Sarah Gehring is our blogger. She's the Member Service Coordinator for the 
Oh Give Me a Home... Where the Bison Roam!
I drove down to Potosi, Missouri yesterday to visit Skip and Connie Sayers, owners of Sayersbrook Bison Ranch. It was a beautiful drive to an even more beautiful place. I was pleasantly surprised with how much Sayersbrook Bison Ranch has to offer!
Located in one of the oldest mountain ranges in America and surrounded on three sides by two million acres of Mark Twain National Forest, Sayersbrook Bison Ranch & Lodge is truly a unique destination. Perfect for executive retreats, group events, or club getaways, SayersBrook features a wide variety of unique activities, exotic meals, and luxurious amenities. - www.sayersbrook.com
Sayersbrook Bison Ranch has group tours, a country store, a GREAT place for executive retreats, and so much more! Click here to watch a tour video of Sayersbrook Bison Ranch.
Sayersbrook Bison Ranch has a rich history and was founded in 1928. It has transitioned from apple orchard to a Bison farm with around 1000 head of Bison. Here's a brief history of Sayersbrook Bison Ranch from their website:
SayersBrook Ranch was founded in 1928 when Frank Sayers acquired the original spread of 600 acres with the goal of creating an apple orchard. It was named by Jenny Sayers, Skip's grandmother, after a spring branch that flows through the sprawling ranch.
During the 1940's Herb and "T" Sayers, Skip's parents, sustained the apples and "T" became a cattle baroness adding to the acreage another 600 acres.
During the 1970's Skip & Connie began raising bison and they joke that 1976 was their "Bison"-Tennial. Their desire to raise bison began after reading the Plains Indians lived on bison meat and never contracted cancer, heart disease, or strokes, despite living to be eighty to ninety years old. In fact, scientists speculated that had they had dental care, they would have lived to be one-hundred and thirty-five.
During the 90's the Ranch expanded to over six square miles, 1100 Bison, and evolved into a tour destination, featuring herd tours, sporting clays, fly-fishing, boating, 50 miles of 4-wheel off-road trails, and the home of the American Off Road Training Center. It is endorsed as a 5 star destination by Holland and Holland of London, England. - www.sayersbrook.com
I got the pleasure of riding around the vast acerage of Sayersbrook Bison Ranch in a very patriotic Hummer.
Skip showed me all around their farm. He took me to a field full of Bison and surrounded our vehicle with feed. I've never seen Bison before, and to get to see them that close up is CRAZY!! They were so big, but they were absolutely stunning to watch. There were so many of them around our vehicle. I was amazed! Here is a picture of my new friends taken from inside the hummer!
After we were finished watching the Bison, Skip took me across the land and showed me the lake that they have on their property. It is BEAUTIFUL! He said that the lake is 65 feet deep and is full of blue gill, small-mouth bass and rainbow trout. On the group tours they serve lunch at the pavilion on the lake. They also have a huge dock, a small beach, an outdoor ampitheatre and a fire pit!
After that we returned to the Country Store. There is plenty of Bison meat to choose from, as well as different uses for the Bison hide. The store also has: Bison pelts, clothing, mounted Bison head, memorabilia, souvenirs, all cuts of bison and so much more!
After my tour was finished, Connie served me a Bison burger for lunch and it was so good. I was very interested if I would like it at all (I'm quite the picky eater) but I really enjoyed it!
I learned quite a bit about Bison meat yesterday. I learned that it has been shown that if you eat 4oz of Bison meat, 4 times a week it can significantly lower your cholesterol. Also, did you know that most of the Bison meat is 97% fat free? There is significantly less fat and calories in bison meat as compared to other meats. Click here to purchase bison meat from Sayersbrook Bison Ranch.
If you have an executive meeting or retreat coming up Sayersbrook Bison Ranch is ideal for groups of 8 to 350. From their great hall to their pavilion, there are plenty of places to make this meeting unique and special. Also, if you have a family reunion coming up or a wedding with out of town guests, think Sayersbrook Bison Ranch. Sayersbrook Bison Ranch will not only be a beautiful place to host your wedding or family reunion, but it also has lots for everyone attending to do!
Sayersbrook Bison Ranch is also a great place to host a banquet. They have 5-star formal dinners and buffet lunches prepared with great care to your specifications. The scenery is stunning and the location is private. It is the perfect place to celebrate any occasion!
If you'd like to tour Sayersbrook Bison Ranch be sure to call 888-854-4449. The standard tour consists of a video and lecture of bison & ranch history, covered wagon tour of the ranch, feeding of a bison herd, buffet lunch at the pavilion on the lake and a visit to the country store. It is great for all ages. Also, your tour can be customized with any of the other options that your group is interested in. Check out their website, www.sayersbrook.com for more information!
There was a podcast posted earlier this year that had Skip talking about Sayersbrook Bison Ranch.
Episode 15: Bisontennial
There's more to Missouri meat than beef, pork, and poultry. Julie Harker proves it this week, as she visits with Skip Sayers about his bison herd. And any podcast that includes the pun "bisontennial" is just begging to be listened to. Click here to listen!
This is just another example of a Missouri-made vacation right in your backyard! Be sure to check out Sayersbrook Bison Ranch. It is worth a drive!!
-Katie
