214. Liz Riffle on Holistic Bison Farming

Do you farm with livestock? There may be a more humane way to harvest these animals. Tune in to hear about Riffle Farms’ holistic approach to managing and processing their bison.  Today on the Thriving Farmer Podcast we’re joined by Liz Riffle, Owner and Operator of Riffle Farms, located in Terra Alta, West Virginia. Riffle Farms raises grass-fed and finished bison tucked in the hills of Preston County, where the grasses are cool and the snow is heavy.  Liz is a U.S Navy Nurse Corps veteran. She runs the farm as her husband, Jimmie, is currently still serving on active-duty as a Navy Nurse Corps Nurse Practitioner.  Riffle Farms is part of a growing movement to facilitate the large-scale regeneration of the world’s grasslands and the livelihoods of their inhabitants, through holistic management led by The Savory Institute. Riffle Farms works closely with a local Savory Hub, The Robinia Institute, to support the movement, achieve the same mission, and help educate others. Join us to hear how Riffle Farms helps feed our nation with their holistic, humane, and regenerative approach! You’ll hear: How Liz went from Navy veteran to farmer 1:48 Why Riffle Farms started with bison 4:43 How Riffle Farms does their field harvesting 10:24 Where and how Riffle Farms sells their meat 13:38 How Liz found out about and started working with Steward 20:42 How Liz decides when and how to buy into a bison herd 29:22 Systems that have been particularly effective (from a business perspective) to set up on the farm 35:51 Systems Liz would set up sooner given the opportunity for a do-over 37:32 What Liz anticipates for the farm’s future 44:09 About the Guest:U.S. Navy veteran Liz Riffle raises grass-fed and finished bison in West Virginia. Riffle Farms was the first commercial bison operation in the state, and also the first to field harvest animals for state certified commercial sale. Liz is passionate about meat transparency and humane practices.   Resources: Website: www.rifflefarms.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/rifflefarms Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rifflefarmsbison/ The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor!   Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping regenerative farms and food systems with the capital they need to grow. As a mission-driven financial partner, Steward works closely with agricultural businesses to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands and waters, and bolster local-to-regional food systems. To date, Steward has provided over $15M in business loans to fund 75 unique projects, backed by more than 1,500 participating lenders. Steward is proud to be a Certified B Corp. Seek financing or support a loan campaign at gosteward.com