Hidden Gem: Ayr store offering farm fresh bison and local produce

Buying locally raised bison It might be a little out of the way, but shoppers say the trip out to Oakridge Acres Country Meat Store is worth it.

This is part of an ongoing summer series. Come back each week to learn about another hidden gem.

Getting to the Oakridge Acres Country Meat Store involves a drive along the highway and then down a winding driveway past about 80 bison.

The store is located on a farm near Ayr and is owned and operated by the Gerber family.

They started out with cows, but noticed bison meat was growing in popularity.

“We were originally black Angus beef farmers, transitioned to beef and bison farmers, and now we are straight bison farmers,” Jessica Gerber explained.

Her parents took over the farm from her grandparents when she was eight.

“We had one person supplying [bison] to us, then two people supplying us, then they both came to us and said: ‘The demand is too high, start your own herd.’ So we did.”

The family began with a handful of bison about a decade ago. At that time, Gerber said there were only three or four bison farms in southern Ontario.

Their herd has been steadily growing, and they’re now up to nearly 80.

“So far this year we’ve had four babies, and we’re hoping for around 18 or so,” she added.

Gerber said people are drawn to the health benefits of bison meat.

“Bison is sort of the black sheep of the red meat. It’s very, very high in protein and iron, but excessively low in fat and cholesterol,” she explained.

When it comes to their upkeep, Gerber said bison are actually easier to maintain than cows.

“Bison are very intimidating animals as far as looking at them, the size of them, the noises they make, but they’re actually a very hands-off animal to raise,” she said. “You can’t just hop over the fence and check on them. You can’t just help them if they’re giving birth or something like that. They are wild animals and you have to really respect that, so it’s actually very easy to farm them.”

At the country store

The bison farm and the family’s shop, called Oakridge Acres Country Meat Store, go hand-in-hand.

The store, much like the bison herd, started small.

“We started the business in 2004 with one freezer in our garage. We processed one of our beef animals and prayed that people would drive down our driveway in the middle of nowhere and buy stuff,” Gerber said with a laugh.

The shop then moved into a room in the family home. Now, it’s a standalone store on the farm, selling products from 40 local farms and suppliers. They offer a selection of meats, cheese, eggs, produce, maple syrup and more.

“People can come here, can get to know the farmers and know the products,” Jessica explained. “You’re pretty much paying the exact same price, or sometimes cheaper, than in the grocery store.”

Flechane Henning has been shopping at the Oakridge Acres Country Meat Store for 13 years. She lives in Cambridge, but prefers the drive to the farm for groceries instead of major stores in the city.

“I like to support local and I like to support the ethical side of it – of family farms growing and producing their own meat products, and other farmers that are around the area as well,” she said.

The store’s growth continues. Ready-to-eat meals, made in their certified kitchen, now fill up numerous freezers inside.

“Ours are lower sodium than at the grocery store, and it’s made with all the meats and as much of the produce from here in the store,” Gerber explained.

Gerber’s hope is to keep the farm, herd and store going for the foreseeable future, as long as people are willing to make the trek out to visit.

“We are not on the beaten track, we’re off of it. We’re in the middle of the country,” Gerber said. “People purposely drive out of the cities to come to us, and it’s pretty awesome to think that people do that.”