November 25 – While some wake up on Thanksgiving morning with holiday traditions like family turkey trotting or squeezing on the couch to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Chris Bohrer follows his usual routine before heading to dinner: a wake-up call at four am to check on his turkey farm.
“I tell people in November that I generally only work half days — about 4 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” Bohrer said. “It’s half the day.”
A flock of turkeys huddled under a barn at the Sho Nuf Turkey Farm Thursday as stable dogs Missy and Buddy barked as they searched for predators. Turkeys cackled as they walked around, occasionally pecking at each other or turning their heads in unison with one quick “gulp” in response to a sound or something else in the environment. The toms displayed erect feathers, showing their protection over the chickens.
Bohrer has worked on the farm for 37 years and is serving in a more full-time role after retiring as a Montgomery County police officer about two years ago. The Fulton farm began raising turkeys in 1938 after Bohrer’s wife’s grandparents received turkeys as a wedding gift. Now Bohrer’s daughter Izzy, who stood at the table helping customers, is the fourth generation in the family to work the farm.
“It’s nice to see that they want to do it because they want to work hard. Hopefully we’ve taught them a good work ethic so they want to work hard,” Bohrer said. “I think it gives you a better appreciation for hard work.”
But the farm’s fate appears uncertain, as developers of the Maple Lawn community across the street own the land, Bohrer said. The landowners have extended the farm’s lease for one year, or sometimes two years. Bohrer said he thinks they have a few more years on the farm, adding, “I’m not ready to go yet.”
The land is a great place to build homes, Bohrer says, but he’s not sure the farm will move because of the cost of infrastructure and government regulations that are burdensome for small farms.
“That will be the hardest part for me when they start building. The houses don’t interest me, but not being able to cook a turkey that I raised or that I raised myself, that will be the hardest part if we stop here with making turkeys,” Bohrer said.
Traditionally cooking a Sho Nuf turkey in the oven is Bohrer’s preferred method, while other families might grill or deep-fry their bird. Picking up a turkey has become a family tradition for many customers, Bohrer said, with some people traveling two to three hours or as far away as South Carolina.
The farm raises 20,000 turkeys each year, with sales split roughly evenly between wholesale to supermarkets or markets, bulk retail to companies offering turkeys as gifts to employees, and retail to individual customers. Bohrer said the farm will have about 3,000 customers in line the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
What makes the farm unique is that the turkeys are never caged or moved around like they are on other farms, Bohrer said. A few years ago the farm received a 100% score on an animal welfare audit, “so we feel pretty good about the way we’re treating the animals,” he said.
While there has always been a big draw for the farm’s free-range turkeys, there are newer customers who are “very interested,” Bohrer said. In general, people like to know where their food comes from, he said, and that’s what draws them to strawberry fields, Christmas tree farms or pumpkin patches.
“You don’t really pick your own here, but you’re not going to get much fresher than this,” Bohrer said. “Unless you do it yourself.”
The days leading up to Thanksgiving are the busiest, but sales continue through New Year’s. The coolers are then set to freezing and frozen turkeys are sold year-round, Bohrer said. After visiting the farm on Thanksgiving, Bohrer will fuel up on turkey and relax.
“Generally speaking, it’s about the Sunday after Thanksgiving before I can really sleep in,” Bohrer said. “But I’m ready to sleep.”
Do you have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khacker@baltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X.
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Chris Bohrer and his daughter Izzy discuss work in a turkey shed at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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Chris Bohrer and his daughter Izzy in a turkey barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A flock of turkeys gather outside a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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Chris Bohrer and his daughter Izzy in a turkey barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A flock of turkeys are seen in a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A flock of turkeys gather outside a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A flock of turkeys gathers in a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A chicken (left) and a turkey are seen in a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A flock of turkeys gathers in a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A flock of turkeys gather outside a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A flock of turkeys gathers in a barn at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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A tom turkey is seen at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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Chris Bohrer and his daughter Izzy discuss work in a turkey shed at Sho Nuf Turkeys on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)
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