Raised on Purebred Simmental Ranch. Canadian father, British mother. Left home at 17 to study Aeronautical Engineering in the UK, joined the Royal Air Force as an Officer Cadet (ROTC equivalent) in 1992. Served as an aircrew officer until 2013 retiring as OC of the Puma Operational Conversion & Training Flight.
Dad bought first bison in 1995, sold all his cattle in 1998 and went 100% Plains Bison. From 2000-2003 I was single so used all my leave to travel home to help out with the bison, found they were way more interesting than cattle.
I returned to Canada and joined RCAF Air Reserve as a pilot in 2014, left in early 2017. Worked with Dad on ranch part-time and then returned full time in 2017.
We started concentrating on soil health in 2016, exploring ways to improve the ecology of the ranch from 2014 on. We purchased a no-till drill to restore some hay land and moved away from low diversity mixes to 12+ species forage mixes. Initially with annuals, but then to perennials.
Discovered all was not well with the business side of the ranch so attended Holistic Management with Roland Kroos & HMI in 2018. Then attending Ranching for Profit with RMC in 2021 and again as an alumni in 2024.
We also opened a small retail butcher shop and pantry market in 2019, marketing locally sourced bison, beef, yak, elk, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, dairy and more.
Moving toward year-around grazing and AMP management throughout.
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