Erin farm using water buffalo as beef alternative
A farm in Erin is one of a few farms in Ontario that breeds water buffalos.
Majestic Water Buffalo has up to 30 water buffalos on their property.
“We are the only farm, that we are aware of, that raises ours just for meat,” said Karen Mansfield, who owns the farm. “We are specializing just in water buffalo meat.”
Mansfield said the other two water buffalo farms in the province use the animals for dairy products.
Karen Mansfield and Andy Fraser on their water buffalo farm in Erin. (CTV News/Stephanie Villella)
She and her partner Andy Fraser got into the market in 2015, after visiting India, where water buffalos originate.
“When I came back, did some research and found that we have a small population of them here in Canada. We started out buying out two cows and raising them for a year, to see if they survived and we survived the year. It’s still a big learning curve. We had to learn a lot of things but it’s mostly been successful for us,” she said.
Caring for the mammals are similar to raising cattle although the two animals are not part of the same family.
“We get a special mineral mix made for them. Their nutrient needs are little bit different than cattle are,” Mansfield said.
Once the water buffalos are about 14 to 16 months old, they are sent to an outside facility to get slaughtered.
“We hang the meat for two weeks and we cut it then,” she said. “Same cuts you would get from beef, so during BBQ season, steaks like ribeye and striploin are really popular.”
She said the taste is similar to beef but is easier to digest.
“What you end up with is a lower fat, lower calorie, low cholesterol dish. Really simple to switch out in your diet.”
The couple sell their meat at local farmer’s markets. This summer, they also opened a store at the farm.
“I would quite often hear at the famer’s markets ‘can I see the buffalo?’ So they can come out to the farm store, they can see [the animals] and they can shop the store.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.