Our names are Tony Elkington and Laura Wheeler. We are a small ranch located in Saint Ignatius, MT. We raise bison, cattle, and pigs. We strive to raise the healthiest, tastiest, and happiest animals possible; in a way that is beneficial to the land. We are always learning however we can, from listening to podcasts and audiobooks (thank you Working Cows, Regenerative Agriculture, and For The Love Of Soil!); to reading, attending conferences, and speaking with other producers with goals like ours.
It all started in 2016. We were running our trucks hauling asphalt and building roads in central North Dakota. It had been an exceptionally rainy spring, and we found ourselves with almost too much free time on our hands. After all, you can't pave in the rain! One wet morning in the only cafe in New Rockford, we stumbled across an ad for a beginner bison producer workshop hosted by the National Bison Association in Jamestown, ND. We figured why not. After the two day conference, we were hooked. Our first 5 yearling bison heifers were purchased at a silent auction by the National Bison Range in Moise, MT that fall. This was great, except we didn't have any land, absolutely no infrastructure to handle bison, and no real-life experience raising these awesome animals!
We have never been afraid to take a chance, and if you fast forward to today our ranch encompasses 120 acres in the Mission Valley. We have 70 head of bison currently and are actively building our herd. There's also 65 head of cattle, and 50+ Mangalitsa pigs. For the full story of our adventures and challenges over the past four years check out our blog, and our photo album!
We've built this place with our own hard work, and with our own hands. We are proud of our property, our animals, and the job we have done. We make sure this pride is reflected in the quality of our products.
