Thanksgiving is coming. I know, I know—you’re thinking “it’s way too early to be talking about Thanksgiving,” or the like. I hear you, except that when it comes to ordering your bird, now is exactly when you need to be preparing. So, it is turkey time.

For farmers, saying this time of year is hectic is beyond an understatement. Union Square Greenmarket vendor Mary Carpenter of Violet Hill Farm sells roughly 250 turkeys each holiday season and the farm, based in Winfield, NY, handles all the ordering themselves. (You can read more about the trials, tribulations and unexpected joys of being a poultry farmer in November in “What It’s Like to Be a Turkey Farmer.”)

Many stores and markets require you to pre-order turkeys, especially if you want a humanely raised bird that meets all the potential criteria on your list. Here’s are our recommendations.

https://www.ediblemanhattan.com/eat/8-nyc-places-to-order-a-thanksgiving-turkey/