Pasture-Raised Turkeys
Learn more about what makes our pasture-raised, free-range, grass-fed turkeys
A centerpiece of holiday dinners since 2002, Pat’s Pastured provides fresh, pasture-raised turkeys in Rhode Island. Located in East Greenwich, Pat’s Pastured Turkeys are the most flavorful turkeys you’ll ever taste. Our turkeys have had the freedom to graze and forage the pasture, have been fed non-GMO grain, and had access to plenty of fresh air and sunshine. By supporting Pat’s Pastured, you’re helping to ensure that sustainable, regenerative agriculture is alive and well in Rhode Island.
Thank you to everyone who purchased a turkey for their 2024 Thanksgiving Holiday Dinner! Pre-orders for Thanksgiving will open again in September 2025. Stay tuned for more details!
Why choose pasture-raised turkey?
Our turkeys are enjoying their lives. They get plenty of sunshine, fresh pastures, and lots of room to graze. They get to hunt and forage - what they were made to do. They get the chance to really express their “turky-ness”! A truly nutrient dense food for you and your family.
Animal Welfare
By supporting farmers who pasture-raise their animals, you’re investing in your local community and farms that prioritize animal welfare and environmental sustainability. By spending your dollars locally, you’re helping to keep the community strong and ensure employment for the people you know.
Local Support
Our turkeys are healthy because they’re able to express their true nature. The animals eat a lead a more natural life as they would in the wild with a varied diet. The healthier the animal, the happier the animal. The happier the animal, the more health benefits they possess for consumption.
Health Benefits
We move our turkeys to ensure that the land they’re using is not being depleted but nourished. They forage for things that the soil might consider to be pests helping to keep them at bay while their waste adds nutrients back into the soil helping to increase fertility. We care for the land just as much as the animals.
Regenerative Agriculture
Why should you cook a pasture-raised turkey for Thanksgiving?
Tips for Thawing Your Turkey
Pat’s Pastured turkeys are sold frozen. While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely, as soon as it begins to thaw, bacteria that may have been present before freezing will grow again. There are two safe ways to defrost a turkey: in the refrigerator, or in cold water.
Refrigerator Thawing (Recommended)
The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. This is the safest method because the turkey will thaw at a consistent, safe temperature. This method takes some time, so allow one day for each 4 - 5 pounds of weight. If your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw. Once thawed, the turkey is safe for another two days, so you can start thawing it six days before Thanksgiving (the Friday before Thanksgiving).
The other two methods (cold water and microwave) must be done immediately before you start cooking the turkey, so you’ll have to wait until Thanksgiving morning.
Cold Water Thawing
For the cold water method, leave the turkey in its original wrapping and submerge it in a sink (or container) full of cold water. The water must be cold so that the turkey stays at a safe temperature. You should change the water every 30 minutes. Empty the water and replace it with fresh cold water. Allow 30 minutes of defrosting time per pound, so a 16-pound turkey will take 8 hours to thaw using this method (so you might need to start around 4 am if you want to eat in the afternoon!). Once the turkey has thawed, cook it immediately.