No More Jive Turkey

Last year at Thanksgiving we bought a turkey from a local farm and it cost $58. I couldn't help noticing, around the same time, that our local supermarkets were offering a comparably-sized bird for $8.

The local turkey tasted quite good, but I've enjoyed many a Thanksgiving with the store-bought variety, and it seemed to me not just painful but profligate to spend all that additional money in this way. So this year we're going to buy the supermarket turkey and find a soup kitchen or homeless shelter to which we can donate $50. In fact I suppose we can donate $65 or $70 if we take account of the tax deduction.

I recognize the benefits we derive from supporting local farms, and believe me, we spend plenty on the stuff they produce, mainly because it tastes so much better. But I'm having a hard time justifying the egregious additional turkey spending in the face of greater human needs, especially on the occasion of Thanksgiving. I'm grateful we have a choice in the matter, and I will use it to help feed the poor.

(Photo: xybermatthew/Flickr)