The Great Plains are enormous – about 32 million acres – but they are not limitless. In fact, the vast majority of the land that was once a healthy, bio-diverse buffalo range is now taken up by industrial agriculture – crop production, cattle grazing and feedlots.
There are only a few places where large-landscape, free-roaming buffalo husbandry is possible and the cost of that land exceeds its value when figured on a production analysis basis. No entity – non-profit conservation groups, wealthy individuals, or government agencies – has enough money to expand the modern buffalo range to a meaningful size without a return.
Those of us who are interested in that goal must turn to a realistic economic model that can create a cash flow that is up to the tasks of 1) operating large-landscape buffalo ranches and 2) gathering the necessary capital for expansion to the limits of the realistically available land and 3) saving a threatened ecosystem.
The huge buffalo herds of the pre-European Great Plains were kept in balance by large predators – mostly grey wolves and Native Americans – but also grizzly bears and mountain lions. Most of those natural culling forces are gone. In their absence, and without the advent of new forces, modern buffalo herds would overpopulate their range to the point of ecosystem destruction in a few years – long before enough capital could be accumulated to acquire new land.
The thoughtful and humane harvest of the excess buffalo mimics the effect of those natural forces. Selling the healthy red meat that would have gone to the large predators to modern people in search of healthy, truly grass-fed buffalo meat, is the best, and perhaps the only way to assist in the recovery of America’s great buffalo herds and saving our environment.
10 comments
On the western face of the divide, along the northern tip of the Great Basin in Idaho, is an area known as the winter range… I pay attention to the wild grazers here and manage my little patch largely from what I’ve learned from people like Dan. I’m fortunate to be able to field harvest an elk and a deer each year for my family, and it’s with great pride those packages of meat share freezer space with wild idea buffalo buffalo meat.. keep beating the drum and thanks again for the great buffalo meat..
The proposition is simple: those of us who can must purchase products from companies, small and large, that are 100% committed to restoring and regenerating Earth’s lands and waters. We who can are the ones upon whose shoulders rests the hope of those companies’ business models. But, if we who can - for convenience - do not, then we are complicit.
Having been diagnosed with food allergies including beef and pork was no fun. When we discovered Wild Idea Buffalo Co. and the incredible bison that we could get it was well worth the price. My husband has found that the bison is much more enjoyable than a beef steak any day. Love the bison and love what you’re doing for the environment … We’re impressed in all you do and appreciate the availability from Wild Idea Buffalo Co.
We are the large predators of the Buffalo now. I am grateful I get to eat such excellent meat and help keep the balance of the ecosystem.
Thank you, thank you for your wisdom and your caring for our Earth and all living beings. I love your company and your mission.
With great appreciation,
Denise Myers
what we buy off the shelf is a vote for what we want on the shelf. we make our world what it is every day by our purchases and the good thing about that is that it is all changeable. we have to want the best for ourselves and for future generations, for the planet to continue to support life. we must become wiser in our choices for a sustainable future.
I eat less meat out of financial necessity. I can only afford Bison meat on very rare occasion.
Being on a limited budget keeps my meat intake on the low side and what I do buy, is probably not the best for me. Bison is a marvelous, albeit an extremely rare treat for me.
God bless you for supporting nature/natural way.
Changing out a diet that includes too much inexpensive, poor quality, factory farmed meat for a diet that includes less meat, but higher quality, better tasting and more nutritious meat, is what Wild Idea offers my family. How the animals are treated and harvested is part of it, but trying to participate and support regenrative agriculture is also part of it. We find we can “put our money where our mouth is” in more ways than one with Wild Idea Buffalo Company.
Thanks for helping restore our wonderful natural areas. And thanks for the best meat on the planet! Kudos to WIB!