Montanans Know: These are the Best Birds for Thanksgiving Turkey

Time to pick out your turkey, Montana.

It's almost turkey time! On other holidays we'll sometimes do prime rib or ham, with maybe a few scallops or some lobster tails on New Year's Eve... but on Thanksgiving, it's a given that there has to be a turkey. A good bird, seasoned just right and cooked to perfection is so good. Montanans-in-the-know get their turkeys from what are essentially street vendors.

Find a colony turkey.

Turkeys are not a big commodity in Montana. Six states produce almost 70% of the US turkeys, with the most coming from Minnesota, North Carolina, and Arkansas. Other heartland and southern states round out the mega-farms that churn out millions of turkeys annually according to the USDA Sept 2023 report.

The relative handful of turkeys raised in Montana come largely from a few Hutterite farms in the middle of the state. This is where you want to get your turkey.

Eat local turkey. Your mouth will thank you.

The colony turkeys are simply better. They look better, they smell better, and most importantly, they taste better. Over the years I've cooked plenty of Butterballs and other "8% water" mass-produced birds, but the Hutterite turkeys are always so good. They're not pumped full of steroids or other nasty drugs either, which is nice.

If you're not sure where to find one, just look for their trucks. Most of the colonies don't appear to have much of an online presence (the whole "avoid technology" thing, we assume), but they usually set up in parking lots around town this time of year. They typically have lots of freshly frozen turkeys and some that are not frozen as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

The Mountain View Colony raises around 3,000 birds annually on their farm near Commence, MT wrote the Great Falls Tribune (paywalled), and their trucks are frequently in the Billings area. Here's where they'll be set up for 2024.

• Billings: November 25 - 27 at 1425 Broadwater Ave (former Bones Brewing parking lot).
• Laurel: November 16 across from the Front Porch at 109 W 1st St from 8 am to noon (or until sold out).
• Belfry: November 23rd at the Silvertip Bar and Casino parking lot, starting at 9 am.
• Forsyth: November 15 from 9 am to noon.

A note on the brine.

Most Butterballs and other store-bought turkeys are already pre-brined, so be cautious with additional brines or salty rubs. The colony turkeys are not pre-brined, which (in my opinion) gives at-home chefs a little more flexibility on how they'll season their turkeys.

What's your secret tip for a perfect turkey? Drop a comment on Facebook, reach out on the app, or send me an email. Michael.Foth@Townsquaremedia.com