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It there was a symbol of Thanksgiving, it would have to be one of these. But this is
no ordinary turkey. In fact, this one is really pretty lucky since it's not on someone's dinner
table, and it's been raised in a very unique way. This bird and all of his friends are
being grown not the conventional way in large houses, but with a more old fashion approach.
They're all field grazed. Grazing them on pasture like this is a spin on the free range
idea, except this goes one step further. It sort of serves as a mobile corral that protects
the birds and keeps them under control, but also allows them to feed on fresh green grass
daily. Moving them is simple. This entire coop can be rolled forward by single person.
It's made of lightweight materials and it has wheels at the rear. An added benefit to
this controlled grazing is the poultry litter. You see, it's loaded with nitrogen, potassium
and phosphorous, all the things that make our garden grow. And it can turn this pasture
green seemingly overnight. But too much of anything can be a problem. How the poultry
industry disposes of its waste has become a major issue in many states. With this method,
the waste doesn't concentrate in one area, building up in the soil or water, so it doesn't
pose a problem to the environment. This isn't a new concept. It's the way turkeys were raised
in the 1930s and 40s. And just as it did then, today it allows a small farmer to raise a
crop in a sustainable way. From the garden, I'm Allen Smith.