As one of the oldest businesses in town (operating since 1947), Jackson Hole Buffalo Meat Co. has long been known as the best source of high-quality elk and buffalo meat. This year, owner Chris O’Blenness is adding turkeys to the offerings, too.
JH Buffalo currently buys meat from all over the region, and makes all its elk, buffalo and wild boar products in-house. O’Blenness, who bought the business in 2017, has a longstanding family history of raising turkeys and had been looking for ways to start raising his own livestock. It came together last year when a partner of his bought 640 acres in Tetonia with the goal of raising bison and turkeys.
My grandfather raised turkeys in Pocatello, Idaho in the 40s, and 50s. I actually just found out that my grandparents met while raising turkeys, so it’s cool to get to come back out here and continue that.
Chris O’Blenness
This summer, O’Blenness raised 170 turkeys on the property, and will be selling them for the first time through Buffalo Meat Co. “We’ve never done this before and my employees initially looked at me like I was crazy.” Before hosting 170 turkeys this summer, the Tetonia property spent 20 years as a conservation easement, with acres and acres of fresh grass and alfalfa.
“High quality pasture-raised turkeys are hard to find,” he says. “The vast majority of the 60 million Thanksgiving turkeys have never seen the sun, never eaten grass or felt the wind. It’s nothing like what we’re doing here. We’re trying to create the best turkey in America.”
The best part? You don’t have to deal with storing a huge turkey in your freezer until the end of November. Order now, and Buffalo Meat Co. will ship your bird to your door the week before Thanksgiving, including a few recipes and cooking instructions from Chef Eric Bartle.
“What we’ve found is that so much of our business is teaching customers how to cook our meat,” says O’Blenness. “Our products are expensive, and I’d be so bummed if someone bought elk tenderloin and cooked it medium well. Explaining to customers why things have to be cooked a certain way is the best way to help people enjoy it.”
You choose either a 14-16 lb. hen or an 18-22 lb. tom, and each turkey will come with varying levels of cooking instructions, from an elaborate eight-day project to a foolproof day-of cooking method.
It may feel early to start thinking about Thanksgiving, but these turkeys won’t last long. We recommend ordering your bird early. Your dinner guests will thank you.
