REGENERATING THE PRAIRIE WHILE IMPROVING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR FOOD SUPPLY BY BRINGING BACK THE BUFFALO.

WHAT A WILD IDEA.

OUR STORY

"I have dedicated my life to preserving and restoring the Great Plains grasslands. These same principles are the foundation of Wild Idea Buffalo Company. By returning the bison to their native homeland, we're not only rewilding a threatened ecosystem, we are keeping prairies intact, with carbon stored safely underground, and producing the healthiest red meat on the planet." - Dan O'Brien, Founder.

Wild Idea Buffalo Company was founded to fulfill this mission and to offer an alternative to the industrialized food system. The idea was simple: offer delicious, healthy, 100% grass-fed and finished buffalo meat to consumers interested in supporting a healthier planet and a sustainable food supply.

Today, it’s difficult to eat with a clear conscience, and it has become more important to know where our food comes from, and how it was raised. Dan’s vision started in 1997 in an effort to restore his battered 1,000-acre ranch back to health by returning bison, the keystone species and North America’s largest herbivore, to the native rangeland of his ranch. In doing so, Dan also recognized that bison are not meant for feedlots and slaughterhouses; out of this, the truly wild idea of a field harvest was born. Dan’s holistic management approaches, along with the bison’s ability to regenerate and nurture the soil naturally, have revitalized the damaged prairies. By aligning our actions with nature, we are able to restore the health of the prairies, provide habitat for hundreds of species, respectfully care for the animals, and keep carbon safely stored underground. These actions improve our home planet and provide a healthy, red meat alternative that can be consumed with a clear conscience for people who care about environmental sustainability and our food supply.

There is more work left to be done. The Great Plains remain under siege from industrialized agriculture and need our continued attention and help. Native prairies are being plowed up and turned into vast monoculture grain fields to produce food for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). These unsustainable farming practices destroy intact prairie ecosystems by threatening plant and animal species, damaging our water supplies, and releasing billions of metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere, which is one of the major contributors to global warming. The trickle-down effect is unhealthy food for humans and an impoverished planet for us all.

That’s why our commitment to Wild Idea’s founding principles remain stronger than ever - and it’s catching on. Our growing affiliation with other like-minded ranchers, tribal herds, and organizations like the Regenerative Organic Alliance are now positively impacting over 300,000 acres of prairie grasslands. The vision continues and is driven by people like you,  people who care about the food they eat and the world we share. Together, one bite at a time, we can make a difference. 

MEET THE TEAM MAKING IT HAPPEN

WHAT SETS US APART

We are committed to large-landscape field harvest. 

The American bison, Bison bison, is North America's largest herbivore and a keystone species of the grassland ecosystem. When buffalo are allowed to move freely across great swaths of landscape they can feed on native grasses and gently disturb the earth with their hooves, avoiding damage to essential soil structure and overgrazing.

We only use humane field harvest. 

Just as we give our buffalo the room to roam that they require in life, we believe wholeheartedly in honoring their dignity in death. 100% of our buffalo are field harvested on the prairie where they graze and live using our mobile harvest unit. They will never see the inside of a stock truck, feedlot, or slaughter plant, unlike 90% of the buffalo raised for meat in the United States.

Our buffalo are always 100% grass-fed and finished. 

Wild Idea's commitment to large-landscape grazing and field harvest means that our buffalo are never feed grain or given antibiotics and hormones. From birth to death, 365 days a year, they are raised as nature intended - on the open prairie, with native grasses, free of GMOs, herbicides, and pesticides, and never subject to transport or confinement. 

Our meat is a healthier alternative to traditional market offerings.

When compared to beef, chick, and plant-based meats, grass-fed and finished buffalo boasts less calories, a better Omega 3-to-6 ratio, and more protein. 

OUR CERTIFICATIONS

For over 25 years, Wild Idea has provided our customers with the healthiest meat on the planet, set the highest bar for animal welfare, and offered the best meat for the environment and future generations. As part of these efforts, we've taken a step further to make our commitment official through certifying agencies like the USDA, ROC, AGW, and the National Audubon Society. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CERTIFICATIONS

WHY IT MATTERS

The health of our planet and the future we leave our youth depends on changing the way we feed ourselves. A food system that relies on chemical intervention, monocultural cropping, and animal confinement is a broken one. We believe in empowering people to make better choices about their food and do everything we can to provide meat that is not only unparalleled in taste, but is truly nourishing for both people and the planet. That impact reaches beyond the buffalo, beyond the grasses of the Great Plains, and strengths the connection between us and all living things.