NEW SHARON – When Bob Neal’s younger sister handed him six small tomato plants he had no idea it would eventually lead to 3,600 gobbling turkeys.
That was the summer of 1972. Neal and his wife, Marilyn, planted the tomatoes and by the time August rolled around they had a new baby boy, ripe juicy tomatoes and a yearning for a simpler life. They packed their things and followed the stream of people “getting back to the land.”
Neal’s mother grew up in Kennebunk, “which is almost Maine ya know,” so the state made sense to return to.
“We started a flock of baby turkeys and grew some vegetables,” Neal said. “At first we just sold to local friends. Then, after a couple of seasons, it dawned on me that people weren’t coming back asking for radishes. They came back asking for turkeys. So, turkeys it was.”
This is the last year that The Turkey Farm will be in business. Neal feels like it is time.
“Last year, I promised holiday turkeys to several customers but failed to write down the orders. It is hard to say who was more surprised, the customers or I, when they came for their turkeys,” Neal wrote in his seasonal newsletter, The Turkey Times. “I intended to retire at 70. But I just couldn’t.”
The Neals’ have been preparing for the end of their business days for a few seasons now, slowly winding down the number of birds they raise and sell. Next week they will get their last flock for a final Christmas time butchering.
“Of course it makes me sad. I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” Neal said while making his way from the fields of gossiping turkeys back to the farm store. “I’ve had fleeting fantasies that one of my children will want to come take over. But they’re smarter than I am.”
Neal is most looking forward to having more time to read after retiring. “I have this friend, we’ve been friends since kindergarten. He always said that when he retired he was going to clean out his basement. A while ago I asked him if he had gotten it done yet and he just said, yeah whenever I get bored I clean up all the stuff, and I move it to the other side of the basement.” Neal laughs at his anecdote, “I don’t think boredom will be a problem for me. I want to read. I want to get back into volunteering. I hope to garden for as long as possible.”
An hour and a half later, after discussing food, teaching, journalism, back to the landers, how “life just isn’t long enough to deal with the city of Portland,” and, of course, turkeys, Bob Neal smiles.
“When I retire? I’ll probably just cause trouble.”
The BEST turkeys ever!!! Good luck with your upcoming retirement!! ENJOY!!!
Thank you Bob and Marilyn for the many delicious turkeys that have graced my Thanksgiving dining table. While I do consider myself to be a good cook, those turkeys elevated me to Rock Star status as far as family and friends were concerned. Thank you for that!
I also raise poultry, specifically Cornish Cross meat birds. Over the years, I have sometimes thought,” This is the year I’m going to also raise a few turkeys.” But each time that thought occurred to me, I came to the same conclusion: leave turkey raising to the experts, the Neals.
I will miss driving down Rte 27 over the course of a “Turkey season” and watching those small softball-sized puff balls become big white beach ball-sized birds. It’s an amazing sight – to see happy healthy birds living the life of Riley.
Lastly, thank you Bob for one of the best Turkey Times newsletters yet – Winter 2014 edition was superb! What a fantastic and exciting life. I hope you and Marilyn have many many years of gardening, reading, having fun, and “causing trouble.”
enjoyed reading …a Mainer now living in Delaware
Your Turkey has been on many a festive family holiday table. I can speak for Mom, my sister and the rest of our family that it will not be quite the same when we can’t come by your Farm for the crown jewel of the table! Happy retirement and mischief making!