Buffalo roam again near Asheville

Carolina Bison boasts largest herd in Southeast

Here's an excerpt from a feature on Carolina Bison from Sunday's Asheville Citizen-Times

"Buffalo once roamed North Carolina and the rest of North America by the millions before European settlers came to the continent and hunted the herds nearly to extinction. The last wild buffalo was reportedly shot near Asheville around 1780, but King and his family have brought the emblematic American animal back to Buncombe County pastures — and local dinner tables.

King’s company, Carolina Bison, boasts the largest herd of buffalo in the Southeast with nearly 500 head. After landing a contract to supply Earthfare, Carolina Bison has seen explosive growth, harvesting about 14,000 pounds weekly to supply customers looking for a healthier alternative to beef.

Sales were up 300 percent last year and the company will likely see $3 million in revenue, according to Dr. Frank King, the company’s founder, speaking at the recent Venture Local conference in Asheville.

“We’re likely to double that growth in the next year.”"

Read the full article here