"I began writing about Kentucky agritourism several months ago, and most of those articles focused on what you might call the "glamorous" side of the industry. I wrote about wineries and vineyards, the Lexington Farmers' Market and a bed and breakfast; all of which get a lot of foot traffic and offer a variety of things for the public to enjoy. There are, however, many other farms that are doing things to help support Kentucky's agritourism initiatives, and they don't involve arts and crafts, live entertainment, or food and wine. These farms are pioneering new crops and technologies. Some have already mastered them so well that others tour their facilities to learn more about a certain farming process or strategy, or to find out about growing a certain plant or animal variety.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) Web site states that agritourism is defined by Kentucky's General Assembly as "the act of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operation for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the activities of the farm or operation." That means there are a lot of different entities that can classify themselves as being part of agritourism.
Many farmers have looked into different agritourism opportunities in an effort to identify alternative crops to replace lost tobacco income. Some decided to start vineyards and some are trying shrimp and tilapia farming (aquaculture). Others are raising niche livestock and poultry. The common thread is that most of them allow or are working toward allowing organized visitors to tour the facility, talk to owners and operators and ask a lot of questions on what is called an educational "agritour."
Educational agritours are gaining in popularity all over the world. The most popular tours are in the horse and wine industries; however, niche livestock (buffalo, emu, llama and heirloom birds) and cider-making tours are on the rise.
One example of such an operation that is close to home is Wind Ridge Farm. Bob and Norma Tompkins, owners and operators of the Bourbon County farm, are raising heirloom Bourbon Red Turkeys and pheasants and hope to be able to support organized tours in the future. Their 50-acre farm used to have a tobacco base but is now being used to raise the heirloom birds. Using some of the matching funds from the Tobacco Diversification Program in 2005, the Tompkinses purchased an incubator, hatcher and brooder pens, and the materials for building outdoor pens. Just this year they sold more than 250 birds through the Bourbon County Farmers Market and to one of the largest Internet sellers of heritage (aka heirloom) birds. Additional customers have included chefs at local upscale restaurants and fine dining establishments who want to provide something really special for their customers.
An added benefit for chefs and restaurant owners - when you support local farmers by purchasing eligible Kentucky Proud products such as the Bourbon Red Turkeys at Wind Ridge Farm, you can receive up to $12,000 a year in matching money from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Restaurant Rewards program.
Of course, poultry has always been popular with the masses, but some people are interested in a new flavor profile and the heritage birds are known for their extraordinary natural flavor and wonderful texture. Anyone who has tasted a fresh heirloom turkey knows there is no comparison in terms of taste and texture to a "factory" bird. The birds available in stores and from mass food distributors are pumped up with additives for flavor. They were most likely frozen months ago and then sat in a truck for thousands of miles to end up in a store or warehouse freezer. Unlike the mass-produced birds, the Tompkinses' Bourbon Red Turkeys are farm-raised on pasture grass and hormone-free supplements and have been allowed to roam freely.
The Tompkins researched several bird varieties and chose the heirloom or heritage birds for several reasons. They wanted to raise an alternative to the factory turkey, which is modified to provide abundant white breast meat at the expense of both taste and texture. They also were drawn to the Bourbon Red variety because it originated in Bourbon County and is a descendant of the first domesticated turkeys. Bourbon Red turkeys were developed in the late 1800s by J.F. Barbee from crosses between Buff, Bronze, and White Holland turkeys. Barbee eventually called the new variety of turkey "Bourbon Reds" for his home county and for the rich, chestnut color of the plumage.
Although he has only been in the bird business since 2005, Bob Tompkins is already getting the attention of the local county extension agent. He has developed some innovative feeding and watering systems to make it as easy as possible for one person to care for all of the birds. He said the local county extension agent stopped by to see how things were coming along and was impressed with the facility. The Tompkinses also plan to expand the business so that others who are interested in raising similar birds can benefit from their experience. Wind Ridge Farm will have day-old poults for sale in 2007 for those who want to raise their own birds for eating, hunting, breeding, or even to keep as pets. So whether you are a chef searching for a unique meal for a holiday party, an individual looking to try a heritage turkey for the first time, or want to raise the birds yourself, Wind Ridge Farm can probably help you. For more information, call Wind Ridge Farm at (859) 988-5844.
NOTE: In Kentucky, on-farm processing is not allowed and all birds have to be processed through a USDA Facility. The closest facility is in Bowling Green, so fresh/unfrozen birds are only available when the demand is high enough to justify the drive to Bowling Green. The Bourbon Red Turkeys available were recently processed at the Bowling Green facility and are frozen.
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