MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Many last minute shoppers wait until the day before Thanksgiving to shop for the big feast.

Meridian Township also host a Day Before Thanksgiving Farmers' Market where shoppers can pick up locally grown products. This years the weather was cold and rainy, but that did not stop local residents from coming and grabbing any last minute items.
The most popular item during this day are fresh turkeys.

Vendors start taking orders for fresh turkeys months in advance so they're prepared. Most of the promotion for fresh turkeys is done during the fall Farmer's Market season. Christine Miller runs Spartan Country Meats and is also the Farmer's Market Manager, brought around 90 turkeys to sell at Wednesday's Farmers' Market, with most of them already reserved. Miller said Spartan Country Meats received their baby turkeys back in July, so they've been preparing for the Day Before Thanksgiving Farmers Market since then.

Although many shoppers are looking for whole turkeys, separate parts such as wings, breast, and thighs were also for sale. Reservations for fresh turkeys are preferred said Miller, but anyone is welcome to come the day of the market and purchase a turkey, although the quantity of what's available will be limited.

"Any turkeys that we do not have sold umm, we'll take them back to the farm and we'll probably cut them up into the breast, wings, legs, and thighs, and then well sell--freeze and sell them though the winter. Um for people who want to get them at the Winter Farmers Market." explained Miller.
The Winter Market will begin in December, every first and third Saturday at Meridian Mall.