Follow along each month in Attraction magazine as Sprout takes readers on tours of Mid-Shore farms. They will share stories from the road as they gather fresh produce from area farms. Sprout provides individually portioned, ready-to-eat meals using fresh, local and organic ingredients, delivered directly to a customer.
When Sprout first started out in early 2016, owners and chefs Emily and Ryan Groll pledged to be 100% transparent about their food, where they source from and strive to use local, organic and ethically sourced ingredients whenever possible. They set off to discover farmers who used best practices and found Maple Lawn Farms, a fourth generation turkey farm in Fulton.
Sprout has been purchasing fresh and lean ground turkey breast and turkey bacon from Maple Lawn ever since. Sprout drives on a regular basis to visit the farm and/or meet them in Annapolis for a pick up. It tends to be a rather humorous adventure. According to Ryan, “Our most recent adventure was meeting Maple Lawn’s owner, BJ, half way. A hard rainstorm was coming through and we needed to find shelter to exchange cash for bird. So, we proceeded to follow BJ to a nearby parking garage to seek shelter and inspect the turkey. Never a dull moment for Sprout.”
Sprout uses the Maple Lawn ground turkey and its house made blend of spices to make their breakfast sausage. One of their favorite seasonal breakfasts is the Cranberry Almond Oatmeal Bake with this savory breakfast turkey sausage, sautéed local apple and cranberry chutney. Perfect for the holiday season.
Maple Lawn Turkey Farm is known for its free range, oven ready “Sho-Nuf” fresh turkeys. Henry Iager purchased the original 108-acre parcel of land in Fulton in 1839 and the Iager family has actively farmed that land ever since.
The turkey operation was started by Ellsworth and Mary Elizabeth in 1938 with the “Sho-Nuf” branding. The fourth generation is now learning the operation, from putting out day old poults in the summer, to checking and filling feed bins, and processing and selling the turkeys in the fall.
People from around the state travel to the farm to purchase their fresh bird in time for Thanksgiving. The farm’s online turkey request form begins October 30 at maplelawn.com.
Part of what makes the turkeys extra special, says the Iager family, is the family pride in raising and producing a product that is the best it can be. They owe their success, in part, to the large modern barns that give the turkeys plenty of fresh air and room to roam freely inside and out. The family’s turkey growing practices are well thought out and proven to produce the tastiest most nutritious turkey possible. The turkeys’ nutritional needs are overseen by a Ph.D. nutritionist who regularly monitors the flock’s growth and progress.
Orange, Cranberry & Ginger Chutney…Sprout Style!
What you will need:
2 large oranges
2 pounds of fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup cane sugar or sugar substitute (Stevia)
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
salt & pepper for the taste buds
Makes 5-6 cups.
1 – Peel the oranges, removing ALL of the bitter white pith and seeds. Squeeze juice into a bowl and cut oranges into 1 inch pieces.
2 – In a large saucepan, combine water, cranberries and the juice from the oranges (do not add the actual orange yet). Bring to a simmer, cover and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Once you see that the cranberries have ‘popped’ it’s time to add the remainder of the ingredients.
3 – Now that the cranberries have popped, add in both sugars, vinegar, ginger and orange pieces. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the chutney thickens. Estimated time: 5 minutes.
Let cool, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold.