You can’t get much more “Massachusetts” than Thanksgiving!
For the past few years, my husband and I have hosted Thanksgiving for our families. It’s by and far my favorite holiday, and I love bringing everyone together for such a monumental meal. This year, though, we are making a switch in how we go about selecting the foods we prepare for our Thanksgiving table. Instead of relying on grocery store chains, we’re excited to purchase produce, turkey, and other Thanksgiving goodies from area farms. We’re excited to support these local businesses, and to us, nothing seems more Thanksgiving appropriate than buying food from our native soil! Here are some of our favorite farms we’ll be frequenting this Thanksgiving season:
For the turkey:
4 Concord Street | North Reading
For those living on the North Shore, Seven Acres Farm offers turkey and poultry for sale. Seven Acre Farm is accepting pre-orders now for turkeys ranging from 22 to 37 pounds. Turkeys are $3.59/pound.
117 Elliot Street | Natick
For those in the MetroWest area, the Natick Community Organic Farm sells fresh, organic, free-range turkeys for $4.75/pound. Turkeys weigh between 16 and 35 pounds. The NCOF sells out quickly, so preorder your turkeys here. Pick up takes place on Tuesday, November 24, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
For the produce:
269 Allandale Road |Brookline
On the line between Jamaica Plain and Brookline, Allandale Farm has been one of our favorite farm stands for several years. For Thanksgiving, the farm will have plenty of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squashes. We are most excited to try the Boston marrow squash, a locally grown winter squash with a custard-like, buttery flavor. Call the farm stand at 617-524-1531 to check their availability of spinach, turnips, rutabaga, carrots, and cabbages. Their garden center boasts some of the most stunning centerpieces around to dress up a Thanksgiving table. If you can’t make it to a turkey farm, they sell farm-fresh turkeys as well. Our daughter can’t wait to get popping corn from their farm stand, and I’m looking forward to using their local honey for cooking. While we’re at the farm we’ll pick up a pastry (or several) baked by Canto 6 Bakery to enjoy Thanksgiving morning.
32 Wood Street | Middleborough
I frequently buy produce from Freitas Farm at the Natick Farmers Market on Saturdays. I’ve always loved their produce, but I’m especially impressed by the fact that Freitas Farm has its own cranberry bog, so I’ll be using their fresh cranberries to make my cranberry sauce this year. Cabbage, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and red, white, and blue potatoes will also be available for a Thanksgiving feast. Freitas Farm sells at multiple area farmers markets, including Natick, Newton, Dewey Square, Boston Greenway, and Hingham, so they are easily accessible throughout the region!
614 South Main Street | Sharon
For Thanksgiving this year Ward’s Berry Farm has a bumper crop of potatoes and will be selling several varieties of potatoes, including russet, red, purple, yukon, and sweet potatoes. We love winter squashes in our house, and Ward’s Berry Farm does not disappoint — with butternut, acorn, delicata, sweet dumpling, honey nut squash, and heirloom variety squashes like New England cheddar and blue hubbard, we are excited to have a variety of squashes grace our table this year. For those who can’t make it to the North Shore or MetroWest area for a turkey, Ward’s Berry Farm sells turkeys.
10 Pleasant Street | Lexington
For those looking for a large variety of produce that can’t be found in the grocery store, Wilson Farm does not disappoint. For the fall table Wilson Farm offers carrots, brussels sprouts on the stalk, broccoli crowns, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, and leeks. Some of their more unique produce items include the butterkin (a cross between butternut squash and pumpkin, giving it the perfect balance of sweet and buttery flavors), rogosa squash, and purple brussels sprouts. The farm also offers a wide range of pre-made foods for Thanksgiving, including staples such as roasted turkeys, gravy potatoes gratin, and mashed potatoes. I’m delighted that I’ll be able to save some time cooking this year by purchasing a few pre-made delights. Their executive chef Raymond Ost is known for preparing a number of unique dishes, so call ahead at (781) 862-3900 to see what’s available. While you’re there, you can also purchase cut flowers from their farm stand to create a beautiful Thanksgiving centerpiece.
For the dessert:
41 Kendall Avenue | Sherborn
I’ve never been a huge fan of pies, but after berry picking at Sunshine Farm this summer I sampled the peach praline pie, fell in love, and became a pie convert. Sunshine Farm offers apple, apple caramel walnut, apple cranberry, blueberry, raspberry, pecan, peach praline, pumpkin, and very berry pies. Since I can’t decide which pie I’d like, I’m very tempted to order all nine! Pies are available by pre-order only; call the farm stand at 508-655-5022 by November 18 to place an order. The farm will provide times for pick up the week of Thanksgiving. The best part? Sunshine Farm has pre-packed, half gallon containers of ice cream available to accompany a slice of pie (or two).
How are you making your Thanksgiving local this year?
