Embedded Files
Conservation - continuity through productivity that aims to ensure the survival of the lineage
Research - providing real-world data that can assist small farms in achieving successful conservation
Education - informing and engaging the public to bring awareness to Canada's heritage turkey
Sustainability - creating a framework that ensures future generations can enjoy our heritage turkey
Promoting the stewardship of Canada's only heritage turkey
South Mexican Wild Turkey ⟶ Turkey Fowl ⟶ Standard Bronze ⟶ Ridley Bronze ⟶ Canadian Bronze Turkey
Photo: Pips Farm
South America to Canada
Few Canadians are familiar with the origins of the country’s heritage turkey. First domesticated thousands of years ago in Mesoamerica by Indigenous peoples, the turkey spread to Europe following early contact, becoming established in Spain and England before returning to North America with settlers. In Canada, the lineage was shaped in Saskatchewan, where breeder John Richardson selectively developed bronze turkeys into a distinct and influential strain. This work later contributed to research at the University of Saskatchewan, before the population was dispersed among small farms and conservation breeders. This lineage now forms the foundation of Canada’s heritage turkey.
A Canadian multi-generational heritage turkey initiative
John Richardson ⟶ George Ridley ⟶ Uni of Sask ⟶ Ridley Bronze Project ⟶ Pips Farm
We nearly lost it
As recently as a decade ago, a Canada-wide census identified approximately 250 breeding females, resulting in a “Critical” designation by Rare Breeds Canada.
Since that time, heritage turkey populations have faced ongoing pressure from crossbreeding with other domesticated strains, as well as genetic dilution through interaction with wild turkey populations. Without the continued efforts of farmers and conservation groups, this uniquely Canadian heritage population could have been lost.
The future of Canada’s heritage turkey depends on active stewardship—through research, responsible breeding, and informed agricultural practices.
Photo: Pips Farm
Your support helps to conserve the Canadian Bronze Turkey
Canada’s heritage turkey has existed under many names - “Granny’s Turkey,” the Ridley Bronze, and now the Canadian Bronze Turkey - reflecting nearly a century of work by farmers and breeders committed to maintaining this lineage.
Originating in the pastures of Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, this uniquely Canadian strain has faced long-term decline driven by poor market conditions and limited selective breeding. Compared to commercial varieties, heritage turkeys grow more slowly and require more specialized management, making them less common in modern production systems. As a result, both market demand and public awareness have remained limited - creating a cycle in which fewer farmers raise these birds, and fewer consumers have the opportunity to experience them. Without intervention, this cycle places the long-term viability of the population at risk.
The Canadian Heritage Turkey Foundation exists to change that trajectory. Through applied research, conservation-focused farming, and knowledge sharing, we are working to define the production, health, and nutritional requirements of the Canadian Bronze Turkey. Our goal is to provide farmers with practical, evidence-based tools that make raising heritage turkeys both achievable and sustainable.
By strengthening producer confidence and increasing public awareness, we aim to support the development of a viable market - one that allows this heritage population to sustain itself through demand. The long-term future of Canada’s heritage turkey depends on aligning conservation with practicality: ensuring the birds meet the needs of farmers, the expectations of consumers, and the standards that originally made the lineage successful. Through coordinated research and stewardship, we are working to secure that future.
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