Blackfish Bison Ranch in Winchester offers tours that allow visitors to get up close to the operation’s resident buffalo. Photo by Sarah Jane Sanders
After a 2005 trip to Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch in Fredericksburg, Iowa, Brandeon Hampton said he set a goal for himself to own his own ranch someday, something he was recently able to accomplish with the opening of Blackfish Bison Ranch in Winchester, Ky.
Hampton‘s love affair with buffalo can be traced back to his childhood and his love of archery, he said. By age 7, he was an avid archer and developed an interest in Native American culture. Hampton also is an enthusiastic outdoorsman and hunter, focusing on what he believes to be ethical stewardship of land and animals.
His passion was further cemented after reading about Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch owner Dan McFarland in a 2005 magazine article. Hampton called McFarland, and the two ended up talking for three hours. Today, Hampton said he counts McFarland as one of his closest friends and has turned to him for advice in starting his own ranch. He has since made frequent trips to Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch and even spent time working at the ranch to learn more about raising buffalo and running a ranch operation.
Hampton first became involved with Blackfish when it was known as Blackfish Golf and Hunt Club, having opened in 2010. Hampton worked with owners Tom and Angela Rice - who still own the land and partner in the ranch's operations - as an archery instructor during the year the course was open. After closing in 2011, Hampton said it was Tom Rice who suggested he convert the more than 200 acres back to farmland.
“It was a dream come true,” Hampton said.
Blackfish Bison Ranch officially opened in June, and Hampton already has a steady stream of customers purchasing meat, including local restaurants such as Graze on the Clark/Fayette county line, and tour groups.
Hampton’s ranch currently only offers tours and does not allow visitors to hunt the buffalo. Because of his strong beliefs about stewardship, Hampton said he wants to make sure all parts of the animal are used, and he worries that right now, hunts on his farm would lead to waste, and the landscape of Blackfish does not lend itself well to hunting.
Buffalo meat cannot be processed on site, but buffalo are taken to be processed in Memphis, Ind. Hampton brings the processed meat back to Winchester to sell at the ranch and the Clark County Farmers Market. Only two-year-old males are harvested to protect the herd, said Hampton, who belongs to a preservation group, the National Bison Association, that includes about 500 ranchers nationwide.
Hunts may be offered eventually, and Hampton said he is working with the USDA to make sure the ranch can meet all requirements.
“I want to respect and honor the animals,” said Hampton, who runs the ranch according to his own Biblical principles.
Hampton said many of his philosophies about the care of animals can be traced back to Genesis, in which Adam is given dominion over the animals. That role is not something Hampton takes lightly, and while he believes in using animals as a resource for humans, he also believes in treating them fairly and with dignity.
Tours at Blackfish begin with a 30-minute classroom session about some of the history of buffalo in the United States and the Native American culture in Kentucky. Visitors are then taken out to the fields in wagons, where they can get up close to the animals and feed them. Each buffalo on the farm has a name, and Hampton likes to expound on individual personalities and roles within the herd.
Brandon Hampton (top right) operates Blackfish Bison Ranch on more than 200 acres of converted farmland in Winchester, Ky. Photos by Sarah Jane Sanders
“These are like a bunch of big pets,” Hampton said. “They have the social structure of a dog. They’re family-oriented, and these animals actually teach a lot about family values.”
Right now, only large group tours may be booked because Blackfish will be operating as a meat-processing site for deer hunters this season.
Graze Chef Craig Devilliers said he is excited about partnering with a local farmers like Hampton, and he has been pleased with the customer response to bison dishes. The menu at Graze is constantly changing, and Devilliers said he has offered bison steaks, burgers and meatloaf.
“We get a lot of people coming in specifically requesting the bison,” Devilliers said.
He also likes being able to see exactly where the product is coming from and working one-on-one with the farmer, which is a staple of all of Graze’s offerings.
“He’s fantastic, and he’s just down the road. We’ve got a good relationship, definitely,” Devilliers said.
Both Devilliers and Hampton are interested in touting the health benefits of bison and introducing it to a wider audience.
Graze, which opened in October 2013, has been working with Hampton since January.
“I can’t wait for the future, for him to expand,” Devilliers said.
In addition to tours, customers are welcome to purchase buffalo meat or visit the gift shop during the ranch’s hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“It’s unreal what these animals actually bring to the landscape,” Hampton said.