Long Island Turkey Farms Booming, Say Many Customers Looking For Smaller Birds This Year
KINGS PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a high demand this holiday for farm-to-table, and on Long Island, throngs are heading to turkey farms to pick up their favorite fowl.
The star of the show is turkey, but this year a more modest bird.
"We are getting a lot of orders for small turkeys," Catherine Raleigh-Boyland, of Raleigh's Poultry Farm, told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan.
Raleigh's Poultry Farm in Kings Park is owned and run by the Raleigh sisters - Catherine and Maura.
"My mom and dad emigrated from Ireland," Catherine said. "The farm is 61 years old."
"Just really grateful for my family's legacy," Maura Raleigh-Ruggiero added.
MORE: How To Cook A Turkey To Perfection: Jennie-O Provides Crucial Thanksgiving Dinner Tips
That legacy revolves around Thanksgiving, when loyal customers arrive from all over for the organic, free range, fresh turkey.
"Our sales have doubled, I can even say tripled," said Catherine.
Customers patiently wait in social distancing lines amid wandering turkeys.
Long Island growers say roaming and foraging outdoors improves the turkeys' flavor, delivering a more tender eating experience.
"Our turkeys are really special," Nick Voulgaris, who owns Kerber's Farm, told McLogan. "They are non-GMO, free-range, all-natural turkeys."
MORE: Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner For The First Time? Chef Karan Fischer Has Some Advice
Kerber's is a small, local farm in Huntington, where supplies of 10-pound turkeys sold out. All due to COVID restrictions and respect.
"Smaller gatherings, just intimate family, immediate family," Voulgaris said.
Some of Long Island's biggest poultry farms say whatever the size of the bird, you can look forward to leftovers.
Customer Jaime Warren said he was drawn to the comfort of the farm and home-cooked food, and he's pleased so many others feel the same way.
"It's always busy, but due to COVID, obviously you never kind of expected anything like this," he said.
MORE FROM CBS NEW YORK