Homestead Journal
My Early Christmas "Present"
It’s dark and the snow and wind have been blowing for hours. Many of the windows are covered with snow, creating a tomb like ambience. But, I am safe and warm. I had fallen asleep reading while it was still light out and during that time, the fireplace had shut down. It felt eerie waking in the pitch blackness.
Flyover Country
"Coming from either direction the land changes before you have a chance to get ready for it. Traveling eastward, you see the grasslands for the first time from several thousand feet up in the Rocky Mountains. You come around a turn intent on the ruggedness of the mountains, and suddenly the pine trees, rocks, and fast-running water are gone. Below you, though still fifty miles off, is the flattest, smoothest, mostly treeless stretch of land imaginable.
Buffalo Husbandry with Horses and 4-Wheelers
For those of you that don't follow the weather in South Dakota, it has been a wet spring. Between winters snowmelt, which created flooding, followed by the lovely spring rains/snows - “that won’t blanking quit” it has made it difficult to get around the ranch and move through the pastures.
Poetry Contest!
Win a chance for author, rancher, and environmentalist, Dan O'Brien to do a reading at your home, business or school!April is National Poetry month, so we are throwing a free-style poetry contest! There are over 50 different types of poetry, which is way too complicated... so, we are keeping it simple with two freestyle categories; poems that rhyme and poems that don’t. There is only one caveat; the poem must contain the word buffalo or bison.
Feeding the Soul
Some say that the eyes are the window to our soul. We’ve all looked in the mirror or into the eyes of others and witnessed eyes flat and lacking joy. We’ve also been in the spell of the opposite where they have sparkled and danced with intrigue.
Lessons from Grandpa & Nature
Fall is here and wildlife instincts are on full display. The bison of course have already forgone the rut, resulting in mature bulls and groups of mother cows putting sometimes miles of Great Plains between themselves and their older male counterparts.
"How to Cook Buffalo Meat" Series with Jill
We are so happy to finally have cooking videos to share with you! In the introduction video, Jill will not only explain, but also show you where and how our buffalo are raised, so you can truly know where your Wild Idea Buffalo meat comes from. The first video is followed by two cooking videos that will make your steak grilling and pan searing a success!
Will Work For Food
There are times on the ranch when there is more work than hands, especially, capable hands. The extra work is often a gift from Mother Nature, such as, flooding, wind or drought. In this case, the job that needed doing was caused by heavy rains, which had washed out a significant area of newly disturbed soil.
Meet Our Founding Father
Dan O’Brien is an owner of the Cheyenne River Buffalo Ranch and the founding father of Wild Idea Buffalo Company.
