A Grafton Home Where the Buffalo Roam

You would expect to see plenty of horses at Hillside Meadows Equestrian Center.

And you wouldn’t be disappointed.

The 70-acre facility can accommodate 35 horses and features 39 stalls, indoor and outdoor arenas and four barns. The center hosts horse shows, offers lessons and features trails for horseback riding.

Along with the horses that train and board at the facility, visitors can interact with friendly dogs, a curious goat and the unofficial greeter: An adorable donkey.

But on another piece of the property, there are animals you might not have expected to see: Bison.

These majestic animals, their thick brown coat protecting them from the area’s harshest elements, provide an unlikely sight for those driving by the center at 111 George Hill Road.

The center’s owner, Ron Ernenwien, raises the bison for their meat. He has been keeping the animals for four years.

He has a healthy reason for doing this: The animals provide meat that is low in fat and high in protein.

“I have to watch my cholesterol,’’ he said.

About 200,000 bison are raised on American ranches and farms, according to numbers provided by the National Bison Association.

The animals are gaining in popularity for farmers, because they thrive in most American landscapes, according to the association. Bison do not require barns or other indoor structures, are hardy and can live a long and productive life, which helps assure future generations.

Bison are making a comeback after the population nearly went extinct in the 1800s because of commercial hunting for the animal’s pelt.

While about 50 million bison lived in North America before 1600, their numbers dwinded to less than 1,000 just prior to 1900, before efforts to preserve the species took hold.

Today, there are about 450,000 bison roaming North America, including about 20,000 on public land in the United States and Canada.

But according to the town report, the bison at Hillside Meadows are the only ones in town.

While they may be a rare sight in town, bison are no strangers to American ranchers and farmers. Hillside Meadows is one of about 4,500 American ranches and farms that raise bison.