Finding a homegrown Thanksgiving turkey in Ramona during the 1930s was relatively easy. The town was known as the “Turkey Capital of the World” at that time, with a large turkey farming industry.
But turkey production declined after World War II, and by 1959, it had ended completely.
Nevertheless, the birds can still be found from producers in the backcountry who are pasture-raising turkeys specifically for the Thanksgiving market.
One such turkey-seller is 8-year-old Warren Fender. The son of Bryce and Alli Fender, owners of Flying F Ranch cattle ranch in Mesa Grande in Santa Ysabel, has been raising turkeys since 2023.
When asked why he decided to raise turkeys, Warren quickly responded “To make money!”
Alli Fender said her son started with turkeys when he was 6 and trying to decide what he wanted to raise for his 4-H project.
“My experience is based on watching my momma raise other things, but since I was too little to raise cattle, I decided to raise turkeys,” Warren said.
Warren Fender, 8, has started a turkey-raising business with his brother, Wells, 7, on the family’s Flying F Ranch in Mesa Grande. The birds are housed in turkey tractors, which keep them safe from predators and allow them to be moved daily. (Alli Fender)
His first year, he raised three broad breasted turkeys. The second year, Warren expanded his flock and raised 19.
His little brother, Wells, 7, has since joined him in the turkey-raising business.
Warren buys the birds as day-old hatchlings in May and by September or October the 5-month-olds are usually pre-sold for Thanksgiving.
Those turkeys ended up being 40 pounders. This year, the boys are raising 18 turkeys of a smaller variety, called Mini Classic turkeys, with the goal of having 20-25 pound birds.
Warren Fender, 8, left, with his brother, Wells, 7, and a box of 25 baby turkeys. The birds were delivered overnight from a hatchery. (Alli Fender)
“The hardest part about raising them is the daily feeding — they are bullies to each other,” Warren said.
To care for the birds, Bryce Fender helped his sons build a turkey tractor. Similar to a chicken tractor, the 12-foot-by-six-foot enclosure on wheels can be moved around, allowing the birds to safely forage on pasture in various locations.
“We want to make another one so we can do more birds next year,” Warren said.
His favorite part of the project is processing the birds.
“We have help, but I do it,” he said. “Wells helps.”
From left, Warren Fender, 8, poses with some of his first turkey customers. (Courtesy Alli Fender)
Warren Fender poses with his poultry mentor, Katie Ostrander, who taught him how to process turkeys for consumption. (Courtesy Alli Fender)
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From left, Warren Fender, 8, poses with some of his first turkey customers. (Courtesy Alli Fender)
Although Alli Fender helps with marketing, she said the work involved is totally up to the kids.
“I’m not a poultry person — I don’t touch the turkeys ever,” she said. “It’s been a good project for them to get their feet wet in livestock; the turkeys don’t take years to grow like a cow, and are easier to process.”
If they end up with extra birds, they offer them for sale or donate them to Julian Elementary School for their Thanksgiving event.
The Fender’s turkeys are raised on grass and also fed game bird mix, and they are hormone and antibiotic free. They sell for $10.50 a pound dressed, and must be picked up the week of Thanksgiving.
For more information, call or text 760-212-4052, or visit: flyingfranch.org.
Like Warren, Rowlynda Moretti started raising birds as a youngster, although for very different reasons.
“I’ve just always liked birds,” the 32-year-old said. “I’ve had pet pheasants and quail and currently have a pet mallard duck.”
Rowlynda Moretti, shown here with one of the turkeys she raised, said she has always loved birds, (Courtesy Rowlynda Moretti)
The Moretti family — Rick and Sandy, and their adult children, Rowlynda and Mac — own Carrisito Ranch in Santa Ysabel, where they primarily raise cattle and pork, but also other livestock, such as lamb, goat and poultry.
Rowlynda Moretti decided to raise turkeys in earnest in 2019. She raises, processes and sells the birds herself.
She orders the birds as day-old hatchlings in April or May, when “we hope the rain has passed.”
This year, she raised about 150 turkeys, including broad breasted and heritage birds.
Heritage turkeys are old-fashioned breeds that haven’t been bred for rapid growth or oversized breasts; they usually have a mix of dark and light meat. Broad breasted turkeys — the vast majority of those sold at grocery stores — are bred to grow fast and often are 70% breast meat.
“Because of bird flu, it’s been a little harder to get turkeys this year, so I have some Royal Palms, Black Spanish, Bourbon Reds, Slate Blues, White Hollands and Narragansett,” she said.
Young turkeys move out of a revamped travel trailer into a converted double decker trailer at Carrisito Ranch in Santa Ysabel. (Courtesy Rowlynda Moretti)
The biggest challenge with the birds is that as chicks, they can’t take any wind or harsh temperature changes — and the backcountry in spring can be chilly at night with big temperature fluctuations, she said.
The young birds are kept in a revamped vintage travel trailer, with windows that can be opened or closed as needed for temperature maintenance.
As they get older, the birds are free-ranged on fields at the ranch during the day and fed grain. Every evening they are gathered up and locked in for the night, with a double-decker livestock trailer serving as their pen, she said.
Some of Rowlynda Moretti’s turkeys prepare to enter their night shelter — a converted double-decker livestock trailer. (Rowlynda Moretti)
The antibiotic- and hormone-free turkeys are ready to process at about 7 months.
“Our broad breasted do very well because they get a lot of exercise. Their whole lives they are getting to be out in the fields and they build up a lot of muscle,” she said.
The processed turkeys are sold frozen or fresh, and come in a wide range of sizes.
Heritage breed hens are between 7 and 10 pounds, while toms range from 12 to 17; broad breasted hens range from 20 to 25 pounds, while toms are between 30 and 45 pounds. All the birds are priced at $9.99 a pound.
While they usually sell out by Thanksgiving, Moretti said they sometimes have a few birds available for Christmas.
“It’s a lot more work than a lot of people imagine,” she said, adding “it gives me a lot of pride that people trust us for their family gatherings.”
Since they don’t do online ordering, Moretti said the best way to purchase the processed turkeys is to call or text 760-703-4926 or email: rowlynda@gmail.com
Carrisito Ranch at 25580 Highway 79, is open the second Friday and Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. until noon; for Thanksgiving, they are open daily from Nov. 21. For more information, visit: carrisitoranch.org.