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It's Time to Start TALKIN' TURKEY

November 22, 2010 - MERCER -- A turkey carcass lay slumped over a tree stump at the entrance of the barn.

Death by stupidity, Scott Greaney deemed it.

He found the dead bird that morning, its head stuck in a hole in the wall at the back of the barn. It freaked out and broke its own neck, he'd determined.

"Turkeys are just naturally suicidal," he said, joking about their poor judgment.

Greaney, 46, has spent a lot of time among turkeys. He started raising them -- and slaughtering them -- when he was 19 years old.

Since then, Greaney's Turkey Farm has expanded to sell chickens and prepared food, including poultry pies and homemade ravioli. But the core business remains slaughtering and selling birds, which means late November is Greaney's busiest time of year.

About three weeks before Thanksgiving, Greaney's focus was still on his broiler chickens. The 650 turkeys in the barn by his house weren't in need of much attention. They ate and drank, sat outside when it was sunny and huddled to keep warm when it wasn't.

"The key is low stress," Greaney said about keeping the birds happy and healthy.

Across the 55-acre farm, there were small pockets of noise -- the gobbling turkeys in the barn, baby chicks chirping in the garage, an occasional moo from one of the pet cows -- but it mostly, it was quiet. In a few weeks, however, the sprint would begin.

Every year, starting the Friday before Thanksgiving, a six-person crew spends five days killing, cleaning and packaging more than 2,000 turkeys.

"It's crazy," Greaney said. "A three-ring circus without the tent."

Greaney slaughters birds that other people raise at their homes, in addition to his own. He sells most of his birds to small markets throughout the state, including Joseph's in Waterville.

Owner Kevin Joseph said he's been getting turkeys from the farm for about 10 years and has plenty of customers who make sure to get their orders in early.

"They go very quickly," he said.

Joseph placed his order for 150 turkeys in June and started taking customers' orders at the beginning of October. He's usually sold them all a few weeks before Thanksgiving, he said.

Some customers insist on getting their holiday bird right from the farm, even if a nearby store sells Greaney's turkeys.

Wayne York, owner of Skowhegan 201 Service Station, said he's been picking up his 12-pound turkey from Greaney's for nearly a decade.

"That's my tradition, every year," said York, who refuses to eat turkey that's been frozen.

He described Greaney's turkeys as juicy, not dry.

"It's the best in my book," he said.

The turkeys cost about $2.75 per pound. Though other brands of birds can be bought for less, Joseph said he thinks his customers are willing to pay the price to know where they came from and how they were raised.

"They like the idea that they're grown in Maine. They like that they're all natural," he said.

Greaney owns one of about 10 turkey farms in the state. He started the business while in agricultural school in Massachusetts, where he grew up. His parents had bought the farm off Route 2 when they retired. After a visit to a nearby slaughterhouse, Greaney's father, who didn't like what he saw, gave his son $1,000 to buy some equipment, so they could start their own operation at the farm.

Greaney would slaughter birds on weekends and during college vacations, keeping up the business as he continued his education to become a registered nurse.

Out of nursing school, he got a job at what's now MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta and met his wife Tracy, who wore ribbons in her hair and painted her fingernails, he said. He didn't think she would be the type to help out on the farm, but he was wrong.

Now, they live with their three children in the farmhouse, and Tracy Greaney is as vital to the business as her husband is. She oversees the inspection and packaging of the birds, once they're slaughtered.

"She can run the whole place," Scott Greaney said.

Their children have embraced life on the farm, as well. Ben, 11, and Emily, 13, collect eggs from the hens and sell them to local farm stands. Seven-year-old Adam helps out by labeling bags.

Greaney thinks the family-run aspect of his business attracts a lot of his customers, especially the ones who once visited with their parents and now bring their own children.

"They want to come and see the family," he said.

That includes Greaney's 76-year-old mother and his nephew, a chef who lives next door and helps with product development. Around Thanksgiving, there's no one named Greaney who gets out of working.

"Everybody's got a job," he said.

There's one particularly important task that's become Tracy Greaney's responsibility. She makes sure to set aside the first 18-pound turkey that comes through the line, so they too can have a proper Thanksgiving dinner.

Twice, in 25 years of Thanksgiving rushes, Scott Greaney forgot to save a turkey for his own family and had to buy one from a customer.

After all their hard work, Greaney said, they get very excited for the holiday meal.

"We can't wait to eat turkey," he said.

Posted: November 21, 2010
Kennebec Journal Staff


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