Feathered gobblers are much more than the center of customers’ holiday meals for Renee Koster and her family at Windsweep Farm in Lee County.

For Koster, turkeys are the curious creatures that greet her.

“They are funny. Our building is open on one side. They all come running when they see you,” she said.

A turkey is also the bird of choice for Koster’s Easter meal.

And, for her 10-year-old son, Colin Koster, a turkey is a way to learn about earning money, a 4-H project and a pet.

Renee Koster farms near Dixon with her dad, Leonard Sheaffer, and her husband, Peter Koster, focusing on direct marketing diverse natural products.

“We have five children. The older ones help on the farm,” Koster told FarmWeek.

Windsweep Farm also grows organic soybeans, wheat, corn and soybeans.

“Turkeys are just one thing we do,” said Koster, who started her farm by milking a couple of dairy cows in 2002. She added more dairy cows, beef calves, hogs, laying hens and broilers over time. Seven years ago, she added turkeys, the start of the current flock of 40.

Overall, Windsweep Farm is only a tiny part of the turkey business in the state. According to the Illinois Corn Growers Association, farmers raise nearly 3 million turkeys statewide each year.

Almost all Koster’s customers want their turkeys during the holiday season, so most are already spoken for this year, but there are still some available.

“There’s not a lot of demand outside the holiday season,” Koster said.

However, she breaks with tradition by serving turkey at Easter. Last year, it was a 32-pounder for 35 guests. She quartered it to make it easier to handle and brined it to add flavor and moisture. She smoked half and roasted the rest.

What’s Koster’s best tip for cooks?

“For roasting, make sure it’s covered really well. Give it plenty of time. Cook it low and slow until it’s fork-tender,” she said.

The family raises two turkey breeds. She started with Broad Breasted White turkeys because they are docile and fast-growing. After research, Koster found the more colorful Narragansett would be a good addition to their flock.

“Narragansetts are docile, which was one of the main reasons I chose them, as my son wanted a pet turkey, so temperament was important,” she said.

Koster soon discovered the minimum order for poults (baby turkeys) from an Arizona supplier was 15.

So, Colin Koster started his farming career. He paid for a quarter of the feed costs and when the turkeys were sold, he earned a quarter of the income. He kept two breeding hens and, Tom, a male turkey. He exhibited them at the Lee County 4-H and Junior Show and took them to other local farm promotion events.

“Tom is calm. You can go up to him and pick him up,” she said. Some people say turkeys, which take about four months to reach butcher weight, are hard to raise. But not for Koster.

“In my experience, they are just as easy as raising broilers,” she said.

Usually, the Kosters get the poults in July because they need warmth when young, and the timing works well for them to be ready for the holiday season.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.