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Articles
Big Valley Buffalo
I was a bit apprehensive, to say the least, when I was asked to write an article about B and D Ranches,
and how I got started in the bison business. Not being a professional writer, the idea of writing an article, any article, seemed difficult, let alone one about my familys ranch. However, I believe that an
organizations strength and validity is proportional to its membed willingness to contribute their time, energy and ideas to that organization. Besides, no one said it had to be good, so here we go.
First, I really don't consider myself in the "business" yet, since I am not currently selling livestock or
meat however, if spending an endless amount of time and money on stock, property, fencing and feed qualifies a person as in the bison businew then I guess I am. Well, on with the story. I first became interested in bison about eight years ago, while helping a new friend with some fencing he was doing. When he first told me he was going to raise buffalo, I thought (to myself, of course), "boy he must be crazy". Well, over time, he got his buffalo and I watched his herd grow; and over time, I came to see that not only were buffalo beautiful animals, but also that they could be a profitable investment.
So I continued to help my new friend around his ranch, to learn as much as I could about fencing,
corral systems, and "buffalo-ing' in general. Well, it wasn't long before I completely caught the "buffalo fever'and now I just had to get in the busines& Well, about three years ago, events started to unfold. I came across an extremely good deal-four heifer calves for $5,000. At the urging of my generous wife Brenda (she's the "B" in B and D), we bought them. Only one problem, we didet have a ranch. However,
we were fortunate enough to have two bison ranches nearby that leased us pasture for the next year and a half, while we frantically searched for a ranch. (in retrospect I would advise people to buy the ranch first). As time went by, we became frustrated with not being able to find property that not only suited our needs, but our price range. So my wife and I decided that we would look for thirty more days and if we didn't find a ranch, we would sell the buffalo. Well, as fate would have it, two weeks later, myself,
Brenda and out eight-year-old daughter, Sara, were holding hands, dancing around our living room, celebrating closing the deal on our ranch. After the initial celebration, we set into the work of removing eighty years worth of farm scrap, or crap, whichever you prefer to call it We then set into the task of cutting and hauling seven hundred juniper fence post& Yep, we had made it. We were finally leading the liesurely country life style. One day, while I was unloading fence posts at the ranch, one of my new neighbors stopped by to introduce himself and asked what I was going to raise. When I proudly told him "buffalo', he smiled and politely said "that's interesting', but the look in his eyes said, "Boy, he must be crazy"' B and D Ranches is owned and operated by Brenda and Dave Johnston. The 175 acre ranch is located 100 miles northeast of Redding, California, off State Highway 299, near the communities of
Bieber and Adirr, and is adjacent to the 14,000 acre Ash Creek State Wildlife Refuge. The ranch currently has nine head of plains-woodland hybrid buffalo and will be selling alfalfa grass hay this summer at a ten percent discount to any interested CBA member. - By Dave Johnston
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