Farm to Thanksgiving Table

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for all that we have, and that includes the food on the table. Regardless of what brand you buy or where you shop, a farmer worked hard to put safe food on your table this holiday season.

Turkey

You can find a holiday turkey in just about any grocery store this time of year. Did you know that all poultry and pork are raised without added hormones? Don’t be fooled by misleading labels. You might also choose to buy a turkey directly from one of these local Illinois turkey farms.

Stuffing

Whether you make stuffing from scratch or buy it pre-packaged, there are two ingredients that you’ll always find in this recipe: bread and butter! Most bread is made using wheat flour made by grinding and processing wheat grown throughout the United States, and butter is made from milk with high “butterfat” content from dairy farmers like the Bohnert and Mitchell families.

Sweet Corn

Since the fresh sweet corn is gone for the year, most people use canned or frozen sweet corn to add some color and flavor to the Thanksgiving dinner table. The good news is that vegetables are frozen or canned at their peak freshness and maintain their nutrition and flavor. Want to meet a local sweet corn farmer? Get to know Paul Taylor from Esmond, IL here.

Pumpkin Pie

Illinois grows more pumpkins than any other state, so you could definitely make pumpkin pie using a canning pumpkin from a local farm. If you’re not as gifted as Betty Crocker, you can still follow this super easy pumpkin pie recipe using canned pumpkins and still feel good about supporting a pumpkin farmer somewhere.

Happy Thanksgiving!