Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam--oh, wait, that's right here in the Upper Peninsula.
It's hard to believe it when you're driving down our rural highways and are surrounded by hardwood trees that right here in the U.P. there are plenty of buffalo--also known as bison--roaming. That's because of folks like Orv and Sue Kabat, the owners of
Circle K Ranch in Rudyard, and siblings Robert and Jerri Haglund, owners of Beaver Grove Bison just outside of Marquette. Thanks to forward-thinking ranchers like them, not only are buffalo in the U.P., they are easily found at a nearby restaurant or meat counter.
"We have too many customers for me to list," says Sue Kabat while listing some of the restaurants that serve up the lean meat that has been gaining popularity with leaps and bounds across the nation. "Restaurants are definitely our biggest customers, though we do sell to individuals, too."
What's the reason for the growth in interest in buffalo on the dinner plate? Well, it's a flavorful and healthy red meat, that's why. Buffalo meat has a similar taste to that of beef, but offers lower cholesterol and calories and is higher in both iron and protein. For those who like to crunch numbers, chew on this: Three ounces of bison meat has just 93 calories, 1.8 grams of fat and 43 milligrams of cholesterol. Beef comes in with 183 calories and 8.7 grams of fat and 55 milligrams of cholesterol.
"It's healthier, it's leaner and people like the taste," says Jerri Haglund.
The Haglund's began raising bison 10 years ago with seven animals they purchased from the Circle K Ranch. They currently have right around 20 head to their herd. The Kabats have been at it since 1988 and have 150 hungry mouths to feed. Buffalo aren't small creatures, either, with bulls being known to weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
But size didn't intimidate the Haglunds or the Kabats.
"It was a dream of my husbands for a long time to have buffalo," says Kabat. "We started with six cows in 1988."
Since then, the Kabats have been a major supplier of bison to all who are interested in trying the meat. Both they and the Haglund's have similar styles to their sales: Customers can contact them directly or simply go to where the meat is sold. For those on the east end of the Upper Peninsula, Circle K bison meat can be found at the farmer's market in Sault Ste. Marie, plus at restaurants like
Antler's,
Clyde's and
Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub. For those as far west as Marquette County, simply stop by the
Marquette Food Co-Op for some of the Beaver Grove Bison or hit
Marquette Meats or
Northern Meats for Circle K Ranch products.
Plus, it's always possible buffalo is coming to where you're at, too.
"We have a concession stand that we sell burgers, brats and burritos from," says Haglund. "In the summer, we do the (Marquette) County Fair, the rodeo and the Hiawatha Fest."
Another big draw to buffalo is knowing exactly where you meat is coming from. Being able to drive by and see your future steak in pasture is comforting to some, while knowing that farms like the Circle K only grass feed their buffalo is comforting to others (as do some beef farmers, like the
UP's own Guindon Farms).
"They are 100 percent grass fed," says Kabat of her herd, noting that their ranch also raises all of their own hay for the winter months. "We know exactly what they are being fed and where it came from. There are no antibiotics or hormones in them."
Buffalo farming may well be on the rise across the country, and interest in buffalo meat is climbing, too. For both Circle K Ranch and Beaver Grove Bison, that's nothing but good news. The more, the merrier, when it comes to the world of buffalo.
And if you've never tried it? Don't worry, there's plenty of ways to be initiated. Simply pick up some burger--which both Haglund and the Kabat indicate is the most popular--and cook it up. Since it's so lean, Kabat suggests cooking it at a lower temperature than beef and making sure to not over cook it. If you're still not sure, there are plenty of resources online about cooking bison, such as
this article that was published by
The Nibble.
No matter if you live on Mackinac Island, in Newberry, Escanaba or Rock or Republic, finding some high-quality, Upper Peninsula-raised buffalo meat is as simple as getting in the car and heading to a nearby restaurant or meat counter.
Sam Eggleston is the managing editor of the U.P. Second Wave and a full-time freelance writer. He was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula and attests to the tastiness of buffalo meat. He can be reached via email.