There’s something uniquely grounding about sourcing your own food—from the wild to your family’s table. This past weekend at Flourish Farms, I had the honor of harvesting a wild turkey, and the experience was everything we believe in, connection, sustainability, and conservation.
Sunrise Success: A Turkey Hunt to Remember
4:30AM came quick Sunday morning, the breeze slowly started to wake me up as I hitched the boat. Pulling up to the ramp, I could already hear turkeys gobbling across the river. I pulled up to my spot, and owl hooted. On cue, a roosted tom gobbled about 200 yards into the timber. I quietly got sat against a big cottonwood tree, and set my jake and hen decoy up about 40 yards in front of me. As the sun painted the sky, the tom following a hen started to work my way. My heart pounding as the tom was spit drumming and gobbling. His eyes scanning, finally fixated on my jake decoy. At this point I had him fooled. Balled up and strutting his beauty, he came to 40 yards. I executed a great shot, not harming any of the meat. I was blessed with a successful harvest of a mature tom.
Moments like these aren’t just about filling a tag. They’re about filling a deeper need to engage with the natural world and take responsibility for what feeds us. There is something so calming about watching the woods wake up in the morning. Even if you are not a hunter. You should experience this calmness by going out early sometime and just sitting and listening/watching.
Teaching Through Tradition
Back at home, I had the chance to share this moment with my son. Showing him how we respectfully clean and process the bird. No processing plants, no preservatives. Just honest work, shared knowledge, and a chance to teach him the importance of gratitude and intentional living. This is how I learned and passing that down has been a privilege.
It’s important that he grows up knowing that meat doesn’t come from a shrink-wrapped package. It comes from a living animal that deserves respect, clean handling, and zero waste.
Simple, Clean Cooking: Smoked Turkey Breast
We prepared one of the turkey breasts by seasoning it with sea salt, cracked pepper, herbs from our garden, and a house blend of spices. After a slow smoke (about 5 hours at 225) the result was nothing short of amazing. Tender, juicy, and packed with real flavor.
This is meat in its purest form:
- Organic by nature
- No preservatives
- No added hormones or fillers
- Handled from field to fork by our own hands
Why We Do This
At Flourish Farms, we believe in knowing your food, from how it lived to how it’s prepared. It’s about being stewards of the land and modeling that for our children. Food isn’t just something we consume—it’s something we honor. It has been a tradition with my son to pray and thank God for providing these animals to nourish our bodies.
This turkey dinner was more than a meal, it was a reminder of why we homestead, why we teach, and why we do the hard work ourselves.
Thanks for following along our journey. Whether you hunt, homestead, garden, or just want to learn—there’s a place for you here at Flourish Farms. #FlourishFarms #FieldToFork #WildTurkey #HomesteadLiving #OrganicMeat #FamilyTraditions #NoPreservatives #SustainableLiving