Stories
End of an Era
I hardly ever watch television but for the last couple decades I’ve been paying a monthly Direct TV bill. I do that because my best, old friend, Erney, had been reduced to watching television most of the time. He was not always that stationary. In fact, when I first met him, back in 1971, he was active in a 100 different pursuits. He was a trap shooter, a fly tier, a gardener, an authority on cactus and bromeliads, a hunter, and a voracious reader. He was also a falconer and that is how we met.
My Rocky Mountain Front High, Part II
The Deep Creek Ranch sits up against the Rocky Mountain Front in Northern Montana. It overlooks vast stretches of prairie that go on as far as the eye can see and is nurtured by the fertile river bed of Deep Creek and mountain spring run off. It is beautiful. The ranch is owned by David Letterman and his wife Regina Lasko, but the boots on the ground running the now 800-head bison ranch are Annie and Andrew Bardwell.
A New Kind of Christmas
I am not a Christmas kind of guy. I suspect that there is a touch of the Grinch in my DNA because all the Christmas carols and the commercial frenzy has driven me crazy enough to sit out a few Christmases entirely.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting: A Conversation with Yvon Chouinard & Dan O'Brien
As the year winds to a close, we reflect back on all that we have been able to accomplish. It is all driven by you, our caring customers who care about how your food is raised. We truly appreciate your support and offer you heartfelt thanks for giving us the opportunity to continue our greater mission of prairie conservation.
Fort Peck Buffalo Harvest
More good happening on the prairie and with our Native American sourcing partners! Colton talks about our harvest teams recent visit to Fort Peck.
A Prairie Thanksgiving
I am not a golfer. I’ve never owned a set of clubs, never belonged to a country club, never paid a greens fee, or waited in line to tee off. In November, I hope for frosty mornings and a smart northwest wind. I want sand hill cranes and Canada geese riding that wind high above my head. I want cold finger tips and long stretches of prairie surrounding me to the horizons. I need a horse and a pair of English setters casting back and forth a hundred yards ahead.
My Rocky Mountain Front High
This past September, I had the pleasure of visiting our sourcing partners in Montana. Both ranches run against the Rocky Mountain Front. It had been almost twenty years since I had been in that part of the country, and the images were starting to fade. I had heard the stories of how beautiful the ranches were from the harvest crew and was once again looking forward to being engulfed in that part of the country and all of its majesty. It didn’t disappoint.
Rapid City Journal: Wild Idea Gets Ink and Praise
A well known businessman who spoke Saturday in Rapid City praised the role of a South Dakota bison ranch in sparking an agricultural revolution.
Yvon Chouinard, founder of the outdoor clothing company Patagonia, participated in a public discussion of environmentalism with Dan O’Brien, founder of Wild Idea Buffalo Company.
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.
The Cost of Buffalo Meat
About a month ago, we raised our buffalo meat prices. The costs are driven by supply and demand, which affects the market price for buffalo set by the USDA, and also other inflationary costs associated with raising an animal and ending up with a consumer ready, packaged product.
Of Meadowlarks & Men
The end of September is when the meadowlarks begin to gather in flocks of ten, twenty, or more. They are feeling the nights cool and I suppose they are dreaming of warm afternoons in the panhandle of Texas and Oklahoma.
"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!