By Elizabeth Riffle
It’s not often you see bison or buffalo on a menu in Appalachia. It’s even more rare to dine with the beasts surrounding your table.
Riffle Farms in Terra Alta, WV, is the proud purveyor of some of the highest quality grass-fed and finished bison in the region. In September, owners Jimmie and Liz Riffle invited guests to the farm for a feast highlighting their meat through the culinary aptitudes of well-known Appalachian food gurus Mike Costello and Amy Dawson, owners of Lost Creek Farm. The farm-to-table event was an intimate gathering of about 40 attendees who enjoyed a spectacular menu paired with drinks from Swilled Dog Hard Cider and live bluegrass music from Logan Town. The evening culminated with a silent auction fundraiser for West Virginia Agri-Women, a statewide education and advocacy organization that supports Mountain State women in agribusiness. The Riffles donated 5 percent of the profit from ticket sales to the organization to kick off the fundraiser.
As Riffle Farms’ first farm-to-table event, the evening was a huge success—hopefully the first of many. The farm boasts a setting high up in the Preston County hills with wild and wonderful panoramic views. Guests can stay until sunset to see the majesty of pink hills frame North America’s largest land mammals. The semi-domesticated beasts just started eating apples from the owner’s outstretched hands, and even when tempted with sweet treats they can still be quite wary.
Those interested can find Riffle Farm’s bison now on the menu at a handful of notable restaurants throughout the state, including Hill & Hollow in Morgantown; Tuque’s Bar & Grill and Appalachia Kitchen, both located in Snowshoe; and The Station in Fayetteville. These menus are always changing to incorporate seasonal ingredients, so be sure to stop in frequently for different culinary delights. The Riffles can also be found selling their meat throughout the year at the Bridgeport Farmers Market, and they hope to add more markets soon. They also have plans to add a storefront to the farm in late 2020, along with a commercial kitchen and meat processing facility as they have just been given the go ahead by the state to start field harvesting their animals.
Be on the lookout for more events hosted at Riffle Farms in 2020, including tours, hayrides, dinners and The Preston County Farm Crawl. The farm will also open as a venue space in 2020—all brides are welcome.
About the Author
Elizabeth Riffle is a registered nurse and an owner of Riffle Farms. A native of California, she attended high school in New Hampshire before joining the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. Riffle traveled across the nation and around the world for 10 years and fell in love with West Virginia. She stepped into farm life and uses her health care background to advance farm-to-table quality.
