edible endeavors
PASTURE RAISED
Smith Valley FFA youths cultivate turkeys and a lot more.
WRITTEN BY KRISTINE BROWN
PHOTO COURTESY OF SMITH VALLEY FFA
With Thanksgiving only months away, there’s no doubt many minds (and stomachs) are already trotting toward turkey. For the past five years, the Smith Valley chapter of the National FFA Organization (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) has provided fresh, humanely raised turkeys to the community at a reasonable cost and incomparable value.
Choosing an FFA turkey for your table allows many benefits. Fresh turkeys have a far shorter cooking time than frozen, which means more time to relax on Turkey Day. Also, fresh turkeys contain far more moisture — so you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing you may have successfully dodged the nightmare of a dry Thanksgiving turkey. Perhaps most valuable, however, is the fact that consumers can be confident these turkeys were well cared for. As Smith Valley chapter adviser Andy Miller points out, students involved in FFA are graded on the cleanliness of the animals and their environment, as well as their treatment of any illnesses the turkeys contract.
In fact, the turkeys receive quite a bit of TLC. Each summer, a student is made responsible for overseeing the enterprise, and that student personally cares for the young poults from home until they’re ready for bigger pastures (and during students’ summer vacation, at that). Given these conditions, it’s no surprise these turkeys sell out every year.
While Smith Valley FFA youths are busy raising poults, tending sheep, manning the greenhouse and orchards, raising crawdads, and providing petunias for the flower baskets of Main Street in Gardnerville, the students are doing far more than extracurricular activities; they’re cultivating the very future of agriculture in Nevada.
Miller, in his sixth year as faculty adviser, loves to watch his students get to know and become personally invested in their food sources. He puts great emphasis on innovation and ingenuity, qualities that — if you’ve ever tried to grow or raise anything — you understand to be vital. Sometimes new ventures fail (such as the chapter’s attempt at raising catfish) while others succeed, allowing students not only to reap financial rewards, but also learn the ins and outs of business management.
If you were to tell Miller the future of agriculture is bleak, he’d humbly set the record straight. From where he stands, it’s quite promising.
Kristine Brown is editorial assistant for edible Reno-Tahoe and — thanks to the Smith Valley FFA — is now an advocate for fresh turkeys. She undoubtedly will prepare one this Thanksgiving.
RESOURCES
If you are interested in purchasing an FFA turkey for your Thanksgiving festivities, call Smith Valley School at 775-465-2332. About 25 turkeys will be available for pre-order. Processing of the live turkeys is optional and free of cost. Delivery to Reno also is available.
