Its the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas!

But finding Christmas presents may be one of the most stressful and challenging parts of the season.

I have a suggestion: Buy local!

There are a lot of great ideas for purchasing locally grown and produced products.

Let’s start with meats!

While meat can be a great gift, it can also be the highlight of a Christmastime meal or appetizer!

If it’s a gift, you don’t have to buy someone a whole, half or quarter of an animal. Hamburger, roasts or a combination of meat products makes a fantastic gift, especially in these times of higher grocery prices.

Two producers come to mind when I think of buying local meats. One is Rolling R Ranch by Pelican Rapids and the other is Haffner Family Farm by Eagle Bend.

Rolling R Ranch

Rolling R Ranch raises bison. You can buy a whole, half or quarter animal or you can purchase individual meat cuts at Manna Food Co-Op in Detroit Lakes or at Larry’s Supermarket in Pelican Rapids.

The Rolling R was founded by Dale and Beth Rengstorf. The two had been teachers, but they had farming backgrounds. They answered the call to farm, but, one bitter winter day when Dale was feeding their hogs, he tried to warm up his hands.

“This land is only good for buffalo,” he said.

A few years later he got 13 head of buffalo and the couple liked what they saw with the animals. As they became established, their daughter and son-in-law, Karla and PJ Breen, joined the operation. Karla and PJ work with the bison and also market the herd’s meat products through Otter Tail 23 Meats.

Check out the story at thelocalgrowers.com/make-locally-raised-bison-for-dinner.

I have had their bison sirloin steaks and it was fantastic!

The key to making a bison based meal is to slow cook the meal. Roasting or using a crock pot is the preferred method. Also, don’t cook the meat well done. A little pink in the center is ideal.

Bison is a very lean meat with a bit sweeter taste.

A local restaurant in the Fergus Falls area, actually it’s located on I-94 and is called Big Chief, serves bison burgers and chili, to name two items on the menu. While beef is also served, it’s the bison that has people coming back for more. A personal favorite of mine is bison chili with a bison burger. Yum!

When I visited the Rolling R Ranch, the family served me a pulled bison meal. It was flavorful, tender and moist.

Haffner Family Farm

Haffner Family Farm offers a variety of meats including beef, pork and lamb.

Learn about their farm at thelocalgrowers/haffner-family-farm.

While they also offer whole, half or quarter meat packages of their livestock, the Haffner also sell individual cut and a bundle of roasts and meats for $140.

The meat can be ordered on their website and they offer pick up at several drop sites in Minnesota including Alexandria, Glenwood, Lowry, Starbuck, Fergus Falls, Baxter, Moorhead, Long Prairie, Wadena and Parkers Prairie.

During the Farmers Market season, the Haffner sell at the Alexandria Farmers Market.

I did order a ham from the Haffner this year from one of our locally grown meals with Chef Leon. The leftovers I made for my family’s Easter meal.

It was a very flavorful, moist ham and reminded me of the ones my mom would prepare from our own hogs at our Barrett, Mn farm.

The Haffners also offer a variety of other products on their webpage. Check it out.

Those are just two of the many livestock producers who raise animals locally offering great opportunities to purchase meat products.

If you contact them, tell them the local growers ent ya.

And remember to buy local.