It was over thirty years ago that Joe Noel of Carbonear, Newfoundland, turned some of his attention from his transportation business of buses and backhoes and put it into turkeys. He saw an opportunity when a local turkey grower was going out of business but at the time had no idea how well this opportunity would flourish.

He started out small taking over an abandoned school, filled it with turkeys, and hired the turkey farmer who sold him the business to raise the birds. Today he operates a large modern farm and processing plant with his son-in-law looking after the turkeys. Joe thinks it’s a good fit for his son-in-law who loves farming and animals all the work that goes with it. Meanwhile Joe looks after the business end expanding slowly without going into debt.

He built a modern processing plant and takes pride not only in the way the turkeys are raised but also with the humane method in which the turkeys are treated when it’s time to kill them. They quickly touch the birds with a high voltage stunner that not only minimizes stress and pain but has the added advantage for reasons unknown of making the plucking process much easier.

However, Joe has had some frustrating bumps along the way. He built his farm and processing plant to meet all provincial health regulations. He feels he produces a good, healthy product for his turkeys are not as he puts it “laced with chemicals”, they’re grown under ideal conditions, fed pure, clear water and pure food, are in an ideal environment and claims “they’re happy as larks”. Yet big catering firms that provide the food for hospitals and institutions, and the big grocery chains won’t buy from him. They insist on federally inspected, mainland turkeys which makes no sense to Joe.

In spite of this challenge, he’s still able to sell to small charities and groups, and the average customer who has come to appreciate his birds. He did all this without any government assistance in a province with few turkey farmers. He is indeed considered to be a rare breed.