From Their Hands to Yours

Stories from the Market

Photos from Hurd Farm

Let’s Talk Turkey

 

With just a few markets left before Thanksgiving, it’s time to start planning what you’ll need for your holiday table. Remember — not every vendor is at the market each week. Some join us biweekly or monthly, so take a moment to check your shopping list and plan ahead. And while we’re talking about essentials, the most important ingredient of all is the turkey. Now’s the time to order yours from Hurd Farm.

Are you thinking about getting a fresh, locally raised turkey this year instead of a frozen one from the grocery store? What better way to honor the spirit of the season than with a bird raised right here in New Hampshire? Hurd Farm offers sustainably raised roasting turkeys along with chicken, beef and pork — perfect for every style of Thanksgiving table.

The Hurd family has been farming since 1923, celebrating their 100th year just a couple of years back. When Steve Hurd’s grandfather returned from the war, he purchased 160 acres of Hampton farmland to raise and milk cows. Steve’s father later expanded the operation to include chickens, hay and corn. Following in their footsteps, Steve and his wife Sheryl together with their daughters Morgan and Leanne now raise turkeys and pigs — carrying forward a proud family tradition.

Their animals enjoy an all-natural diet with no added antibiotics or growth stimulants and spend their days in open pastures under the sun. In 2005, Steve took a lasting step to protect this heritage by placing a conservation easement on the property, ensuring the land remains farmland forever — not a “crop of houses.”

Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, let’s talk turkey — literally. Every year, Steve raises turkey chicks for the holidays. Hurd Farm’s broad-breasted turkeys roam freely on rotating pasture, spending their days gobbling, pecking for bugs and taking dust baths.

For those who prefer something other than turkey, Hurd Farm also offers:

  • Beef: Black Angus and Pinzauer cross cows that are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, producing tender, flavorful meat. Whole or half orders are available for those looking to stock their freezer.
  • Chicken: Cornish Cross broilers raised on pasture, available as whole birds or cuts — breast, thigh, wings and more.
  • Pork: Tamworth-Hampshire cross pigs raised outdoors and fed a healthy mix of fruits, vegetables and fortified grains.

Hurd Farm has been a longtime presence in our market community. Steve is easygoing, soft-spoken and always ready with a quick smile — a familiar face behind a century of farming heritage.

You can reserve your bird online or stop by Steve’s booth at the market.this Sunday and become part of a tradition that’s been 100 years in the making. Taste the difference that comes from New Hampshire soil and generations of care.