Bison
Belwin is thrilled to announce that we recently reintroduced bison to our prairies. Belwin has long sought to restore bison to our land because of what they add to its overall health. They are as much a part of the prairie as grasses and wildflowers. Bison work the landscape with their hooves, forage out unwanted plants and spread seeds in ways that cannot be otherwise replicated.
We are proud to be a partner with NorthStar Bison in this endeavor. NorthStar is a family-owned business based in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. They raise all of their animals exclusively on native prairie grass and market their product at local retailers including Kowalski's. NorthStar owns and manages the herd and Belwin gets the benefit of having bison on our prairies. This partnership makes our long-standing desire for bison possible at last.
After remaining in a seven-acre enclosure adjacent to Division Street for roughly three weeks, the bison have been released into the larger 150-acre prairie south of Division Street and east of Stagecoach Trail. This is Belwin's largest prairie and will support the bison for some time. Belwin is also planning to house animals in the 40-acre prairie southwest of Hudson Road and Stagecoach Trail at some point in the future.
Prairies with bison
At the release on the 28th of June, we had Dan O'Brien on hand to help give some context. Dan is a South Dakota rancher, biologist and author of Buffalo for the Broken Heart. As one of the nation’s foremost experts on bison reintroduction he spoke about his experiences with his own herd and their reintroduction to his ranch. Buffalo for the Broken Heart is a wonderful book and comes highly reccomended for more information about bison and their impact on the land.
Visiting the Bison
One of the primary motivations behind Belwin's bison, is education. Bison are a part of this landscape that has been lost for over 150 years and yet, they have an important role to play. Everyone is encouraged to come and observe the herd and watch how they transform the land on which they live.
Belwin has constructed a parking area off of Division Street in Afton to view the herd. Due to the sheer size of the prairie in which the bison currently reside, it may be difficult to see the animals. We are currently raising money to construct a viewing platform at this location. The platform will provide a much better perspective, but at this time, viewing is limited to the fence line.
Bison are gentle creatures however when visiting the animals, please do not disturb them.