For the curious traveler of Virginia’s back roads, there’s a buffalo farm not too far from the sleepy town of Riner, Virginia, only a few miles away from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The buffalo farm isn’t much different than a number of dairy farms in the area. The only real difference is that there’s been no attempt to rid the grazing land of clumps of brush and trees. In fact, the buffalo seem to like climbing up and down the steep incline that leads to a small stream. This side trip can even take on an air of spirituality, because seeing buffalo, especially in the East, is so rare that one is more likely to have seen one on an old nickel. Here, after all, is a small herd of buffalo thriving, despite everything the federal government did to commit genocide on the species. But the good vibe pretty much vanishes when one realizes that the owners also run a small restaurant in Riner. There, the curious tourist can experience the great American symbol up close—by eating him.