Making America Beautiful

Our Cheyenne River Buffalo Ranch is located in the shadows of the Black Hills National Forest - our local "purple mountain majesty", rising up about thirty miles to the west. 

To the east are the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, and as the crow flies ten miles beyond...

They roll into the rugged terrain of Badlands National Park and the waving prairies of the Pine Ridge Reservation. 

Vistas of these lands can be seen from the ranch...

with Strong Hold Table prominently placed as a sentinel.

We are separated from these lands by the Cheyenne River, an import waterway that nurtures so much of the prairie grasslands. Without pictures, one would imagine these lands to be some of America’s most beautiful, and I can assure you, that they are.

The prairie grasslands that sit between these national landmarks are open and vast, and beautiful in their subtle simplicity. They are also prime “Buffalo Country”. 

For years though, humans have been trying to tame these wild grasslands and make them a “proper garden” of wheat, corn and soybean.

These annual crops can't thrive in arid landscapes, unless they are genetically modified. Many of these attempts over the years have left the soil degraded and depleted of native flora and fauna.

In our efforts of regenerating the prairies, while improving our environment and food supply, we have also made America just a little more beautiful. 

The two photos immediately above is the transformation of a degraded pasture after 13 years of replanting native seed and regenerative practices. Looking good... right!  Another testament of the beneficial effects of what we eat and the impact it has on America the Beautiful.  And… it has all been driven by caring consumers like you.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend. Jill.