Hillside Farms

My fiancé and I drove 45 minutes to get bison ground meat, jerky, steaks, and roast after searching for bison farms near Philly. We grew up in OK where there is a great bison farm and are used to eating it regularly.
Ground bison
— Major difference in taste from store bought ground bison! We had been using store bought bison from Giant for a month until we could visit this farm. We prepare our meat consistently (make two 8 oz patties, put garlic salt on both sides, and cook in olive oil on the stovetop), and while both brands taste great, the farm bison had extra, fresh flavor. It cost the exact same as Giant bison per pound, and you know you are getting all organic at the farm.
Ribeye steaks
— I typically only eat filet mignon because I hate fat on steaks, but the bison rib-​eyes had very little fat on them. We seasoned them with garlic salt, cooked them in oil olive on the stovetop for 3 minutes on each side, then put them in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. It made for perfectly medium to medium-​well steaks and no dryness!
I didn’t have to add any sauces on top of the ground bison and steaks. They tasted great alone!
Jerky
— Delicious flavors in the jerky! It’s tougher jerky than other brands, but the flavor is impeccable once you chew on it a bit. That’s how you know it’s organic jerky… the ones with preservatives like Jack Links are much more tender! Don’t get me wrong, I like Jack Links too when I’m out of fresh jerky, but always get fresh when you can!
Roast
— We will probably not buy this again. It’s not a knock on the product, it’s the fact that we learned bison roast cooks too dry even though we cooked it with carrots and broth in a crockpot all day like usual pot roasts. Maybe there is a different way to cook bison roasts to where they aren’t dry, but we had no luck.
The downside is that the farm is a bit far for us, so we cannot make it a weekly visit. We will definitely stock up again during our next visit… and especially before winter! :)
We paid about $ 10 per pound for all four types of items, so it’s very reasonable! Don’t expect anything fancy. You pull into the driveway, walk into a little shop, get your bison, and leave! It’s definitely out in the country! :) The meat is bloodier than store bought as well, so just rinse, season, and cook the meat like normal!

Hillside Farms raises their own American Bison and then sell the meat and animal by-​products in their store on the farm. The Schulers are also part owners of The Rising Sun Inn (just a short drive from the farm) where the chef cooks up several dishes utilizing bison meat.
Recently bison have been getting attention as a healthier meat option as they are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than typical animal proteins, but besides that bison meat tastes really damn good. Hillside Farms has a wide variety of bison meat products from ground chuck to roasts and steaks, as well as processed meat products such as franks, ring bologna, and jerky. I recommend trying a nice roast. The chip steak and smoked sausage are great options for a quick meal and the jerky is a fantastic snack (and not too salty like most store-​bought jerky).
While the prices are not cheap, I think there is definite value in that you are getting a high-​quality product for your dollar. In fact, if you go to most supermarkets and price out «Angus beef» products, the prices are pretty much in line with what Hillside Farms charges and when you factor in bison is healthier, downright delicious, and that you are supporting a local business and farmer, it is a no-​brainer to me.
Also, if you make it to the store and Gary is there, definitely take the time to chat with him and ask him any questions you may have; he is very friendly and knowledgeable and will tell you whatever you’d like to know about bison or his farm in general.