Bison farming 'holding steady' in Ontario

Bruce and Shirley Mills has been raising bison on his 100-acre Perth County farm for more than 30 years.

"[We] just wanted something different. We had parents that were in the milk industry or the dairy industry, and you're kind of controlled a little bit in there. But this here, there's nobody around with them. So, you have a better chance of doing a little bit more with it, and in your own way, the way you want to, yourself," said Bruce.

The Mills' have turned the 11 bison they started with in 1992, into roughly 100 bison. Mills said the majestic animals are protective, and have a strong herd mentality, but said as long as you treat them with respect, and stay calm around them, he likes working with them better than beef cattle.

"Well, they're still a wild animal, they never lose out. So, you don't want to corner them because they're going to win unless you got something big with you to stop that. They can run fast, like 35/mph, and instant speed — it's not a take a few gallops to get going, it just goes. They're very explosive. You just build a good handling facility to look after them and they're easy to handle. They load easy, quick. I like them better than beef," said Mills.

Blanbrook Bison is one of approximately 1,000 bison farms in Canada, but one of only 52 in Ontario.

There are roughly 150,000 bison raised in Canada in total, with a steady rise over the past 15 years, as more and more people discover the low fat, nutrient rich meat.

"It's a low-fat meat, lower cholesterol, high iron, high in protein. When you cook it, it doesn't shrink down, because the fat isn't coming off of it," he explained.

Blanbrook's Bison is at some local restaurants, butcher shops, and even the Covent Garden Market, but most of the Mills' bison meat is sold right from their farmgate.

Bruce Mills admires his herd of bison at his Perth County farm in Kirkton, Ont. on Oct. 2, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

While they're seeing steady demand, they know that bison meat isn't going to take over beef anytime soon, but there is steady growth happening in the U.S.

"There's the big restaurant chain in is in the U.S. and it's called Ted's Montana Grill, which is run by Ted Turner. He raises about 50,000 of them on a bunch of ranches. So, he's got 50 or 60 of those in a chain around the U.S. Not in Canada yet, but he's been asked about expanding," said Mills.

As much as Bruce and Shirley love their bison farm, they know that they can't run it forever. They're hopeful to pass it on to the next generation in the not-too-distant future.

"We're going to be turning it over to my son here in the next short time I think. Hopefully. It's starting to get a little bit harder for me. Age catching up with me," said Bruce.

To learn more about Blanbrook Bison and where the bison industry is in Canada, you can visit www.blanbrookbison.ca and www.canadianbison.ca .