Cibola Farms

I’m back at the farms! I had the pleasure of visiting Cibola Farm in Culpeper, VA last week and it was a foray back into the world of farm visits! Driving out in the country is one of my favorite things to do, and it turned out to be a delightful day when I met with Rob Ferguson, owner of Cibola on his farm.Rob went to school in California, where he studied wildlife management, communications and business. A farm in the area supplied a local Safeway with bison meat, and Rob became intrigued with the idea of starting his own farm. However, it was back to reality once he returned to the East Coast, and it would be 10 years before he decided to go after his dream and start a farm.The 500 acre farm started in 1999 with just 30 buffalo (I use the term “buffalo”, but it is interchangeable with the term “bison”). When Rob first took the meat to the market, people didn’t have much knowledge about or desire for bison meat. Things have really changed in the last decade, and the demand for bison meat has increased to the point where Rob felt just raising bison and hogs would be enough for him to sustain his farm.Today the farm has about 350 bison and 120 hogs at any given time. The bison roam around in groups, about 40-60 per herd. My favorite heard was the breeding herd - my visit was right around the time that the calves were still with their mothers and I loved seeing all of the little bison rolling around and playing! One mama bison even had twins!Rob is very passionate about what he calls “Grass vs. Grain,” and my words cannot do his argument justice, so I’ll tell you what he has to say about the matter:“Cibola Farms operates a grass-based rotational grazing system where grain is used on a supplemental basis through the year as dictated by nutritional requirements. The main component of grain is used to finish our bison just before processing for the last 3 months, but this is done while those bison are rotating ahead of the main herd on the best lush green grass that is available and only during the grass growing season.  We do not finish our bison on grain and hay.”To read more about what Rob has to say about this subject, check out his blog.Bison meat is considered healthier for a variety of reasons. It doesn’t marble - essentially, there is fat between the muscles, but no intramuscular fat. This changes the dynamic of the meat, making it less fatty, and cooking it is a bit different from cooking beef or pork for this reason. Also, research has shown that bison meat has a high nutrient density because of the proportion of protein, fat, and fatty acids to its caloric value. In fact, comparisons to other meat sources have shown that bison has a greater concentration of iron as well.Stop by the Cibola Farm tent at Mosaic Central Farm Market. The meat is delicious and there are so many different cuts of bison and pork; you’re sure to find something that strikes your fancy. And make sure to check out my recipe using bison short ribs here.