The GOODS from SPUD

Vancouver, BC | With over 40% of Canadians planning to serve turkey at their Christmas table, SPUD makes it easier than ever to create a local, ethical and sustainable holiday meal. Here are the people behind your Christmas birds…

Meet Jason, General Manager, JD Farms

Filling the stomachs of festive revellers is a 24-hour job for Jason Froese of Langley’s JD Farms. As General Manager of the family business, he spends his days overseeing all parts of the turkey farm, and things only ramp up come December. On any given day, this means monitoring the shipping process at 3am to making sure everything’s being done ethically and humanely, to coordinating with retailers whose appetites for his family’s birds have grown significantly over the years.

“It’s very, very busy,” says Janice McWilliams, who’s been with JD Farms for the past four years. “I’ve seen the demand [for our turkeys] grow every year. People are really becoming aware of the health factors behind the turkeys they buy.” JD Farms specializes in turkeys free of antibiotics and animal by-products, fed a natural diet of grains, vitamins and minerals.

Meet Anthony, SPUD Grocery Buyer

“A lot of people get caught up in the whole holiday rush,” says Anthony Crage, Grocery Buyer for SPUD. “Even when they’re the type who buys ‘pastured’ this and ‘grass-fed’ that, the pressure from the holidays catches even the most hardcore at points.”

“Many disappointing previously frozen turkeys have found their way onto tables because of that.”

To help bring customers in the lower mainland local, ethically raised birds, SPUD’s buyers have been sourcing turkeys from JD Farms, in addition to Rossdown Farms in the Fraser Valley, since 2008. “They’ve really changed the game locally and brought a huge awareness to the idea of buying ethical birds for Thanksgiving, Christmas and beyond,” says Crage. To meet this demand, SPUD’s fresh free-run or organic turkeys are available for pre-order online.

They’re then delivered to customers between December 21 to 23.

“You don’t even have to lug the damn thing home!” says Crage of the turkeys, which range in size from five (for four to six people) to nine (for up to 16 people) kilograms. “I think a lot of people want to buy only ethical meat, but talk themselves out of it because it seems like too much work, especially when things are already stressful.”

From Jason to Anthony to Table

These days, the food Canadians eat travels an average of 1200 kilometres before it reaches the table. From JD Farms in Langley, to SPUD’s warehouse in East Vancouver, turkeys travel 50 kilometers. SPUD’s delivery vans then distribute them to customers around the lower mainland. The end result is a boost for the local economy, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and convenience for the end-user.

Then there’s the taste. Because of the limited distance these turkeys have to travel, SPUD offers fresh birds.

“If you’re going to put so much effort into cooking a turkey, why not have it be fantastic?!” says Crage.

“Turkey, and poultry in general, isn’t as flavorless as people sometimes think. Lots of people don’t realize how much water has been injected into your average grocery store turkey to make it seem moist and delicious.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by McWilliams.

“The difference is night and day. Once you have a fresh one, you’ll know what real turkey tastes like.” JD Farms and Rossdown Farms turkeys can be purchased online at SPUD.ca. Early ordering is recommended, as limited quantities are available. Fresh turkeys will be delivered between December 21 and 23. Delivery date will be finalized and communicated the week of Dec 14.

About SPUD | SPUD brings local, certified organic and natural grocery products from local farms and suppliers to shoppers’ doorsteps, offering a convenient way for shoppers to align shopping habits with ethics, while combining quality with convenience. SPUD’s buyers shop in a way that’s good for the consumer, good for the vendor, and good for the environment. www.spud.ca.