Acres and acres of long, lush green grass. This is the first thing you notice about the Wm. H. Buckley Farm just off of Route 50 in Ballston Lake. It is the place you imagine all animals are raised, but in today’s factory food system; farms like this one are the exception to the norm.
Here, the 500 white American turkeys run around in flocks. Since May, they’ve spent their days outside in the summer sun, foraging for seeds and small insects. They are free to move around and go into a huge covered shelter whenever they wish.
“With the way they are raised, they are allowed to grow at a normal rate so they have some muscle. They’re not sloppy like contained birds,” said the farm’s owner, Mark Sacco.
Serve up this turkey on your Thanksgiving table and you’ll be rewarded with a flavor that just can’t be duplicated in any other way (and will make you grateful for all the bugs those pasture-raised birds ate).
“Customers say they’ve never tasted anything like it,” said Sacco.
Taste the Pasture-Raised Difference
The difference between his birds and those in the Big Ag system are startling. The average supermarket turkey spends its life stuffed into a windowless warehouse barn. Genetically-bred and given hormones to grow fast, these turkeys grow so big they can barely walk (much less run).
Living conditions like these are paired with a diet of pesticide-laden feed, creating a breeding ground for disease. Given antibiotics to control the outbreak of bacteria, these medicines get stored in the bird’s fat which can translate to antibiotic resistance and harder to treat infections in the humans that consume these meats.
After an unnecessarily cruel death (poultry is exempt from the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which is enforced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture), these birds are pumped full of preservatives and “flavor enhancers” then frozen so they can be shipped across the country and into a supermarket near you.
By contrast, the Wm. H. Buckley Farm’s pasture-raised birds are given no hormones and no antibiotics. They are processed on-site with only hot water and refrigeration used to preserve them.
“The freshness is a huge deal. They have a rich flavor. They don’t taste watered down. Freezing dehydrates the birds. Ours are very tender and juicy because they’ve never been dehydrated,” said Sacco.
A Farm that’s More than a Barn
The reason that Mark and his wife, Elizabeth Sacco, have been able to raise turkeys in a 6-acre pasture rather than an enclosed barn has a lot to do with the farm’s most joyous workers: four Maremma sheepdogs.
These powerful fluffy white livestock guardian dogs work around the clock to assure Sacco’s flock remains safe from predators. Tecumschah, Una Tasi, Weya and Maria Tallchief are loyal, yet friendly. They eat only raw meat, prefer to sleep outside and do what comes naturally to them – courageously defending the fleet from a slew of attackers including coyotes, foxes, fishers, martins, minks, raccoons, opossums, hawks, eagles and owls.
“I would’ve lost every turkey without these dogs,” said Sacco.
The dogs’ Native American names hint at this property’s long heritage. Originally founded in the 1770’s and with structures still remaining that were built in the 1800’s, the Saccos bought it in 2013 from the Cappiello family.
The farmland had not been cultivated for years. Weeds were rampant, there were no fences and the roof was caving in. Sacco even found a red coat button on the property, likely left behind from the British soldiers who came through this area during the Revolutionary War.
Along with his parents, Kathy and Peter Sacco, and his three children, ages 11, 13 and 16, on the farm you’ll find a couple of butchers, cooks and a volunteer farm laborer.
Everything here is currently done by hand.
“I’m here to farm. We’re hand shoveling and feeding and pounding in our own fence posts,” said Sacco.
In addition to the turkeys, they raise 450 laying hens and 800 meat chickens, 60 beef cattle, 40 pigs, 3 sheep and have about 100 guinea hens running around the grounds.
Over-Delivering Every Day
The most surprising thing about this nearly 300-acre farm is just how much is happening here.
In addition to raising animals, processing and smoking their own meats, they run a butcher shop and farm store that’s open year-round. Selling items including steaks, eggs and even beef jerky, everything is reasonably-priced and fresh off the farm.
The farm café (open seasonally from April 1st until the last weekend in October), seats 24 comfortably in an adjacent rustic room at wide wood plank tables under a high ceiling and streams of natural sunlight.
Renting out two farmhouses on the property as event and wedding spaces, a large number of New York City Ballet Company members call this farm home when they’re in town for the summer season. After just a quick walk around, it’s easy to see why.
The regal colonial Lakeridge Farmhouse is flanked by massive trees in the front, has a children’s playhouse, a large pond in its expansive backyard and lake views in the distance. There are fireplaces in the living room and den, a modern kitchen, 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
The Buckley Farmhouse has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, a large dining room, a living room with dual fireplaces and a third fireplace in the parlor. Just steps away from the back porch there is an outdoor fireplace and stunning grassland views.
Growing with Gusto
Farms have to innovate to survive in today’s marketplace. With all that is already happening at Wm. H. Buckley Farm, this year they also planted a variety of fruit trees and bushes. Grapes, blueberries, peaches, plums and apples will be sweetening their selection of offerings in a few years. Sacco however, pictures the farm to live on substantially longer.
“My mission is to have this stay a farm 100 years from now,” he said.
Today, he’s already offering more than many others.
“We’re on fire,” said Sacco.
Ready to roast up a special pasture-raised turkey this Thanksgiving? Wm. H. Buckley Farm fresh all natural turkeys are $4.99/lb. and weigh between 14 lbs. and 30 lbs. Order by November 16th.
Find easy online ordering at www.buckleyfarm.com, by calling 518-280-3562, or in-person at 946 Saratoga Road, Ballston Lake on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
