![]() ![]() You just don’t know what they’re going to do or when they’re going to do it, so don’t put yourself in a bad spot. He considers it a challenge - something to keep him on his toes. Adam has never been one to shy away from hard work or the threat of a few bruises. “Everything in life is dangerous to a point, so it depends on your definition,” said Adam boldly. ![]() But raising bison - an animal more wild than domesticated - isn’t for everyone. ![]() ![]() With lower fat and cholesterol than beef and fewer “factory farms,” there’s certainly a demand for bison meat. That’s how it all tied together.” More Wild Than Tame I really lucked out finding someone in Nikiski who had a bull plains bison for sale. What’s more fun than hauling a herd of bison cross-continent? Trying to find a superior breeding bull in Alaska to ensure genetic diversity in your animals. Within a few months, all of his bred heifers birthed calves, bringing his herd up to 20 bison. I said, ‘You know what, why don’t you put down 10 bred heifers on there for me and I’ll do all the hauling and trucking for free?’”Īdam trucked a sizable load of bison for the farmer, and brought home 10 for himself. “A farmer out at Point MacKenzie was bringing in bison for himself out of Alberta, and hired me to do the hauling. That right time came in the form of a herd of bison as payment for hauling services. The idea marinated in the back of his mind for the next few years, waiting for the right time to pursue it. At that time, Adam had never considered raising bison, but it was intriguing to him. One day, a friend who was raising bison in the Lower 48 called him and said he should think about it, too. But even then, Adam knew it was only a matter of time before he found an opportunity to raise livestock again. As they tilled up acre after acre in exchange for hay fields and potatoes to accommodate local demand, the cattle slowly went by the wayside. Those expanding potato fields took over what was previously cow grazing pasture. “Everyone who didn’t get a caribou or moose during hunting season would come out to the farm here to get a cow to fill their freezer before going into winter.”Īs the family business started seeing more success financially by growing crops, they continued increasing their farmable land for planting vegetables, mostly potatoes. “Growing up, Dad and I always raised beef calves,” Adam said with a touch of nostalgia, thinking back to what the farm looked like 40 years ago. I enjoy being in the company of animals.” From Beef to Bison Sure, there’s the self-sufficiency angle, but that’s not what it is so much for me. “I think anyone who’s been around livestock and raised livestock, it’s a reward that you feel good about. With a herd of about 40 plains bison - the breed you’d find in the Dakotas and Midwest states - fenced on a massive, partially wooded, partially open field, Adam says it’s his love of animals that drives his desire to continue with bison rather than other meat animals. Why bison? Adam Boyd, head of the Boyd household and primary bison caregiver, says it’s about self-sufficiency, the health of the meat, and partially just about the challenge. It’s also been home to many animals, hooved and feathered, but perhaps none as unique as their herd of plains bison. Some years it’s been fields of hay and potatoes. Over the years, the family’s acreage (formerly known as Mat Valley Potato Growers) has taken many forms. For the Boyd family, raising livestock and helping others isn’t just a hobby or a job - it’s a calling that has been passed down through three generations on their agricultural oasis in Palmer, Alaska. ![]()
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