Heritage turkeys gobbled up at $10 a pound

ALAMEDA, Calif., Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Gourmet "heritage turkeys" costing $100 or more remain a popular U.S. Thanksgiving niche, even in tough economic times, farmers say.

"It's a hot item," sustainable agriculture advocate Bill Niman of Alameda, Calif., said of the older breeds of birds that had all but disappeared until championed by preservationists and food aficionados.

Niman raised 2,500 birds for Thanksgiving and told The New York Times he "sold every bird," even at $6.99 a pound, compared with 50 cents to $1 for a typical supermarket turkey.

Many small farmers sell their heritage turkeys for as much as $10 a pound, the Times said.

Heritage turkeys are old-fashioned breeds that resemble their wild ancestors more closely than do modern breeds.

Popular through the early 20th century, then going out of style, they were brought back into vogue by preservationists, sustainable-agriculture advocates and food enthusiasts, the Times said.

Generally raised on small farms and allowed to roam and feed freely, they take 28 weeks to mature while broad-breasted turkeys can mature in 14 weeks.

Enthusiasts say they taste better and have firmer, darker meat than supermarket birds.

"Ten bucks a pound for turkey is a whole bunch of money," Ed Di Gangi, 61, of suburban Pittsburgh told the Times.

"There's certainly sticker shock, but it's not something we do all the time," he said.

Producers estimate the market for heritage turkeys is 20,000 to 30,000 birds a year. The number of broad-breasted turkeys sold in the United States tops 273 million, with 46 million eaten on Thanksgiving.