It’s Time To Talk Turkey, La Niña Is Coming Back, And How The Ukraine War Keeps Aggravating Global Food Shortages

I hate to rev up anxiety, but it’s time to start figuring out what you’re sourcing for Thanksgiving. These next few weeks are going to fly by. Given sky-high inflation, drought pushing up prices, and a persistent scourge of bird flu which has decimated turkey stocks, the key to getting what you want—and at a fair price—will be doing the research and planning ahead. Even if you’re opting for squash, mushrooms or a tofurky. For turkey, producers at the farmers market and within the farmer network that supports my community-supported agriculture share are already taking deposits. Supermarkets are starting to advertise their deals, especially on frozen turkey, so shoppers have time to compare.

While reporting in and around Turkey, North Carolina, this week, I heard a lot about how the state’s turkey producers have fared better than many of those located across the Midwest. Suppliers to big brands like Jennie-O, which is based in Minnesota, and others continue to be hard-hit. So far, the virus has killed nearly 4% of the nation’s turkeys.

Aside from an antibiotic-free bird raised on a pasture not too far away, I’m still working out my menu plans. Luckily, a friendsgiving or two will help me experiment with less pressure while honing in on what I want to serve for my family on the actual day. I’m working through ideas for a greens and mushroom mac-n-cheese as well as a baked brie with sage and apple butter. But I’m open to anything and everything, and I’d love to hear what you’re starting to get excited about. Some of my family’s favorites include clam chowder to start, a salad of brussels sprouts, parmesan and pomegranates, and cornbread baked in a skillet shaped like corn cobs.

—Chloe Sorvino, Staff Writer

Pre-order my book, Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat, out December 6 from Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books.

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What’s Fresh

The Cost-Of-Living Crisis Is Making People Take Serious Risks With Food. Food safety watchdog says people are taking major health risks to save money, reports Lela London.

The U.S. Winter Outlook: What A Third Consecutive La Niña Means For You. Here’s what to expect in the U.S. this winter because of an unprecedented triple-dip La Niña pattern, writes Marshall Shepherd.

Why Do Food Waste Advocates Give Meat A Pass? Addressing food waste in the traditional sense is an important issue, but it’s hardly a blip compared to the inherent wastefulness of raising livestock, argues Brian Kateman.

Ukraine’s Success in Turning Back Russia’s Invasion Could Aggravate Global Food Shortages. In about a month, the Turkey-U.N. brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement between Ukraine and Russia will expire. If it’s not extended, food prices and global shortages will rise. But with things going badly on the Ukrainian front, Putin may use grain as leverage, writes Eric Tegler.

It didn’t take long after I found out I’d be traveling to Greenville, North Carolina, that I realized it was the capital of a particularly zesty regional subsect of North Carolina barbeque. I hit The Skylight Inn to try it out. A small spot off the side of a country road that’s been open since 1947, Skylight impressed me. There was an open vat of pulled pork right behind the counter, and that’s what I ordered. The bread that came along with it was thick, slightly sweet, and yet salty. After a hefty dousing of the pork with their signature vinegar-based barbecue sauce, the coleslaw cooled it all down. I also popped open a glass bottle of Cheerwine, a North Carolina cherry soda. But what I really still want is another slice of pineapple cake.

Chloe Sorvino leads coverage of food and agriculture as a staff writer on the enterprise team at Forbes. Her book, Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat, will publish on December 6, 2022, with Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books. Her nearly nine years of reporting at Forbes has brought her to In-N-Out Burger’s secret test kitchen, drought-ridden farms in California’s Central Valley, burnt-out national forests logged by a timber billionaire, a century-old slaughterhouse in Omaha and even a chocolate croissant factory designed like a medieval castle in northern France.

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