Humane Field Harvest

Earlier this summer, the harvest crew found themselves gelling together as they overcome the adversities that come with warm season harvests. 

There is a moment that happens during every harvest, the first shot, that never fails to take my breath from me, regardless of how many times I am fortunate enough to bear witness to it. In such a kinetic setting, where animals are on the move and constant physical exertion is required, to find such a moment of stillness was unexpected.

Meet the remarkable individuals behind Wild Idea as founder Dan O'Brien and newest field-harvest specialist Allie Byrd share their unique stories. Dan and Allie are from different backgrounds but have a common mission: To make a difference in the meat industry through compassionate animal welfare practices and humane field harvests.

In the late summer and early fall the herd comes together for the breeding season. Nine months later, in the spring the prairie welcomes its newest generation of prairie regenerators. It may seem counterintuitive to harvest animals when you are trying to bring them back, but harvesting is necessary to balance the herd numbers with what the land can support. 

We often get the question, “Do all of the animals you harvest come from your ranch?” The answer is no, but the ranchers that we source from, have the same standards in animal husbandry and manage their rangeland for conservation and ecological bio-diversity.

Note to readers: As we seek to know more about where our food comes from and how it is raised, it is perhaps equally important to know how it dies. It may even be our responsibility. If you'd rather not see, and are okay with just the knowing, you may want to stop reading here. Although the photos are not graphic they offer transparency to the process of Wild Idea’s humane field harvest.