A bison rancher can have a love/hate relationship with winter...on one hand these creatures are built for the cold and snow, and a huge herd of bison makes for a beautiful sight when the dark animals are contrasted against the clean white snow...on the other hand, even though they need minimal care during these times, there is feeding of the herd and other ranch work to be done, and at times temperatures of 30-40 below sure can present some challenges for us and the machinery that we rely on! Here in Wisconsin our winters can vary from being unseasonably warm with rain in the middle of winter...to over 120" of snow in one month alone (that was a record in Feb of 2019). I will say that the bison seem to prefer 10 below zero to 35 and rain...and I agree with them!
Reflecting on Our Story with DeliveryRank
We sat down with the good folks from DeliveryRank to reflect on our story thus far. Their introspective questions required us to reflect on how and why it all started. Diving back in was reinvigorating and fitting as we wrap up 2024 and look forward to a killer year ahead of us!
Christmas week on the ranch.
Christmas week here on the ranch in Wisconsin means many things...kids are off from school, families & friends are coming together and usually the ground is covered with snow which means we finally get to have some fun snowboarding & snowmobiling.
The important things...
If there is one positive that has come out of 2020 and its events its that I have realized its not always important to race and complete the next task. Sometimes you just need to slow down and enjoy the moment.
Daylight to dark because thats what they do.
With the shift in demand for higher quality proteins moving from the massive scale commodity packing houses often owned by overseas corporations to the local, trusted butcher in the last 2 months, these very people that we depend on really deserve a pat on the back...
Life explodes!
Here in Wisconsin we see some very drastic seasons. Deep snow and bitter cold is replaced by waist high lush green grass and clovers in a few months time frame.
Red dogs!
In mid April we will start to notice a random cow or two off on her own, away from the herd and normally seeking out the wooded or secluded parts of the pastures...this means calving season is upon us!
The transition season...
The transition from winter to actual spring is probably the most stressful time for rancher. Here in Wisconsin it seems like it can last for months, and sometimes it does.
Making the most of the short days...
Even though it seems like the work never ends here on the ranch, and with the shorter amounts of daylight available in the winter, the pressure is even higher to get everything done before you need headlights