Our turkeys have been receiving accolades for years. The care we put into our ranching practices and the superior flavor of our turkeys have attracted the attention of journalists and chefs alike. Below are some of our press mentions from the past few years.

If you would like to learn more about our ranch, family, and turkeys, please contact us. We would love to take you on a tour of our beautiful ranch!

July 15, 2013

2011 SF Chronicle…”Tastes like a turkey should.”

Once again, Diestel Turkey was voted as one of the best-tasting turkeys by the San Francisco Chronicle! The panelists chose two Diestel Turkeys–the Heidi’s Hens Organic and the Original Diestel Turkey–as clear favorites for a free-range turkey.



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Diestel Finding Success with Composting

By Mike Morris, The Union Democrat, Sonora, CA August 2009 Turkey manure, feathers and yard clippings are the basic ingredients in what has become a successful composting business for Diestel Turkey Ranch. The company has been selling its Diestel Structured Compost for more than a year and next month plans to start stocking its new […]



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Whole Brined and Seasonal Diestel Young Hen Turkey

October 2009, “In limited supply for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Lightly brined and rubbed with a blend of herbs and spices, this oven-ready hen turkey is moist, tender, and aromatic.



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School Garden Initiative 2008: A Lovely Morning of Worms and Dirt

By Tamara Mitchell, Executive Director, Foothill Collaborative for Sustainability (FoCuS) NEWS RELEASE September 21, 2008 Early Friday morning, sun rising in the east and hint of Autumn in the air, kids bound out of the school buildings at Sierra Waldorf School in Jamestown, dash to the school garden, and join hands in a circle. They […]


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Diestel Family Turkey Ranch receives 2008 Pioneer Award

Edited by Mark Looker, California Poultry Federation Headline News September 22, 2008 The 2008 Pioneer Award was presented by the California Poultry Federation to the Diestel Family, owners of Diestel Family Turkey Ranch in Sonora. Their turkey was recently named the best tasting range fed turkey by the San Francisco Chronicle. “This family has always […]



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Turkey lovers say Sonora ranch produces the tastiest

by John Holland, Modesto Bee November 10, 2007 Tim Diestel was happy to show off the free-range turkeys his family raises east of town. One of the toms wasn’t so welcoming. He kept nipping at the ankle of a reporter who walked amid the birds at Diestel Turkey Ranch on Tuesday morning. The other turkeys […]



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TASTER’S CHOICE

SF Chronicle votes Diestel second in Oven Roasted Sliced Deli Turkey category   by Carol Ness August 29, 2007 Sliced turkey is a popular choice for school lunch sandwiches, judging from the number of brands available. Our recent blind tasting of packaged “oven roasted” turkey numbered 22, and that didn’t include smoked turkey, or the […]



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Bon Appetit Magazine, “Turkey Buying Guide”

Fall 2006, Condé Nast’s Bon Appétit Magazine listed our American Heirloom Collection organic, old-fashioned, bronze turkey as one of the best crossbreed turkeys on the market. (November 2006, p. 100 “Turkey Buying Guide.”)


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Heirloom Turkeys Are Making a Comeback

by Kate Campbell, California Country Magazine CFBF.com: California Country Magazine California Farm Bureau Federation, 11/05 November/December 2005 As fall wraps itself around the Sierra foothills, Tuolumne County turkey producer Tim Diestel crosses his fingers. With his family’s more than 50 years in the turkey business, he knows the hurdles that have to be cleared to […]



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A Fresh Holiday… Thanksgiving Can Be a Locally Grown Affair

by Paula Parrish, Stockton Record Staff Writer November 16, 2005 Donald McGee, 35, has been coming to the Stockton Certified Farmers Market for almost 20 years, and he’ll be back again this weekend, because every Thanksgiving, he’s the chef in charge at his house. “Just looking around here right now, I see 50 things I […]



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TASTER’S CHOICE…

Between making back-to-school sandwiches and feeding the maw of the Atkins low-carb diet sensation, sliced turkey is a dependable choice. It’s plain but easy to accessorize. It’s packed with protein, it can be very inexpensive and it’s in every store on the planet. To narrow a crowded field, Taster’s Choice focused on packaged sliced turkey, […]



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2002: KRON4, Turkey Test Winner

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – It’s the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner, the turkey. And these days, you have quite a choice in turkeys. From fresh or frozen, natural or injected with a juicy solution, free-range and organically fed. Does it really make a difference? It’s hard to see the difference in turkeys when you’re buying them […]



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November 15, 1999

Upbringing Makes Diestel a Winning Bird

by Robin Davis, Chronicle staff writer November 17, 1999 Now that you know the best way to cook a turkey (see related story, this page), which brand of turkey should you start out with to get the best results? or does the brand make no difference at all? Some people swear by fresh turkeys; others […]



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