"How can we give thanks when our food suffered so?" asks Kathy Rudy, an associate professor in Duke's Women's Studies program.
Rudy teaches a course on food and ethics and looks for opportunities to encourage people to eat locally -- which some define as food cultivated within 100 miles -- and support local farmers.
Although her favorite local poultry farm is not raising turkeys this year, she says that, rather than "revert to the horrors of industrial, conventional turkey farming," mindful consumers can find alternatives to turkey.
"How can we give thanks when our food suffered so?" she asks.
Here are her Top 5 suggestions:
1) Local, pastured turkeys. Check out local markets like Weaver Street in Carrboro or Hillsborough, that often carry turkeys that have had healthy, normal turkey lives. Ask where the bird came from and check out photos of the farm online if you can. It matters; that's what we call food transparency. Also, keep in mind, some health food stores carry turkeys that are neither free-range nor sustainable. Ask them about it and encourage them to reconsider their policies.
2) Chicken. Think about roasting it. It can be made beautiful and special. My favorite recipe comes courtesy of Martha Stewart. Consider roasting two if you are having a crowd, but make sure they are local and free range.
3) Tofu turkey. OK, you know this was coming... Like turkey meat, tofu absorbs whatever flavors you pair it with. Which means you can spice it up with good stock and great veggies. It's easy to make your own which tastes a lot better than the brand names.
4) Skip the meat entirely. We all know sides are the best part. Go wild with all the wonderful foods available locally at this time of year. Thanksgiving happens at harvest time for a reason. Although things like apples are hard to find locally, and local cranberries are virtually nonexistent in the South, think about all the great things you can do with turnips, collards, parsnips and carrots. And don't forget the wonders of winter squash. The new big thing this year at Durham's Farmers Market is tender ginger; it's nothing like grocery store ginger, so fresh and tender and sweet. Add that to any vegetable for a beautiful flavor.
5) Skip the meal entirely. Give thanks by giving back to your community and to your world. Spend the afternoon volunteering at your local soup kitchen, food bank, or animal shelter. Bring pies to the people occupying our planet for a better tomorrow. Rake the leaves of an elderly neighbor. True gratitude is not about having a perfect menu, it's about responding with an open and caring heart to the gifts and generosity of the realities around us. Use this Thanksgiving to find a way to make that world just a little bit better.