The following is the fifth article in a series on local farming and agriculture. If you know a local farmer with a story to tell or who may be interested in being featured, please reach out to sara@lakesideleader.com.

On the north shore of Lesser Slave Lake, Roland Eben-Ebenau’s bison move through the landscape the same way they have for nearly all of known history.
They are not delicate animals. They do not ask much of the weather, and they do not need the land softened for them. In winter storms, on rough ground and in the kind of northern Alberta conditions that can test both livestock and people, they simply carry on.

For Eben-Ebenau, that is the point.
He farms approximately 100 cow/calf pairs of bison at Northshore Homestead. The animals are a reflection of a philosophy that has shaped his work for nearly three decades.

“We should have been working with nature instead of against it,” he says.
Northshore Homestead is nearing its 100th anniversary, tying Eben-Ebenau’s current operation to a much longer story of settlement, agriculture and change on that side of the lake.

Eben-Ebenau says his father started there in 1930, at a time when there were as many as 30 homesteaders on that side of Lesser Slave Lake. Over the years, many of those operations disappeared or changed hands, but the land remained central to his family’s life.

Today, Eben-Ebenau views his work not only as a way to farm, but as something to carry forward.

“My mission is to pass my work on to the next generation,” he says.
That mission has taken shape in a way that is both old and new. Bison are native to North America and deeply suited to northern landscapes, but raising them as part of a modern farm operation required Eben-Ebenau to make a deliberate choice.
In 1996, he purchased bison because he had limited time. He was looking for an opportunity to remain connected to farming without building an operation that required constant daily attention.

Bison, he believed, offered that opportunity.

But that does not mean there is no work involved.
“Bison farming is still farming,” he says. “You’re going to have to work.”
Still, compared to beef cattle, he says bison require less daily maintenance. Their instincts, physical strength and ability to handle the northern climate make them particularly well suited to rugged country.

Bison, by contrast, are adapted to the environment in northern Alberta in a way he believes many domestic livestock are not.

“A storm that will kill a cow, a bison will handle without issue,” he says.
The Canadian Bison Association says that bison are naturally hardy animals, adapted to extreme weather and forage conditions, and able to tolerate winter with a thick hair coat and lower winter energy needs than cattle. That wider industry understanding matches what Eben-Ebenau has seen on his own land.

“Bison are as adapted to the environment as a moose,” Eben-Ebenau says.

Even domesticated bison, he says, share the same DNA with wild bison. That means the same hardiness remains part of the animal. They are farmed, but they are not fully removed from what they have always been.

For Eben-Ebenau, bison also make sense beyond the day-to-day practicalities of raising livestock. He sees them as an ecological fit for the region and a healthier red option for consumers. He describes bison meat as the cleanest, leanest and healthiest of the red meats.

Eben-Ebenau says bison meat is also becoming more popular across North America. Locally, he points out that bison meat is available at Sobeys in Slave Lake and is sourced from an Alberta rancher.

That availability matters. For many consumers, bison can still feel unfamiliar, even though the animal itself is anything but foreign to the landscape. Having the meat available in a local grocery store helps connect the public with an industry that has been growing for decades.

“We’re back at a million bison in North America largely due to farming and ranching,” Eben-Ebenau says.

Industry numbers vary depending on how private, public, tribal and conservation herds are counted, but the recovery of bison from historic lows remains one of the better-known conservation and agricultural stories in North America.
To Eben-Ebenau, farming and ranching have played an important part in bringing the animal back into wider public view.

He also believes the next century of working with bison will continue to shape the animals raised in agricultural settings.
Moving forward, he says, another 100 to 150 years of working with bison will likely mean a tamer, better-tempered animal. For now, though, their independent nature remains central to who they are.
Eben-Ebenau speaks about bison with practicality, but also with affection.

“I love my buffys,” he says.
That affection shows in the stories that stay with him. One of those stories is of Rosie, a tame bottle calf that became part of the farm in a particularly memorable way.

Rosie was raised with the help of her best friend, a large white dog. On a bison operation, there is room for both realities. The animals are strong, hardy and capable of handling conditions that would challenge other livestock. They also become part of the everyday life of the farm.

For Eben-Ebenau, that balance is one of the rewards of the work.
Bison may have appealed to him because they fit a busy life better than cattle, but 30 years later, the operation has become much more than a time-management decision.

His advice for young or aspiring farmers is grounded in experience. He recommends learning from established operations before trying to build something alone. Go see what others are doing, he suggests. Pay attention to what works.

Learn from people who have already made mistakes, solved problems and built systems that can survive beyond a good season. He also recommends joining the Alberta Bison Association, now known as the Bison Producers of Alberta. Eben-Ebenau served as chair of the provincial association for about 10 years, giving him a broader view of the industry and the value of producers working together.

At one time, he says, there were as many as 900 bison operations in Alberta of varying sizes.

For new farmers, that means there is knowledge to draw on. It also means there is no shortcut around the realities of the work. Bison may require less daily maintenance than beef cattle, but they are not a hobby to be taken lightly. They are powerful animals. They require proper facilities, good fences, sound judgment and respect.
As Northshore Homestead approaches its 100th anniversary, Eben-Ebenau’s bison stand at the centre of a story that reaches both backward and forward.

The land has seen homesteaders come and go. It has seen farming change, industries rise and fall, and families decide what is worth carrying on. For Eben-Ebenau, the answer is found in animals built for the place they live.

Sara Driedger
Lakeside Leader