Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
At one time, American bison ran from one side of the continent to the other and as far north as Canada and into Mexico. By 1830, all "buffalo" east of the Mississippi had been exterminated. Thirty years later, the population west of the Mississippi (estimated at between 30 to 70 million head) had been slaughtered. Only 1,500 animals remained.
Conservation efforts have brought the shaggy beasts' population up to 350,000 individuals. The great, hump-backed creatures are being reintroduced to the region.
"Thirty years ago there weren't even 1,000 buffalo in the Midwest," Todd Anderson said from his porch on DeFreese Road. To the south, a group of youngsters alternately lounged and grazed. These animals arrived two weeks ago, bringing the Anderson herd count to 100.
Todd and his wife, Lastasha, and their two children live along the DeFreese "S" curve. Drivers routinely stop their cars and admire the animals.
Anderson, 29, was looking for something new to do. He has been involved in the family lawn care and landscaping business since age 14. He maintains one Anderson Lawn Care shop on this property; the other is on CR 200E, south of Armstrong Road, where his father, Steve, lives.
Todd lived in Kentucky for a while and ran cattle.
When he moved back home, he thought about acquiring four or five head of buffalo as a hobby and ended up buying out Barbee Buffalo last spring. Then he purchased 60 in Kentucky. The Kentucky deal came cheap because he had to load them and bring them north.
"Once they were loaded they traveled pretty well," he said of the notoriously cantankerous bison.
Anderson figures he and his brother, Scott, are entering the market at just the right time, as calf prices are climbing again. In 2002, calf prices dropped to $200 each from more than $1,500 a few years before.
"Everybody liked the meat but were raising them to sell the calves. Now people are raising them for the meat market."
He said he loves to watch them.
"Buffalo are more playful, more interesting than other animals. At least twice a day the whole herd takes off and makes a lap around the field. Then they'll play.
"I've never seen cows do that."
Buffalo don't require antibiotics or growth hormones. Anderson said they don't get sick or require much medical attention other than worming. Cows will have a calf a year for at least 20 years, often longer. They live for 35 years.
"They're so hearty. No weather affects them. They'll lay in the middle of the field when its 100 degrees out and are just as comfortable out in the open when the temperature is well below zero.
"They're really calm but can be aggressive if they feel they're threatened."
Anderson said there is definitely a pecking order that establishes the biggest bull at the top and descends to the smallest calf. Herds defend themselves by circling - the babies in the middle, females in the next ring and the males on the outside. Cows always keep themselves between a perceived menace and their babies.
"People always think you can be friendly with them," Lastasha said. "I'd never trust them. They're wild animals."
Buffalo is the common term given to the species and the word Todd uses to describe the animals.
"'Buffalo' refers to water buffalo and they're domesticated, like oxen. But everyone says 'buffalo.'"
American Bison is the correct term for the continent's largest land animal. Known for athleticism and strength, a bison can be standing still one second and leap over a 7-foot-high fence the next. They can reach speeds of 30 miles per hour - faster than a horse - and maintain that speed for miles.
"They've got windpipes this big around," Anderson said making a 10 inch diameter circle by touching his index fingers and thumbs together. From more than 200 yards away the buffalo could be heard breathing.
"Out West, where they have 10,000 acres to run, they'll stampede to a new section of grass. That way they don't overgraze."
The Andersons make sure they don't overgraze by moving them from field to field.
Lastasha is developing the marketing strategy. She plans to sell the meat to health club members and other health-conscious people. Currently she delivers to customers, and includes a cookbook and cooking instructions with each purchase. She advises that the near fat-free cuts be cooked slowly, with less heat, to no more than medium doneness.
"When you show somebody how good it is, they're hooked," she said. "I had a beef burger the other day and couldn't believe the amount of fat in it."
She is selling quarters, halves and whole orders for $3.50 per pound plus processing (at Kriders Meats in Columbia City).
"The meat is going to push up animal prices. It's perfect for the Atkins Diet," Todd said.
Compared to chicken. with 7.41 grams of fat per 100 gram serving, bison has 2.42 grams of fat. Chicken has 190 calories for the same serving; bison has 143. While the cholesterol count is about the same - chicken, 89 milligrams; bison, 82 mg - bison has 3.42 mg of iron compared to chicken's offering of 1.21 mg. Bison is also loaded with vitamin B-12 - 2.86 micrograms per 100 gram serving compared to .33 mcg in chicken.
Buffalo can't be artificially inseminated and bulls are a regular part of every group. The trouble with bulls is they get lazy about their breeding responsibilities at around age six or seven, Todd said. By the time they turn 10, they're not interested in reproduction at all.
Anderson said a younger rival will increase an older male's attention span, but even that doesn't last too long.
Market animals are between 18 to 30 months old. All an old bull is good for is hamburger.
They hope to develop a market for the hides and heads. Todd mentioned dehorning the females, because they sometimes use the horns to remind youngsters of their stations. Hides can get scratched and be of less value. But Lastasha said they just didn't look right without horns.
