Arlie and Jason Bender, a father and son team from Britton, SD, have been raising bison together since 1996. Their 2,700 acre ranch was once owned by Arlie’s father, and at any given time they have between 500–800 bison roaming their pastureland. When asked what he loves the most about family life on a bison ranch, Arlie responded, “compared to other livestock, bison are easier to raise and, from a business standpoint, can be more profitable.”
Did you know?
Buffalo milk or buffalo cheese (mozzarella) does not come from bison. Any product labeled as buffalo milk, or buffalo cheese is produced from the milk of water buffalo. Water buffalo are a separate species, and are not related to bison, even though American bison are commonly known as buffalo. Bison are not milked commercially for a couple of reasons. First, the teats on female bison are very small. Also, bison are undomesticated animals, and the females do not adapt well to the type of handling necessary in a milking operation.