FAQs

After years of working desk jobs, we wanted to do something different that would keep us outside, active and enjoying nature.  We began reading the National Bison Association website, completed the online course Bison 101, attended Michigan Bison Association meetings and became friends with a couple who became our bison mentors.  We bought a piece of property zoned appropriately, installed fences and focused on improving the pastures.  After a few years we welcomed five animals to the farm, followed by two more two years later.  Our herd currently numbers 18.  

We have tremendous respect for the animals and enjoy observing their habits and interactions.  The National Bison Association has a phrase “The Bison Advantage” that describes some of the benefits of the breed: No shelter is needed as bison do not like to be contained, efficient feed utilization, long productive lives, females calve on their own, the animals are hardy and disease resistant, low fat/high protein meat and they thrive in most types of landscapes.  As livestock novices, bison seemed to be a perfect fit for us.   Working with them keeps us outside and more active, enjoying nature.

The weather.  When Michigan suffers drought it is very hard on our fields.  We submit soil samples to know what nutrients need to be added to the fields. When the fields don’t produce much summer grass we supplement with hay.  Long ago we read that to be a good bison farmer you should focus on being a great grass farmer.  We believe it.

Yes, very hard.  We try not to become emotionally attached to the younger animals.  We take comfort in knowing that we have a main herd of eight bison that would not otherwise be alive if not for our farm.  We try to sell live animals to other farms whenever we can. We are thankful for the herd, the animals that are harvested and the meat that feeds our family and other members of the community.

We take a close look at USDA monthly pricing information for grass-fed bison meat sold to consumers.  The monthly report shows a range of prices for selected cuts and we set our prices at the minimum of the range or below.  We also look at online prices for bison meat and local grocery store prices, but take into consideration that those prices may not be for grass-fed and finished bison meat.  Any time that you see bison meat that has a high fat content you can be fairly sure the animal was finished on grain, and is not 100% grass-fed.  There is nothing wrong with that but it is not a fair comparison to Banfield Bison meat which is 100% grass-fed and finished. We don't change prices often, usually evaluating them on a yearly basis .  We believe that our prices are reasonable for the quality of the meat that we sell and hope that you agree.

We are always happy to answer questions on the phone but we prefer that you send your order by email, letting us know the cuts and amount (pounds or pieces) that you want. Please provide your phone number too. We won't give your email or phone number to others. If you don't use email, we will also take your order over the phone.

Our ground bison is 100% bison. No fillers are added and no other meats are mixed in the ground.

Mostly pray.  Few vets want to work with bison and the animals would not tolerate it.  We have been fortunate to have had a very healthy herd which we attribute to adequate pasture, good hay, clean water and the fact that we don't bring new animals into the herd, except by birth.  One calf injured its ankle and we were happy that it finally healed after weeks of limping.  In 2019 the calves had pinkeye but that passed too.  We had one cow that was seriously injured by another and we made the difficult decision to put her down and end her suffering.

We do not use hormones or antibiotics.  We do treat the animals for parasites and apply the medicine by using a dart gun or adding it to the water.  Darting takes several weeks as the animals need to be in the right position and distance from us.  After a few darts hit the mark they wise up to this.  We do not have a bison “squeeze” that would hold the animals still for easier application.  We feel this stresses the animals more than darting them. 

Bison require about an acre for each full-grown animal and we currently have about 15 acres fenced.

Please see our fun facts page for this and other information.

Fun Facts about Bison

You will see all types of fencing used for bison.  We chose six-foot, high tensile fencing.  We have been very pleased with it and do not electrify it.  Bison can jump 5-6 feet so we have six-foot fencing for the fields and seven-foot corral fencing.  We work hard to provide adequate food and water for the herd and to keep them from being stressed so that they do not challenge the fence.

We have learned that less is more when separating the animals.  Just two of us are involved and we use a series of gates in a small corral area.  Once the animal that we need is separated we open the gates to the summer field and the rest of the herd leaves.  This is less stressful for all of the animals as the herd instinct is very strong.

No, we do not brand or dehorn our bison.  The animals that we purchased have ear tags but those born on the farm do not.  We allow them to live as close to a wild existence as possible.  The symbol in the upper left of the website is artwork.

No. Bison do not like confined spaces and, because of their extremely thick winter coats, do not require shelter, even in winter.  You may see snow on a bison but the snow does not melt because they lose very little body heat.  A few years ago we experienced a couple of days of -40 wind chill.  The bison laid in the field just like they always do and did not have any problems as a result of the cold.  

Like most folks in colder climates, we have stock tank heaters that are placed in the water trough and heat the water enough to keep it from freezing.

Several times each year we add a product to the water that the bison drink that kills any parasites they may have acquired.  We have also injected them via dart with a different medication that essentially performs the same tasks.

No, in order for us to sell the meat, either commercially or to individuals, we are required to have our meat USDA inspected and approved.  We take our bison to a local processor that has USDA inspectors on-site to verify the quality of the meat.

We usually have three or four calves each year.  They are typically born in late spring or early summer but we have had calves born as late as December.  Some of our cows have a calf every year but others have calves every other year.  We might improve on this by separating the yearlings from their mothers but we prefer to let them stay with the herd.

No, bison never shed or drop their horns.  On occasion they may break the tip of a horn or pull off a horn cap (the outer cover of the horn - 94 did this).  When that happens the horns do not grow back.

No, bison are wild animals and are never truly domesticated.  It is always best to keep a safe distance from a bison and never turn your back on one.  While some of ours may take grass from our hands (while we are outside of the fence) they are simply accustomed to us, but not tame.  We are very careful when we are in the field with them and stay on a large tractor as much as possible.