Regenerative Ranching...really?

It's been a while since I have had time to post a blog, and while there have been a lot of things happening here at Buffalo Ridge Farm that I need to (and should) get added to the site, the thing that has been weighing on my mind most heavily is the direction I'm seeing the bison industry heading.

Why are we being pushed into 'regenerative' ranching? The National Bison Association is the largest culprit it seems, of course, the NBA is the ONLY organization for bison ranchers to turn to for guidance, camaraderie, and marketing. Sure, there are regional associations, but the NBA is influencing them heavily as well, and in many cases appears to have officers that are leading the regional associations -- so, of course, the direction is mono.

There are basic rules when dissecting nutritional values and executing plans that will accomplish successful and high-yielding gains for these mammals. Rotational grazing is NOT the answer!

I've said it before and will say it till others realize that the 'industry' is not looking out for the well-being of the bison. The 'industry' is about the bottom dollar, how to make bison a business, and they're doing so very much in parallel to the cattle industry.

Bison are not cattle.

I see so many bison companies using the tagline "Where the Buffalo Roam"....

Think about that. HEAR those words and sit with them for a moment.

Buffalo roam because instinctively they know what they need to thrive. Their bodies respond to the vegetation available and they will eat the grasses and forages that will provide the minerals and vitamins they need during that season. In winter months the common rule is that bison will lose up to 10% of their body weight and will live on meager diets in colder regions because, instinctively, they have gained effectively off of the warmer months grasses. They "roam" as they seek the most nourishing forages. If they are being rotated they are forced to consume whatever is available in the confines of the paddock.

Rotational grazing is being promoted as the "Green" way to ranch and farm. The goal is soil health. And, certainly, I do not disagree that our ranching and farming practices of the past have degraded our soils and developed a need for action in order to improve and correct soil damage.

But, I can promise you that just about every "regenerative bison rancher" will tell you a great story about how '...bison are by nature the original regenerative mammal...'

And, yes. That isn't necessarily untrue. But what we're witnessing in the bison world today is not natural and certainly isn't about the well-being of the bison. Forcing these animals into small paddocks or confines and providing them with low-value nutrition is not producing "premium" meats. It is not providing an environment conducive to their natural reproduction nor their wild and untamed instinct to thrive.

The USDA began a study in 2014 running two test herds of cattle in side-by-side pastures, each 320 acres in size. One of the two pastures is divided into paddocks for rotational grazing and the other remains open for continuous grazing. During the 10 years of study, the stocking rates have remained consistent and the density constant.

The results prove that the continuous grazer experiences a 14% higher gain than the rotational grazer.

Why?

If we have a basic understanding of nutritional health the answer is obvious.

The animals with the freedom to select their intake based on need will be healthier and choose a feed that will most benefit their health and survival. Those that are stuck in a 'managed' situation will consume whatever is forced on them in order to fill their hunger.

Eating dry, dead, or nonpalatable vegetation just because it is what is available does not create a healthy environment. Eating weeds rather than forage that is filled with minerals and vitamins cannot possibly produce results that benefit the bison, especially when we're seeing low gains in domesticated cattle.

A bison cow that is going to calf will increase intake by 2.7 - 3% in the two-to-six weeks before delivery. Because her unborn calf is yielding its highest gain time in preparation for birth and survivability. If bison are being 'managed' in a rotational program, we're going to see more and more stillbirths and eventually, more miscarriages.

It's how nature tells us something is wrong...and what is wrong is our method of stewardship!

I have a lot more to say about all of this, but for now, I'll leave it at this.

If you have a pantry filled with potato chips, cookies, bread, crackers, and pasta and no vegetables in the frig, you're going to eat what is available. Right? You have food in front of you, so a trip to the market isn't necessary in order to feel full. But, the nutritional value of the chips and cookies is empty calories and low nutritional value compared to 'roaming' to the garden or local market for fresh vegetables or locally raised grass-fed and finished meat and eggs.

So, as you look deeper into the world of bison and see or hear the parroting of the industry "experts" -- consider a drinking game that every time you read or hear these words you have to take a drink -- and then consider if you would be too intoxicated to legally operate a motor vehicle.

Bison Buzzword Drinking Game:

Regenerative Holistic Sustainable/Sustainability Soil health Healthiest red meat Premier/Premium/Gourmet meat Grass-fed

Then, ask the producer a few questions:

1. How has this approach improved the health of your herd? *That is really the only question that needs to be asked....

2. How often do they test their forage? Their soil? Their water?

3. What grasses/forage are they making available to their herd?

4. How are they managing parasites?

5. How many head/acre are they running in their operation?

6. What is their goal(s)?

I have no problem answering any of these questions (or records). And, most importantly, am happy to share our goal of raising healthy, happy bison. Our philosophy is pretty simple -- we want to have the healthiest bison (because their health directly impacts our health). In order for us to produce the healthiest and happiest herd we manage our numbers, our grasses, and our soil and water quality. This can be accomplished without depleting the land or using chemicals as had been the standard in many ranching operations in recent history. It can absolutely be accomplished without overgrazing the land.

It seems the NBA is more focused on marketing terms that will serve their pockets than the well-being of the bison or the future of the animals. Do I blame the producers that are falling for this nonsense? Not entirely. They turn to the only organization available for guidance (and the only guidance available to members is here).

Is there research out there that profoundly disputes the marketing buzzwords and attention-gaining shenanigans? Of course, there are studies available that require time and reading and understanding of what bison's needs are, while they are not as plentiful as studies on other species in the Ag world, they DO exist! So, if producers truly want to see their herds thrive they would be researching and making adjustments.

Instead, I see producers making statements more frequently such as "they all get out at some point" when their herd escapes an enclosure, or "every bison rancher loses calves, it just happens" when a cow aborts or has a stillbirth, or "came out this evening to find this bison acting odd and it just laid down" when one is so far gone there is no saving it.

Frankly, it makes me angry. That should never be the answer! It should never be "it happens, no reason, to everyone." It happens as a result of a mistake. And if bison isn't the optimal focus of your operation it happens most often. If your focus is the well-being of the herd it is less likely going to be a result.