Hay Lakes Bison Ranch

Farm / Hay Lakes Bison Ranch | Participating in Open Farm Days 2023

Farm Type: Bison Producer

Ranch Tour:
FREE to all participants

• children welcome but MUST be accompanied by an adult
• closed-toe footwear needed

Learning Circle:
Adults and children will have the opportunity to sit and learn about the role of the bison within Cree culture, traditional tools, and items made from bison, as well as listen to traditional drumming and songs.

Indigenous Artisan Market:
Vendor booths featuring local Indigenous artists to showcase their works and have items available for purchase

Hay Lakes Bison Ranch is owned and operated by Beaver Lake Cree Nation. This operation has established a thriving Woodland Bison population and sustainable food sovereignty for our community and customers.

Our mission is to bring back the buffalo mentally through education, physically by feeding our people, spiritually by holding ceremony, and emotionally by allowing ourselves to be reconnected to this four-legged relative.

Bison are a keystone animal that can form a base of both ecosystem and culture.

Once numbering in the tens of millions, bison sustained a way of life for indigenous people in Turtle Island (North America) for thousands of years. The animal was used as a food source throughout the year, its hides used in teepees and clothing, and its bones fashioned into tools. Bison were also the center of spiritual ceremony.