Fossil Farms carries two types of Elk, Roosevelt, and Wapiti. The Roosevelt Elk is the largest in body mass of four surviving subspecies of Elk in North America. In 1897, C. Hart Merriam named the species after his friend Theodore Roosevelt. The desire to protect the Roosevelt Elk was one of the primary forces behind the establishment of the Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Later, in 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the region and saw the Elk named after his relative. The following year, he created Olympic National Park.
Native American tribes had hundreds of names for Elk, including the Shawnee and Cree tribe’s Wapiti, which some Europeans adopted. Wapiti Elk were first introduced to New Zealand in 1909, when President Roosevelt gifted a herd of 20 animals that were released on the South Island.
On Sustainability:
Elk is a sustainable choice within the realm of red meat options because whether it’s hunted in nature or farm raised on open pastures, it’s not contributing to the industrial agriculture system, which notoriously has poor husbandry standards and negatively impacts the environment.
On Nutrition:
Elk is a great source of lean protein that’s rich in iron, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. For people who are interested in lowering their chances of developing heart disease later in life, Elk is a red meat alternative that can replace, or serve as a substitute, for Beef in your diet.
Fossil Farms’ Elk:
Fossil Farms’ Roosevelt Elk are raised in Central Canada, while our Wapiti Elk are sourced from the South Island of New Zealand. Both breeds of Elk eat a plant-based diet of foraged grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. Being that these animals live out their lives as nature intended, our Elk is never administered antibiotics, steroids, or hormones, making it a 100% all natural products. Fossil Farms’ Elk is incredibly tender, flavorful, and receives the most rave reviews of all the product categories we have to offer.
Fun Facts:
> The word “elk” is derived from the ancient Germanic root word meaning “stag,” or “hart.” However, slightly confusingly, in many European countries, the word elk is commonly used to identify moose.
> Elk populations have been introduced to numerous national wildlife refuges because of their foraging habits. As the Elk graze upon most all kinds of plant life, when they consume shrubs and smaller trees, this helps limit overgrowth in forests while stimulating and regenerating the growth of grasses and native plants, creating a balanced ecosystem in the forest.
> Groups of Elk are called “gangs” and often reach up to hundreds, and even thousands, in a single gang.