Geoff Brown
ANSC 475 Project
Farm diversification is becoming a popular trend in the 1990's. More and
more educated farmers are becoming discontent with traditional commodities
and livestock and are looking for something new to invest in and develop.
It seems only natural that sooner or later farms and ranches would start
looking back to North American roots to develop a new industry that is tailored
to our land and climate. The North American Bison, which was once close to
extinction, has filled this niche. It is ironic that an animal so associated
with our history and heritage, would become a species that has become a desirable
product for today's 'new age' market where health concerns are a major priority.
However, the market for bison extends beyond the meat production end of things.
Because the bison are such a big part of our culture, the by-products are
also very valuable and are in demand.
Another reason for the influx of interest in raising bison is the incredibly
low labour required as opposed to other species of farm animals. Bison have
been required to look after themselves for so many years that they thrive
on minimal care from a producer. According to the Canadian Bison Association,
the Canadian bison herd has been increasing by more than 25% per year. This
definitely indicates a strong growth in this relatively new industry.
This handbook outlines the aspects of producing bison in today's marketplace,
but before investing the thousands of dollars it will take to start a herd,
careful consideration must be given to where the industry is headed. One
important aspect of bison production is that there is an end product.
Bison meat has the potential to become a viable alternative to beef, pork
and chicken as it has definite characteristics that set it apart from these
other products. It will be interesting to see how the industry will handle
it's development, and how successful their campaign will be. There has been
concern by many producers, that the bison industry should not be treated
to similarly to cattle, even though the animal itself is very similar. The
cattle industry has created many problems within itself, and the bison industry
almost seems like a 'second chance'. Problems like calving difficulties,
feet problems, and resistance to treatment are not present in the bison,
and that may be essential to preserve in order to distinguish between our
beef cattle and bison. Much of this handbook is based on experience with
the animal by producers and researchers, but it is important to realize that
the industry is so new that nothing is written in stone. Pioneers are needed
within the industry to keep it fresh and strong. Challenge ideas of others
find out what works best for you and your specific operation.
Renewable Resources/Agricultural,
Food and Nutritional Sciences
University of Alberta
Edmonton,
Alberta,
Canada T6G 2H1
robert.hudson@ualberta.ca