, sells about 300 of Pounds' turkeys each year. Trax Farms Market in Finleyville also sells Pounds' turkeys. Deli operator Michelle Ference said Trax has been selling the turkeys for about 15 to 20 years.

Eighty Four Packing in Eighty Four and Sunny Bridge Natural Foods in McMurray also sell the turkeys.

Pounds said the busy season to prepare the turkeys begins in September. The most rewarding conclusion for her, she said, is cooking a turkey and sitting down with her family on Thanksgiving Day.

Entities 0 Name: Thelma Count: 2 1 Name: Turkey Count: 1 2 Name: North Strabane Township Count: 1 3 Name: Michelle Ference Count: 1 4 Name: Michigan Count: 1 5 Name: SpringHouse Country Market Count: 1 6 Name: Leechburg Count: 1 7 Name: Tim Count: 1 8 Name: Rick Count: 1 9 Name: Trax Farms Market in Finleyville Count: 1 10 Name: Harry Count: 1 11 Name: Marcia Opp Count: 1 12 Name: SpringHouse Count: 1 13 Name: Sunny Bridge Natural Foods in McMurray Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/14I06TL Title: Buying a Turkey Description: Buying. Brining. Cooking. Carving. We've got everything you need to do it right. Take home the best bird for your table. The best birds are raised with the highest standards.