Why you should buy your Thanksgiving turkey sooner than later – KIRO 7 News Seattle

A nationwide supply chain problem hits right into the holiday season, leaving shelves empty and causing delays in delivery.

Turkeys are no exception.

Several grocery stores in the Seattle area had problems restocking turkey as early as the weekend. Workers in various branches tell KIRO 7 that they are waiting for the next shipment of turkeys but do not know exactly when the next shipment will arrive.

This is not a surprising problem for local farmers like Micha Ide.

“At the beginning (of the pandemic) we had COVID cases in packaging companies and they were closed so that meat was not on the shelves of grocery stores. In this case, there may not be enough delivery drivers to get turkeys from point A to point B, ”said Ide. “You can see where our food chain is a bit broken, where we all depend on so few companies and middlemen to get the food we need to eat on our table.”

Ide and her husband own Bright Ide Acres in Orting, which sells “ethically raised meat”.

“We treat our animals well on our farm so that we feel comfortable with the meat we eat,” it says on the farm’s website.

Remaining true to their mission statement also means limiting the number of turkeys harvested each year. Ide said the farm starts selling turkeys in spring, which are usually sold out by the end of summer.

“We want to convey to people where their food comes from,” said Ide. “The supermarket turkeys you buy are raised indoors in a large barn.”

Grocery shoppers like Ariel Chavez worried about getting a turkey for Thanksgiving.

“I’m a little worried that I won’t get what I need,” said Chavez. “Food and Thanksgiving is something to gather around. So if it’s not there, it can change the Christmas spirit a little. “

Other buyers, like Marcus Draco, said the pandemic and associated shortages taught him to plan further ahead than before.

“Especially after COVID, I felt like you need to be much better prepared for this stuff now,” Chavez said. “Wherever we go, there isn’t as much as it would be.”

Ide also said she had shipping delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She calls it “the farm’s biggest challenges,” but hopes the nationwide battles shed some light on the supply chain infrastructure.

“It’s a trickle-down effect on all of these things,” said Ide. “Especially when you know exactly who is delivering the food, where it comes from, how it is processed, packaged and sent to the grocery store.”

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