Back from the Brink
Raising American Bison at J Bar S Ranch
by Lisa Ludwigsen | photos by Nik Zvolensky
In his documentary The American Buffalo, Ken Burns describes bison as “the most magnificent mammal on our continent,” adding, “The buffalo story is so complicated and so interesting because it moves through almost every era in our lives and touches on so many subjects you wouldn’t think it would touch on.”
Bison are the continent’s largest mammal, weighing in at around 1800 pounds, approximately the size of a small car. Inhabiting large swaths of the Great Plains, bison were virtually uncountable before the 1800s and estimated at 30 million in the early 1800s. The widespread arrival of Europeans drove the bison to near extinction. By the beginning of the 20th century, fewer than 1,000 bison survived. That decimation was due to market hunting— people wanted buffalo robes and the expanding railroad used hides as engine belts, among other things—and the effects of diseases brought in with domestic cattle. In addition, bison were killed off as part of the inten- tional eradication of Indigenous people’s crucial source of livelihood, in efforts to force them off their land. Native people have coexisted with bison for over 10,000 years in a profoundly reciprocal relationship, across a vast area of the central and northern plains of the continent. Killing off the bison impacted every aspect of the Great Plains Native American lives, devastating both people and animals.
But all was not lost. Successful conservation efforts have helped stabilize and grow the bison population in an encour- aging story that started back in the early 1900s by a zoologist named William Hornaday, with support from President Theodore Roosevelt. A few bison were shipped to the Bronx Zoo over 100 years ago for the purpose of breeding and ultimately re-releasing into the wild, and today there are over 400,000 in the U.S. in both wild and commercial herds. Other small conservation efforts by concerned ranchers helped to preserve and repopulate the plains.
Bison are not native to California. They thrive in vast tracts of prairie found in the central areas of North America, from Canada into Mexico. But in Mendocino County, there is a small bison herd at J Bar S Ranch, east of Ukiah just off Highway 20. Bob Lawson, the ranch’s owner, shared the story of his father’s longtime interest in bison. When Jim Lawson bought 40 acres in 1966, the ranch came with a few sheep. The ranch was not intended to be a working ranch at first. “My father brought in the first few bison in the 1980s just because he was interested in them. That herd now numbers around 60. It’s not a large group, but we keep the herd manageable for our environment. We are very happy to have 20 calves born this year from our three bulls and 35 cows.” Even though Lawson’s herd is a commercial herd, intended to be harvested for meat, it is one of many similar herds considered important within the conservation movement.
Lawson shares the concern of local beef ranchers about the lack of local slaughter facilities equipped to process bison in Mendocino County. This forces Lawson to transport his animals to his Wyoming ranch, which supports another 300 head on 1600 acres. “Bison are difficult to get to slaughter because they are so large and strong. We built special reinforced pens at our slaughterhouse in Wyoming to contain them.” Lawson has observed a full-grown bison clear a 6’ fence without a running start.
Lawson is optimistic about the future of bison as a viable meat source and steward of rangeland. Because bison evolved as they roamed the continent freely, they help sustain plains and prairie ecosystems as a keystone species. They are good for the environment and healthy to eat, too. “Our herd is grass fed and grass finished. They are handled as little as possible. We offer them an enhanced feed as they approach harvest, but the bison don’t really choose it.” Unlike cattle, bison have never been truly domesticated. They basically do what they want. A visit to the ranch illustrates just how large these animals really are. They were attentive to the visitors in the truck, but when asked if he or the herd manager could leave the truck and walk among them, Lawson’s answer was, “Not really.” They exude a sense of their wild heritage and they demand respect.
The National Bison Association based in Colorado boasts over 1,000 members who raise over 250,000 head of bison. The organization has adopted the slogan “Regenerative by Nature.” Regenerative agriculture seeks to improve the health of the planet by restoring nature, utilizing agricultural practices to increase soil biodiversity and organic matter. Building resilient soils also helps resist climate change impacts like flooding and drought. Bison are meaningful players toward this goal.
Grazing bison naturally support rangeland by stimulating new plant growth as they graze, by providing soil with vital nutrients from manure and urine, disturbing soil so native seeds can take root, and creating wallows that capture rainfall. “They basically do all the land management for us,” said Lawson. It’s well documented that healthy grass- lands created by grazing animals capture carbon from the atmosphere and return it to the soil. This is regenerative agriculture in a nutshell, and bison are the original livestock for this approach to holistic management.
Bison are naturally grass-fed and GMO-free because they aren’t raised intensively like cattle. Bison meat offers several health benefits. It’s a low-fat lean protein rich in nutrients like iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins. The expanding meat market helps to ensure both the survival of the species and the prairie ecosystem. “It is a niche market that began growing during the pandemic, when people started looking at new sources of food and discovered that bison tastes good and is a healthier red meat,” shared Lawson.
As part of the bison recovery, innovative partnerships between Indigenous communities, national parks, and educational institutions have formed which are contributing to sustainable management and economic empowerment. The largest tract of open rangeland for bison is owned by former media mogul Ted Turner. He began purchasing land in the Midwestern prairie states in the 1970s with the goal of supporting bison restoration. Today, the octogenarian’s Turner Enterprises owns 16 ranches in seven states, totaling almost two million acres that provide habitat for 45,000 bison. It is privately owned land with little public access, but the bison and prairie are thriving and protected from development. One of Turner’s ranches open to the public is Vermejo Park Ranch, a 550,000-acre guest ranch in north- eastern New Mexico where visitors can learn about local conservation efforts with the bison.
Preventing the extinction of bison is an American success story, not unlike that of the bald eagle. In the case of bison, providing open prairie and promoting both conservation and a sustainable commercial market for meat can keep the efforts moving in the right direction. If you’re bison- curious, find J Bar S bison meat for sale at the ranch store, at Mariposa Market in Willits, and Harvest Market in Fort Bragg. It is also on the menu at Ukiah Brewing Company. It is tasty and satisfying, and a welcome addition to a diverse local food system.
J Bar S Ranch 6201
Hwy 20, Ukiah
(707) 485-6852 | jbarsranch.com
Open Wed-Sun 10:30am - 5:30pm
Lisa Ludwigsen has been working in environmental education and small scale agriculture for 25 years. She chronicles her experiences and travels at Food, Farms & Families at lisaludwigsen.substack.com