THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 30, 1995 TAG: 9504280216
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Who said buffalo are only indigenous to the Great Plains?
Virginia Beach has plenty to offer bison, too. Good grazing, plenty of fresh water and lots of space for roaming.
At least, that's what Bob Linsmier will tell you.
He's a buffalo lover who can answer all your questions on the bulky animals.
His company, Blue Ridge Buffalo Products, formed last year and specializes in selling bison products - meat, leather, robes and more - locally.
He and his wife of 25 years, Susan Linsmier, hope to buy a farm and raise up to 500 bison somewhere in this area within the next year or so.
Until then, the couple are trying to spread the word on buffalo meat and its nutritious value.
Blue Ridge Buffalo Products and Central Meat Packing on Kempsville Road in Chesapeake are holding a buffalo bonanza of sorts where folks are invited to come and sample buffalo burgers and bratwurst chili from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 1120 Kempsville Road.
At the event buffalo barbecue and brisket sandwiches will be sold for $3, with $1 being donated to charity. Coupons will also be given out for the purchase of other buffalo meat, like T-bones and delmonico buffalo steaks.
An American Indian will be on hand to answer questions about the buffalo's importance to the survival of some Indians.
Linsmier has also flown in a stuffed, mounted buffalo so that people can see and touch the animal up close.
``This is a way to get people to sample the product,'' said Linsmier, a former Navy SEAL who retired in March after a back injury. ``We want to provide a constant flow of fresh bison meat to people in this part of Virginia.''
According to an American Bison Association pamphlet, buffalo meat is ``an excellent red meat source low in fat, high in protein, rich in flavor.''
The pamphlet compares 3 ounces of bison meat with 3 ounces of turkey, beef and chicken. It says turkey has 3 grams of fat, beef 8.7 grams and chicken 3 grams. Bison has 1.8 grams of fat.
As for cholesterol, the pamphlet shows that turkey has a cholesterol reading of 43 milligrams, beef 55 milligrams and chicken 73 milligrams. Bison has a 43 milligram reading.
``Buffalo is an unusual meat,'' said Earl Edmondson, the owner of Central Meat Packing. ``To compare the cholesterol content, and things of this nature, it comes out the best of any other meat.''
Edmondson said he was impressed with it. ``I was a little negative to begin with until I could come back and taste the product. Its flavor was better than I anticipated.''
Traditionally, buffalo meat is more expensive than beef, mainly because it has been treated as a ``gourmet'' product for years.
Linsmier hopes to raise and produce enough bison locally so that it will cost less.
He became interested in buffalo three years ago while he was recuperating from back surgery. He saw the movie ``Centennial'' and also read the book ``Texas'' during his recuperation. Buffalo were a recurring theme in both.
He began researching the animal for his own information and to pass time.
Before long, he and Susan, who teaches math at the Literacy Center, were on a Wyoming ranch checking out the buffalo for themselves.
The bison meat that's sold by Blue Ridge Buffalo Co. comes from Great Range Brand, a division of Rocky Mountain Natural Meats out of Denver, Colo.
Soon, though, Blue Ridge Buffalo Co. could be marketing and selling Virginia Beach bison. MEMO: For more information on buffalo meat, or the Blue Ridge Buffalo Co.,
call 467-9470.
ILLUSTRATION: UPI file art
According to an American Bison Association pamphlet, buffalo meat is
``an excellent red meat source low in fat, high in protein, rich in
flavor.''
by CNB