Carie, the Bison Rancher
Listen to this bison bellowing.
Carie Star is a rancher, and more specifically, a Bison rancher.
Before that dinner in Ted's Montana Grill, she never thought about being a farmer and falling in love with Bison. At that dinner, she tasted bison meat for the first time and it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten.
“I'd like to be able to eat that all the time,” Carie laughed. “And then it was like, I live in the middle of 25 acres, I could raise bison. So kind of like the crazy little dream was born then I started to raise them.”
Carie Starr places new hay for her bison on the ranch in Thornville, Ohio.
"I just did what I wanted to do and so I kind of feel like I've never asked permission to be a woman in a non-traditional field."
Carie Starr calls her bison to get their new hey.
It was not easy for Carie to get the ranch started. One day, Carie’s husband, Jarrod Starr saw an ad in the Columbus Dispatch for a herd of Bison. They went up and found the picture perfect bison they could had been dreamed for. So they brought her first bison with no fencing, no barns. They didn’t even have a trailer or a truck.
Carie had to learn about how to building fences and raising Bison. They drove around and looked at how other people would do. And six weeks after, they got all the work done when they had all the bison there at the farm. There were some men doubting if Carie had the capability to drive the trailer. However, Carie proved to herself that she could do it.
Carie has different kinds of bison collection around her ranch.
From left to right: Bison figures, bison dolls, boots made from bison leather, painted bison skull.
“I just did what I wanted to do and so I kind of feel like I've never asked permission to be a woman in a non-traditional field. I kind of feel like I'm at an advantage because I don't ask permission, I just do it and I have the confidence to back that up.” Carie said.
Carie started small with Bison and then added chickens and pigs and turkeys. She has since founded a non-profit organization called “Women Grow Ohio” with Annie Warmke, to create opportunities for women in Ohio to network and grow as business professionals and food producers. She and the other founders are pushing hard to promote women farmers and let their voices be known.
Chickens and Charlie the farm dog follow Carie on the farm.
Carie Starr tries to catch her turkey. She planned to get them butchered on next day for the upcoming Thanksgiving.
A herd of bison jumps over the pond in a snow day.
Chickens and Charlie the farm dog follow Carie on the farm.