GIVING THANKS
Local family shares a tradition
30 years in the making.
Larry Hicks, Pete Lazetich, and Marianne Hicks
WRITTEN BY ANN LINDEMANN
PHOTO BY JACI GOODMAN
South Reno Resident Pete Lazetich likes to give ’em the bird. Now, before you draw any conclusions, consider the rest of this story that indeed involves birds, but not the rude-gesture variety. Each June, Lazetich eyeballs his turkey list to see how many baby turkeys he needs to raise for the family’s fortunate friends, neighbors, and business colleagues. By November, the turkeys are ready for Thanksgiving tables.
“We started doing this about 30 years ago and the list just started to grow,” explains Lazetich, who owns Reno/Carson Messenger Service with his wife, Cindy. “We give these birds a lot of TLC and people just can’t get over how different fresh turkey tastes. Unlike standard turkeys, these turkeys grow to 50 pounds or more, which can be challenging to get in the oven. But, man, are they juicy!”
Although the Lazetich family takes care of purchasing and feeding the growing poults for five and a half months, they look for assistance from the lucky list of recipients on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
“We call it ‘give thanks to the bird day,’” he says. “Killing birds is a lot of work so it’s nice to work together. It’s kind of a Huck Finn kind of experience or like branding day in the old days when neighbors would help each other.”
While the turkey list may have only 40 or so slots, when spouses and kids are added the crew can grow to 200.
“There’s music and barbecue and kids and dogs,” Lazetich says. “It’s like a mini-Woodstock with a turkey twist. I wasn’t sure at first, but the kids seem to really be interested in the whole process.”
The process starts early in the morning when huge pots are set on top of open fires. After giving thanks, the turkey is killed by axe and then plunged into the scalding water pot to loosen the feathers. Next on the assembly line, folks pluck the feathers, eviscerate the bird, and then deposit it into a stock tank full of ice.
Lazetich’s friend, Real Estate Agent Mike Mentaberry, is an integral part of the annual tradition.
“It keeps me in touch with my childhood … growing up in rural Nevada on the family ranch,” Mentaberry says. “I’m proud to be the head turkey plucker!”
 Pete Lazetich |
Not content with giving the bird to just friends and colleagues, Lazetich donates the popular poultry to charity auctions and raffles. At a recent Nevada Cancer Institute event, a Lazetich turkey garnered more than $11,000.
As part of the donation, this former San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman will even deliver the goods.
“You gotta imagine a 6-foot-4, 285-pound former football player dressed in a turkey suit singing ‘you’re nobirdy ‘til somebirdy loves you!’” Lazetich says.
Lake Tahoe-based Writer Ann Lindemann is a frequent contributor to edible Reno-Tahoe. She says that writing for edible always is enlightening and surprising. For instance, she never thought she would write an article that featured the word eviscerate.
RESOURCES
Last minute
Does all this turkey talk have you hankering for a holiday dose of fresh tryptophan-rich meat? Fresh, organically raised, free-range turkey can be ordered now through Great Basin Food Co-op (Greatbasinfood.coop) or Whole Foods (Wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/reno/)
Thinking ahead
To get connected to locally raised turkeys, order a turkey in the spring from a local farm. Rise and Shine Farms in Fallon typically raises 70 heritage turkeys each year. To ensure a Thanksgiving turkey, order by May 1. To reserve your bird from Rise and Shine Farms, call 775-867-5873 or visit Riseandshinefarms.com. In Gardnerville, the Gray family offers broad-breasted whites. Shannon Gray starts confirming orders in July. To reserve a bird from the Grays, e-mail Shannon@graytv.com or call 775-782-4710.
Do it yourself
Sierra Feed in Reno (775-853-6700) has everything people need to raise their own holiday turkeys. The store starts selling turkey chicks in early spring, at about $5 apiece. The store also carries all the essential high-protein feed and equipment for raising turkeys.
