Rare Breed:  Ohio Bison Ranchers Alone On The Range

FINDLAY, Ohio —Ohio’s bison ranchers are few and far between as they wrestle with the feisty herds and higher costs of raising the animals.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 68 farmers raised 1,358 head of bison in 2007.  That’s not enough to a warrant a federal bison inspector, meaning it’s tough to sell the meat in Ohio since it first must go to Kentucky for grading and stamping.
   
Bison meat can cost about $5 a pound because of low demand and because it takes twice as long to raise bison and costs more to feed them.  Dan Brown, who raises bison in Hancock County in northwestern Ohio, says it costs $30 to $40 a day to feed his eight bison.  Bison are also harder to keep contained since ordinary fences won’t slow them down.

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