TERRA ALTA, W.Va. — The industry of bison farming is growing in West Virginia.
There are about a half-dozen operations in the Mountain State and one of those is owned by Liz and Jimmie Riffle in Terra Alta-Riffle Farms.
Liz and Jimmie started the operation in 2017 and have about 40 bison today.
“It is a super-lean red meat, it actually has less fat in it than chicken,” Riffle said during an appearance earlier this week on MetroNews “Talkline.” “So, it’s all heart healthy, one of the only red meats on a cardiac diet and it’s good to eat.”
The Riffles both served in the US Navy and are nurses by trade. They spent a lot time in the western part of the country. There, the Riffles learned bison was abundant, healthy and tasty. Liz has been an animal lover with experience training horses and started considering bison as a business opportunity rather than just a meal.
“When you’re out there you can go to a restaurant and get a bison burger or a bison steak anywhere,” Riffle said. “We realized then that is really good food, it’s super healthy. So, we started asking people they raise them and started asking questions.”
Both, cow and buffalo are both from the Bovidae family and are known for meat, milk and leather production and that’s where the similarities end.
There are six bison farms in West Virginia, and there is a demand for bison meat. Liz Riffle, Riffle Farms in Terra Alta, discusses her farm life raising bison with @HoppyKercheval. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nDJuy pic.twitter.com/5QBUNNeVSv
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) July 19, 2022
Bison are much larger than their bovine cousins and do not require the same level of veterinary care. Bison are also fine with the cold weather, snow and high winds of the Terra Alta area.
“They’re technically a wild animal, so all their innate features are intact,” Riffle said. “So, they really don’t want you to touch them, they just just want you to open a gate so they can go to more grass- that’s about it.”
Many cattle farmers do spend a great deal of time repairing fences or even responding when a cow wanders onto a neighboring property. For the Riffles, their location keeps the bison where they’re supposed to be and if they do get off the property they typically don’t need to chased.
“We’re at the top of a mountain so they have a couple of miles to travel before they went anywhere,” Riffle said. “But, they’re so herd-bound when they get out they want to go back with the others.”
Riffle Farms operates with a regenerative philosophy when it comes to the land. The practice focuses on responsible practices that maintain the farm for generations of production. The bison on the farm are free-range, roaming on the farm eating grass never in a stall or barn.
The Riffles offer tours that include tastings, farm-to-table dinners and bison products for sale. The farm also has a special event space for weddings and RV or tent camping at the The Pointe at Riffle Farms.
“We do a lot of outreach in regards to agritourism events. People can come up to the farm for dinners and different tours and tastings,” Riffle said. ” We talk all about the difference between farm-fresh meat and meat you buy in the grocery store.”