As we approach the end of the month, we want to remind you to order your turkey early. We have limited numbers and they are selling fast. We ask that all orders be placed online through our website. If you have more questions about ordering, picking up or storing your fresh turkey please visit our FAQ page. We can’t thank you enough for all of the support you have shown us this past month.
While we don’t know of the specifics of what the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared at the First Thanksgiving in 1621, we can get an idea through first-hand experiences written in journals. Many of these encounters state that there was wildfowl, deer, seafood and an abundance of vegetables on the menu. We can assume that wildfowl did include wild turkeys since the journals stated that, at the time, wild turkeys were hunted often throughout the colonies. Turkeys have continued to be America’s centerpiece on the Thanksgiving table ever since.
You may have grown up learning about the great cattle drives that took place throughout the United States, but your history teacher might have skipped over the turkey walks that occurred. During these great walks, turkeys would parade down country roads to urban markets in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. The birds would march from areas like Vermont to Boston, Kentucky to Richmond, or Missouri to Colorado.
Herding turkeys could be interchangeable with the phrase herding cats because of the difficulty it took to contain the large flocks. During the late 18th and 19th centuries many of these trots would include thousands of turkeys climbing rocky mountains and flying over bodies of water that stretched for miles. Often the turkeys would crowd together creating a stampede-like affair resulting in trampling each other to death. If the turkey driver was lucky enough, they could cover just 20 miles per day at a top speed of one mile per hour. These turkey walks were, quite literally, the original farm to table experience.
At Melitota Turkeys we are excited to bring the eastern shore our own farm to table experience. Our farm provides customers with the confidence of knowing where the food on their plate is grown. Through social media content, blog posts and our website we can provide an insight into the family that you can trust to provide top notch care for your food. We are excited to create relationships throughout our community by raising farm fresh turkeys for your Thanksgiving.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pond View Farm is currently a fifth generation family owned and operated farm. Through the help of my great-grandfather, Allie Messer, my grandfather began his dream of operating a family farm with his wife, Susan. My family now farms corn, soybeans and wheat in Kent, Cecil, and Queen Anne’s County on Maryland's Eastern Shore with an added turkey flock this year.
Since launching our Facebook in July, I have been asked a thousand questions about this whole turkey thing. I was walking into my office last week when I received a blast of texts from a former college teammate that read, “I have some inquiries. What is this newfound love of turkeys? Are you looking to break into the large bird industry? I am just confused but also intrigued, are you over the cows?” Drinking my morning coffee, I laughed to myself as I realized everyone might be asking the same questions.
Melitota Turkeys was founded after the realization that the eastern shore has a void in the fresh market turkey business. Families were either traveling long distances to get their turkeys or buying from the closest grocery store. We found out that the easy decision was choosing to close the gap in the fresh market business as we sat and brainstormed name ideas for the operation. When the name Melitota was suggested by my dad, we knew it was the right fit when the feedback was all positive.
Melitota is a small area of Kent County that was first known as Willis Crossroads. The village was first created to provide services to nearby farmers. It was known for its general store that was built in 1887 but also had a blacksmith shop and several houses along Route 298 and L Road. I also found out that the general store served as a bar during the Prohibition. Unfortunately, the general store that once sat on Handy Point Road was demolished in October of 2013.
This general store, or “ the Melitota Store” as we called it that was once essential in the Melitota community became a staple in my childhood memories. We grew up over three hours from the farm so when we saw the old general store we knew we were within a mile of our grandparents house. Whether the past three hours were spent fighting with my brothers, sleeping in the backseat or listening to my iPod, I knew the fun was about to begin.
In the past two months, the iconic white dairy barn that sits on Great Oak Landing Road has been converted to house our turkeys to the fullest extent. We have done our research to provide you with all-natural turkeys from a farm that you can trust. This holiday season we are excited to bring the farm to table experience to you.