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“We love New York, this is a New York product, they’re fed New York hay, they’re fed products that are grown all around us. We can probably expect, hopefully this year, to get 60-70 animals to take to market.”

Meet Edwin Tuccio, a bison farmer on North Quarter Farm in Riverhead, Long Island. He’s been raising bison for over 30 years, joining a small movement of passionate farmers to help bring the breed back to healthy numbers across the country. Right now, it’s good to be a bison farmer. There’s a growing demand for the meat, prices have doubled, and there’s a lot more interest in the food community, something Ed attributes to the changing American diet. Not only are more people concerned with eating healthier, but they are becoming more adventurous about their food, and his bison meat, considered “an exotic” under state and federal law, presents a perfect option for many reasons.

I, personally, was touched by Ed’s story and his connection to the animals (something I think you’ll feel while watching the video). Being a former president of the National Bison Foundation, he’s eager to teach you all he can about the bison’s rich, yet devastating history and why it’s important to support small farmers like him to help grow the industry. Like he says, this is a true American product, a product worth supporting, the meat is just so tasty you’ll ask yourself, “why haven’t I tried this before?”. (Which is kind of how I felt.)

Now, I’ve had bison a few times in my life, and I walked away after polishing off a bison burger and tasting a bison t-bone at Tweed’s thinking, “Why don’t I eat this more often?”. Well, I hope this gets you interested in adding what could be “the meat of the future” to your diet. At North Quarter Farm, they harvest the animals year-round for Ed’s restaurant in Riverhead. So, enjoy this story about Edwin Tuccio’s bison farm, and don’t forget to come out to Tweeds to experience the bison meat!

**PS – A quick note from the farmer, never ever order your bison meat well-done. It would bring a tear to Edwin’s eye for you to waste his meat that way.

Thanks for watching food. curated. We celebrate the lives of farmers and food artisans to connect you to good food. Happy eating!