Kentucky nutritionist turns to ostrich farming to serve meat-allergy sufferers

Brent Williams, a nutritionist who developed a severe allergy to red meat after tick bites, helped launch an ostrich operation in Danville, Kentucky, after a friend suggested the venture. Alpha Roost Farms now houses more than 400 birds and expects to reach 700 by next year, having built a new barn for hatchlings. Because ostrich meat lacks the alpha-gal sugar that triggers reactions, it tastes like beef and provides a rare safe option for sufferers, who travel long distances and pay over $20 per pound.

Owner W.D. King attributes the growth to rising demand from people who have avoided hamburgers for years, while market vendor Leah Gibbs reports strong sales. Across the country, farms such as Boyd Clark’s in Texas and members of the American Ostrich Association are also expanding herds, reflecting a resurgence after the 1990s bust.