DARIEN, Ga. (AP) — Troy Bivens and Sherry DiSimone intended to run a ranch.
But when your livestock is buffalo, your spread becomes an attraction. They decided to give the public what they want, the couple said, and they're holding an open house March 30 as an introduction.
"We're into tourism in a big way," DiSimone said, as evidenced by the elevated cart they use to drive their pastures and let visitors look down on their herd of 35 American bison on 50 acres beside U.S. 17 north of Darien.
Bivens said he just wanted to raise bison and to market the meat to restaurants. That has worked better than he expected with the meat on the menus at a number of area restaurants — some of them of tony — and in butchers' cases.
Bison meat is an easy sell because it is high in protein and lower in cholesterol and fat than all traditionally marketed meat including chicken, according to a nutrition guide they keep handy at the ranch.
Tom DeLaney has it on the menu at his DeLaney's Bistro on St. Simons Island.
"The strip we sell is as low fat as a boneless, skinless chicken breast, with the taste of beef and no gamey taste," DeLaney said.
"If you're going to eat red meat, that's the best way to serve it," he said.
DeLaney also likes to support local businesses, and he likes dealing directly with the producer.
"There's no middleman. If I have an issue, (Bivens) responds right away," he said.
Even when they're just standing in the pasture staring back, the buffalo, which are exotic for Southeast Georgia, can draw the curious.
"We may have buffalo weddings," and birthday parties and tour groups are already coming, Bivens said.
Folks wanted to do more than look around.
"People would call about the store. I'd say we don't have a store. We're a ranch," DiSimone said.
But it persisted, so now they have a store selling cleaned skulls and hides from the slaughtered animals and other Georgia products.
When they processed their first bison in January 2012, they already had preorders for the meat and it's grown from there.
They just won the People's Choice Award in the Flavor of Georgia, an annual festival of Georgia foods.
Bivens said although bison ranchers have to build stronger fences than for cows, they're pretty low maintenance otherwise because they're extremely hardy, have fewer diseases and thus cost less in veterinary bills.
Once scarce, buffalo are making an assisted comeback. In 1800, there were 60 million in North America, mostly in the plains. Scientists have found evidence of buffalo herds in Georgia.
They were almost wiped out during the settlement of the Western states, but have made a comeback to about 600,000 now, 60,000 of which are owned by Ted Turner on his Montana ranches.
Although they're North America's largest land animals, buffalo can be prey when they're young.
"We had three calves killed by coyotes," he said.
The hunting club across U.S. 17 trapped six coyotes last year, he said.
They were urged to put a donkey on the ranch, and since they did they've seen no more coyotes on their side of the road, he said.
The meat is not just prized for the dining room table. Advised to grind the hearts and livers with meat, the ranch began producing dog food, DiSimone said.
"Now we sell out before we grind it. I got chewed out because we were out of stock," she said.
Unless the ranch acquires more land — it's now 50 acres — the herd will probably top out around 40, Bivens said.
Tourists aren't the only ones interested in them.
"They're fascinating," Bivens said. "I just sit on the tractor sometimes and watch them."