-Photo courtesy of Bare Bison Farm
Bison graze on Bare Bison Farm in southern Iowa. The bison are raised for their quality, leaner meat.

Outside Peru in southern Iowa roam majestic creatures raised for their high quality meat.

Bare Bison Farm, owned by Johnnie Kennell and business partners, produces bison meat that offers more protein and nutrients with fewer calories and less fat.

In fact, bison meat offers 98 percent fewer calories than beef, Kennell said.

“It’s a cleaner meat,” he noted.

Kennell explained that bison meat offers 26 percent more iron than beef and 766 percent more vitamin B-12 than chicken. It also provides as many omega-3s per serving as salmon and three to six times the amount of omega-3s as grain-fed animals.

-Photo courtesy of Bare Bison Farm
The bison on Bare Bison Farm are raised for their quality, leaner meat.

Bare Bison’s meat products also are leaner than chicken and contain the highest known levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

“We work with a local locker to produce the same cuts of meat from ground to steaks. You can grill it, use it in a casserole; it’s incredibly versatile,” Kennell said.

Bare Bison Farm runs 250 head on 300 acres of sprawling pasture ground offering fresh grass for the massive animals. The owners handle their own breeding of the bison and started the business in 2016 as they sought a healthier alternative for themselves.

Customers can buy meat products off the farm’s website and at the ProteinHouse in Urbandale at 11801 Hickman Road, Suite 300. They also can nosh on bison burgers at the restaurant within ProteinHouse.

Kennell owns ProteinHouse to offer food options for those seeking a “healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.”

“The bison may be majestic creatures but they can be aggressive. We used to offer farm tours but put those on hold. We may open that back up later this summer,” Kennell said.