Hello and Happy Saturday Friends!
Well, we made it, it wasn't easy, and it wasn't hard, just work, with some extra steps...we went 7 days here without running water. We managed fine, things warmed up a bit, and all is good now. It looks like some more pretty cold stuff coming this weekend though.
T has returned home with the buffalo truck, she flew back to Denver to get it on Thursday, drove home solo. She is pretty awesome.
In the meantime, the business has been busy, a little cold snap really has that effect here, and our delivery services were than stellar this past week, post office here wasn't able to pick up Monday, did get stuff out Tues, and FexEd was shut down till Thursday...and the delivery from the Knitting Mill that was suppose to show up on Saturday got here around 5pm last night, took a full week to make it three hours north, but we now have our Extreme and Ultralight beanies restocked.
We truly apologize for any and all delays in delivery. I did have 200+ packages packed up on Monday waiting for a driver that never came. All is out and in transit now... things seem to be moving quickly too.
We got our first prototype samples in from our new friends at Nester Hosiery, and they look great! They are getting production started, and hopefully soon, we will see more socks.
Other than all that, Life here is good, not exciting, just working, but now we have some fun old friends staying with us for a bit, and we get to go to The Little Red Barn/Giving Garden for a very special dinner tonight, really looking forward to it. Ms. Cindy has been an inspiration for all we do here growing food and sharing it with friends and neighbors. If you are in the area and have time, would love to see you there! It's gonna be fun.
I am supposed to be trying to encourage you to order stuff for Valentine's Day, but you are a grown-up, you got this. I also don't feel like being salesguy today, just want to share a couple of things from family and friends and the NBA has a good statement on the BLM grazing situation. It's not long today, and we did get more of the Faribault Bison Ponchos and Camp Throws in... I know a lot of friends have been waiting for those. The last rounds went super quickly.
Hope you have an excellent weekend!
Ron, T, Cecil, Stacy Paula, Piggy Wrangler and the rest of the crew here at BWC
We might have broken Maverick here, I let him stay in the house a couple nights... he has been making himself at home, and If you aren't familiar with the Hank the Cowdog series, if you have a kid or grand to read to, they are truly excellent, (we record the books for the grands ourselves, so we get to read to them long distance)
Looking for some Valentine's Day Fun?
Come Join us in OKC in two week!
Found the perfect way to spend a romantic weekend in Oklahoma City. (don't tell T, it's gonna be a surprise) and I think we are going to aquire a few animals ourselves here.
I have been so impressed at how well the OKBA has grown and what they have accomplished, some truly wonderful people. Love getting to spend time with them.
The Texas Bison Association is going to have their winter auction two days after that. Online auction at www.QASbuy.com
Thank you to all who jumped in and did a "pre-order" on NATIVE.
I am still so blown away at how great the film turned out, and I know that Charlie and Shauna are gonna sweep up accolades and awards this spring when Native gets shown at the lineup of film festivels that it's been accepted into... it's gonna be epic, and you are gonna want to have this in your collection.
You can still "pre-order" the DVD - which will not be released until AFTER the TEN FILM FESTIVAL showings already scheduled the next couple months. Click the image of the dvd and reserve a copy for yourself. Ordering now also helps Charlie and Shawna get parts 2, 3, and 4 of NATIVE done.
NBA Consults with BLM Amid Proposed Bison Lease Termination
Good News for Bison Producers
This is something I have been asked about a lot this past week after the BLM leases for APR were revoked, the NBA staff met with the BLM leadership on American Prairie's Montana permit decision doc here. Fear: Bad precedent for public land users.BLM Clarifies: Taylor Act focuses on "productive use" (e.g., food). Bison for production qualify as livestock. 37 active bison leases; no species rejection—just ag emphasis.NBA Concern: Protects 1,200 members' access. BLM updating rules; NBA to comment.NBA advocates via policy, health research, disease/market/conservation efforts. Herd's future: Strong!
From the Herdwear Store: V Day gift Ideas:
Silver Pearl Ranch has generously re-stocked us with their always welcomed and popular "heart" collections. Turquoise, red coral, pink Peruvian opal. Open, solid or sterling backed. A heart for every heart's desire.
and if that's not your thing, Dad has been expanding his collection of antique firearms... has found some pretty amazing stuff. Not everything is on the site yet, but you might enjoy poking around and seeing what he has up so far... there is going to be more to come too
Stuff we have in stock. I have been asked if we will be doing more of the Red Socks we did last Valentines Day.. (and this Christmas) I think I can get them dyed on Monday...
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Happy Saturday Friends!
Hope all is well, in your part of the world, I am guessing it's a little chilly wherevery you are, and probably a good day to make some bison chili too.
It's been a wild week here, gonna do the best I can to relay the high points... and there were quite a few, and plenty of our usual brand of crazy. It's 3 am here now, and yesterday at 3am we were still in Denver, having fun and getting things done at the 31st National Bison Association Conference.
We did manage to pull off a successful world premier of the best film ever made on bison, NATIVE | The Prodigies of an Icon, part 1 "Keystone". 5 years in the making, and it truly exceeded expectations by a long shot. SO FLIPPING AWESOME.
T, dad and I had to bug out early and get back to make sure everything here at RATHranch was ok for this little cold snap. We hated to cut the conference short, so many great people and good things happening. It truly was the best yet by a longshot, and it was already a pretty high bar.
We made the decision to leave the truck there and fly home, will fly back and get it next week, just happened to meet the FedEx driver bringing the new ponchos from Faribault mill when we pulled in. Got all the pre-orders shipped out, and then got fresh bedding put out and stuff set up for the critters here, was a busy day. We finished pretty late last night, so I am leaning hard on the coffee this morning.
Head is still spinning with all of the stuff that happened. But for the moment, we still have power here, not sure for how long, and we did get the well shut down and water system drained, not looking for a repeat of Icemageddon, where we went without both for more than a week, but at the moment, all is good.
I hope you enjoy what we have here today, and it's really not possible to capture all the moving parts here, I am really just hoping I can do it justice and not forget any of the good things, worst case, we will continue it next week or ???
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Ron, T, Cecil, Stacy, Paula, and Piggy Wrangler, current staff here at the BWC
We just hit 100k subscribers here, and I cannot thank you all enough for spending time with us. I still get blown away when someone comes up and tells me that they read these things. It's quite humbling and very encouraging. We are grateful for all the support from you awesome friends, and we are blessed to be able to do what we do.
The 31st National Bison Association Conference.
I am just gonna start off by saying that this truly is the most amazing group of people you could ever meet, and we are honored to call them friends. We had a record attendance this year. It has grown every year, and not slowing down.
These are the folks who have pulled off the greatest comeback story in history, and each and every one of them is a complete badass and a wonderful person. It's pretty hard to capture the spirit and power of these people. They are inspiring and awesome and there are a whole lot of them too, and I hope that over the next couple years, I can write a piece on each and every one of them, but in the meantime, Charlie and Shauna Rankin have done an incredible job of capturing the big picture story, and telling how this comeback happened and why it is so important to our planet.
The conference kicked off with a fun welcome reception on Wed, got to meet new members from all over, people just getting into bison ranching, people who want to get into bison ranching, and catching up with a lot of old awesome friends. Then after that, we got to experience the culmination of 5 years of effort by Charlie, Shauna and Abner of "Meet My Neighbors" productions and see the first part of Native: Prodigies of an Icon, "Keystone" We managed to secure the big theater room at Alamo Drafthouse, so we had a powerful projector, excellent sound system, and some very comfortable recliners to experience this. Presenting it to the NBA membership would be the harshest critics and the response was unconditionally extremely positive... impressing this crowd was a huge win, and we can't wait til everyone can experience this story.
I knew the film was gonna be good, but honestly, it blew me away... exceeded expectations by a lot, such incredible cinematography and such an impressive cast, but mostly, the story was so well presented. It presents an inarguable case for the bison being the most important species on this land, showing just how important they are for maintaining flora, fauna, and our entire ecosystem.
I learned a fair bit personally, and am ready to watch it again as soon as possible. We have seen more than few films on bison, and we understand what an impact they have on the ecosystem, but seeing it presented so powerfully, and in such detail, I believe everyone in the room learned some new things, and I know we all enjoyed seeing it so beautifully presented. There was a whole lot of "WOW" and this is just part 1... It is going to be run on the film festival circuit this spring, and then after it picks up what could be a whole lot of awards, the streaming services and DVD's can be released. It could also be picked up and shown in theaters nationwide.
you can click the image below and reserve a copy for yourself. Ordering now also helps them get parts 2, 3, and 4 done. You are gonna want to have this in your collection.
then Thursday morning we had a new member welcome breakfast, hosted by one of my favorite people, Moritz Espy, just an incredible dude. We got to staff the region 6 tables, and we met new members hoping to get started in bison ranching, some wonderful people up from Mexico raising bison, and I am gonna see how we can help there, some unusual challenges down there, and we met an artist working on a bison "War Memorial" project... he has some brilliant ideas, and then the show really got rolling, I have already run this too long for the Google, so will see if I can get a coherent blog post together on it, or continue it next week, I really don't have a plan yet though.
One really exciting thing is that the archives of Karen Conley, editor of Bison World Magazine, probably the most extensive collection of articles and knowledge on bison in existance, is going to be digitized and organized by the SDSU Bison Center of Excellence, spearheaded by Dr. Philip Erso, so it's going to be done right. This was a personal mission, Karen is one of the most powerful and knowledgable people and so busy doing the hard work on chronicling this story, she has written and curated thousands of articles over many many years, getting this in motion is a huge win and it's going to be an extensive and exhausting project, but it's worth it.
T and I each had our respective board meetings, where we get to serve with some pretty great people, we met some new friends, caught up with dear old friends, and have come home with some new exciting projects...3 pretty big ones that could help our industry in some very cool ways, and some other fun stuff that will help our mission here at the BWC. We got a lot of work to do, but it is truly an honor to be able to serve.
Well, that's more than we have room for, and it's just the beginning... the best is yet to come.
Like I mentioned in the opening, we just got the rest of the Bison Ponchos in, and Faribault did an excellent job on them, If you want one, I do recommend grabbing it quickly, they sold out really fast last batch, and we have the red striped blankets up next. Mike at the Knitting Mill has just shipped us more gloves, bison beanies and we have a restock on the extremly popular Ultralight Cowls. Nester Hosiery has gotten busy making more socks too, should get some info this week on when we can expect some restocking there too.
Thank you for spending some time with us.
This post was published
Hello and Happy Saturday friends!
Hope all is well in your corner of the world. It's 4am on Saturday morning starting this, Things here are good, but T has left me yet again... odds are she will return, but in the meantime, I am solo here at RATHranch for a bit. I think I was telling our story and the stories of some of our partners/friends/BWC family. Not sure where I was going with it, but will see if I can pick up the thread and continue on. We have gotten the nicest notes of encouragement, and I have to say those make doing these well worth going back through our history.
The biggest thing going on here though is the NBA conference in Denver this coming week, still a fair bit of prep work still to be done. I have some responsibilities at the event as an NBA director, and T has more to do, as the secretary of the National Buffalo Foundation... so we aren't going to do our usual big booth display.
Y'all have bought most of the stuff we made this past year, so it's really not possible to fill a booth like we used to do. Did offer pre-orders for the show for the first time, has been successful. If you are an NBA member attending, and haven't gotten yours in, you have a couple hours before I lock it down.
We are super excited about the premier of Native, and should have some information on when DVDs or a streaming version is coming before too long. The premier is just about sold out, it's gonna be so much fun, but I am honestly a bit nervous about being on the big screen, and also have to write up a little introduction speech, that's gonna be fun, or a trainwreck of epic proportions.
Gonna try to not be longwinded here today, I have to finish packing product and display stuff, and all chores here fall on me this weekend, and T has me learning Japanese for the Tokyo Marathon trip next month, and I have to pack the overnight orders this morning. So, let's get into this.
I do hope that you enjoy our the last bit of the trip down amnesia lane... I had spent a chunk of time and wrote a piece on our first long event, the Calgary stampede, but after reading it, it was pretty depressing, so scrapped it, and went with some of the fun stuff. Starting again next week, will get back to the bison stories, I promise. Should have a fun conference recap then too.
Hope you have an awesome day!
Ron and the grateful but absent crew here at the BWC
Our newest employee here "Piggy Wrangler", Stacy's granddaughter, got frustrated that everyone else had a desk so she built her own out of glove boxes.. she is handling customer service for the forseeable future.
On the Road with The Buffalo Wool Co: Chasing Adventures and Connections
There's something exhilarating about hitting the open road as part of The Buffalo Wool Co—loading up the truck with racks of bison wool socks, hats, and scarves, and heading out to share the warmth and resilience of American bison fiber with folks across the country. For over a decade this was our way of life, crisscrossing the U.S. every weekend to set up at shows and markets. Drive thousands of miles, endure long setups in whatever weather Mother Nature threw at us, and stand in booths for hours on end. Sure, there were tough times—plenty of broke nights sleeping in the truck through cold, wet storms, huddling under blankets while rain hammered the roof—but the payoff was in the people we met and the stories we collected. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it.
It wasn't just about selling products; it was about letting people feel the softness of bison down for themselves and watching their faces light up. Those grueling drives built our resilience, much like the bison we celebrate, and turned strangers into friends over shared cups of coffee and tales of outdoor exploits.
The longer events were always interesting, where the grind turned into pure fun or frustration. Take the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA—we did that one every February for 14 years straight. my first year, we got snowed in and I spent the day playing poker and eating pizza with Mike Waddell, Travis Mundt and the rest of the "Bone Collecter" crew. That was pretty awesome. This is also where we met our dear friend and bushcraft master, Kevin Estela, such a great guy.
The GAOS is a massive gathering of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts, and our booth became a hub for folks seeking gear that could handle real extremes. We'd chat for hours about bison's natural toughness, swap hunting tips, and even make lifelong friends among the Amish vendors nearby (who, by the way, appreciate quality wool as much as anyone). The energy was electric—demoing products amid the buzz of seminars, archery demos, and our favorite, the dock dog jumping competitions. Those ten-day marathons left us exhausted, but the connections and sales made it all worthwhile. We don't miss the constant booth life, but Harrisburg always felt like a second home. One year, a massive snowstorm hit mid-show, stranding vendors overnight; we ended up sharing stories and hot toddies with neighboring booths until the plows came through—turned a hassle into a highlight.
Then there's the D.C. Holiday Market, which we tackled for 12 solid years in the heart of D.C standing in a tent in front of the National Portrait Gallery. Our first season, we had the RV and camped outside of town, two trains and almost an hour to get home every night... that was a bit tough, but 30 days of D.C. hotel was way too much for us back then.
The Market itself was so much fun, twinkling lights, festive crowds bundled up against the winter chill, and our stall overflowing with cozy bison wool goodies perfect for holiday gifting. It was a whirlwind of meeting thousands of people from all walks of life—tourists, locals, even fellow vendors who'd become like family.
We'd travel with artist friends like Avner and Kate, sharing adventures beyond the market, from spotting bears to chasing the northern lights on road trips. The long hours melted away in the joy of holiday cheer, hot cider breaks, and watching customers walk away warmer and happier. The back of the box truck became our shipping office.. and T would use her little grocery cart and take packages to the post office twice a day.
Events like these weren't just work; they were celebrations of community, resilience, and the simple thrill of sharing something special. I remember one particularly chaotic setup when a sudden downpour soaked everything—we laughed it off, dried out the gear with improvised heaters from nearby stalls, and still had a fun day, proving that a little adversity just makes the victories sweeter.
We (and other fellow vendors) used to play a little dinner game, not because we wanted to, but out of necessity, if we didn't cover booth expenses for the day, it was crackers and peanut butter in the room, if we made a little bit, we might be able to order pizza or grab a burger, if we had a really BIG day, we called it "Steak Night"... not that we ever went out for a steak, but it made us feel good that we had done something right. I remember the first couple of years, we really couldn't afford to eat out in D.C. so we brought a crock pot and our little Foreman grill, and would make bison chili or stew or whatever we could for our market friends. It was getting to share this experience that made it fun.
We couldn't resist the fiber festivals either, where the wool crowd really got what we were about. The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was a favorite; we'd bring special blends like our "Crabcakes" yarn—a mix of bison down and mulberry silk that flew off the shelves. The vibe was all about craftsmanship, with spinners and knitters geeking out over textures and colors. One time, a group of enthusiastic crafters turned our booth into an impromptu knitting circle, sharing patterns and stories while sampling our fibers—it felt like we'd stumbled into a warm, woolly family reunion.
Up north, the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck was pure magic every October. Set in that stunning Hudson Valley with fall foliage exploding in reds and golds, it was a feast for the senses. We'd demo spinning bison wool, chat with farmers about sustainable ranching, and soak in the crisp air. The place has this timeless charm—winding roads, historic barns, and crowds passionate about heritage breeds. One memorable year, we got caught in a surprise early snow, turning the grounds into a winter wonderland; instead of packing up early, we bundled up in our own gear and kept going, turning potential customers into fans who swore by our socks for the trek home.
These days, we've scaled back to just a handful of events a year, focusing more on our online presence and building our little farm life in Texas. But reflecting on those road warrior years reminds me how much fun it was to build The Buffalo Wool Co one handshake at a time.
From The Herd Bull: Bison Mounts
The newest Bison Shoulder mount has arrived. Wow. It's just got beautiful coloration ..gold and blond all through the neck, cape and shoulder. And it is a big big boy. I love the positioning they used on him in this mount; so natural, just like when they turn out in the pasture to look at you.
If you want massive, you'd have to go harvest your own to find a larger, more impressive bison shoulder mount than this one. Fur is tight; horn caps are very large and perfectly curved. (one has had a screw set in); can't see it unless you look. Little crazing on the nose, but you wouldn't notice.
Stuff we still have in stock
Mike at the Knitting Mill has delivered another round of our Bison Beanies, so those are back in stock finally, as well as the Ladies Ultralight Diamond gloves. I got some of both dyed yesterday, so there are natural and black available.
The Pure Prairie socks are being knit this week, and will get those back up shortly... Faribault has promised the ponchos and blankets will be back in stock by the end of the month as well.
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Hello and Good Morning Friends!
Hope all is well in your part of the world, things are interesting here currently. Just doing the things we need to do, and there are quite a few things. It's been a wild one here.
Clint Holmes, best friend, chicken wrangler, soap mogul, and our shearing crew leader, Dad and I headed out Monday for Colorado to get our bison down harvest started for the year, so we can start this whole crazy process over again... was a fun, fast and windy trip, but Dad and I made it back home, and Clint is there getting this stuff done. I cannot thank him enough.
We got a lot of interest and some awesome comments on the last two missives, and I do plan on continuing putting up the rest of our little story, but today I am gonna take some time to tell the story of the people doing the heavy lifting in this mission... these are all dear friends and these are the people you are supporting when you purchase our products.
They are also extremely wonderful people, and working with them is truly a pleasure. Makes me love doing what we do. It is fun trying to figure out new things when you get to do it with friends.
From the ranchers who raise them to the men and women who spin the yarns, and the people knitting, sewing, weaving, and felting. We are doing what we can to help bolster the American textile industry. So much production has moved overseas, we want to keep people working here, and making great things.
The real beginnings start with the bison ranchers, and I will probably take the next 51 Saturdays this year talking about them. They are the people making the greatest comeback story in history happen... it's kinda why the film Native: Prodigies of an Icon (Coming very very soon!) was made. It was just a dream until Charlie and Shauna turned it into a reality. Getting pretty excited about the premier in just 17 days!!!! if you are coming to the NBA Conference in Denver on the 21st, you can grab some tickets here. It's gonna be EPIC! Don't wait, this is gonna sell out soon.
So, with all that, let's get into the process, hope you enjoy what we have in here today, there are a few links to external articles and I would grab a fresh cup of coffee/tea/bourbon and settle in if you have some time. If not, you can just skip to the bottom and go shopping.
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Ron & T and the crew here at BWC.
Starting with the Shearing...
Clint Holmes, our homesteading mentor, best friend, chicken wrangler, and the less attractive half of Holmestyle Homestead Soaps is leading the shearing operations again this year. Kim is occupied making soap this season, y'all are keeping her quite busy getting clean, and that's a good thing.
We will shear approx 10k hides this year if all goes well. We select the ones where the down fiber has begun to slough off, and aren't usable for hair on robes. (the nicest thing you can do with a bison hide) If we didn't do this, the hair would be burned off in the tanning process. Doing what we do helps use less of the chemicals and results in less effluence in the process.
Scouring and Dehairing
The next two parts of the process aren't that exciting, but they are extremely important. Getting the fiber clean isn't easy... these big beasts do tend to wallow in the sand and dirt, and it gets trapped in the fine downy fiber. So, a six step washing process we have worked on with the scouring plant really seems to get all the unwanted stuff off the fiber and render it truly microscopically clean. Then it has to be dehaired, separate the coarse guard hairs from the fine undercoat fiber we use for our soft goods.
Spinning the yarns.
S&D Spinning Mill he and his family ran in Ma has closed, but John has continued on, and has been working with the fine folks at Crescent Spinning Mill in Two Rivers Wisconsin, in how to turn fluff into something usable. They have been spinning our yarns for the last 4 years, and are doing an excellent job. We make 5 base yarns, a couple different weights and blends, and I think we need to do a deep dive on the yarns, what we make and why we chose those.
Will do a piece on Crescent Spinning Mill shortly... they are just great to work with from the top down, our rep there Jon Zeilinger has been a friend for 20 or so years, and his father Gary was one of the first people to make our yarns. Good story on Zeilingers Mill here.
Knitting things together.
We have been working with Michael Caird at the Knitting Mill in Liberty Hill the last 16 or so years, he is truly the greatest guy and a dear friend. I really enjoy any chance we get to spend time together or even just talk on the phone. He takes our crazy ideas and turns them into reality. When our glove knitter in NY quit the biz, Mike picked up the mantle, purchased a couple of glove knitting machines, and got busy. He knits all our beanies, gaiters, scarves, gloves and now our new Pure Prairie socks, the fastest product sellout in BWC history, and yes, he is knitting more right now.
Truly love working with Mike, and excited about what is coming soon.
Fox River Mills, Osage Iowa, who has knitted our socks for the last 16 years has closed their doors, and the machines are being moved to Nester Hosiery, and we are really excited about the new partnership here. They have been wonderful in the process, and have said we should see our first socks from them in Mid-January... will definitely let you know when we get them in. They are keeping the development team in Osage, and we get to keep working with Dan V, who has developed almost all of our socks... another guy I really love working with. Just makes life fun.
There are quite a few people I didn't get to here, but with the limitations on how long one of these can be, it's gonna have to wait till next week. Got Faribault Mills, US Felt, American Lictor, Rogue Wallets, and a few more fun friends.
In the meantime, if you want to support these folks... and aquire some of the best made U.S. socks and things, there is some stuff we have below.
Kenai are almost sold out, Pro-gear aren't far behind... and No-shows are moving faster than anything we have done before. They won't last past Feb at this rate. I did do some more of the Rudolph Red socks in Medium yesterday, had gotten more than a few asks.
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And now for the rest of the story... or so
(in my best Paul Harvey voice)
Hope 2026 is going great for you! We actually took most of a day off on Thursday after packing orders etc, and that was really nice, It's been a while.
We are back at it, had an awesome start to the year, and there are things that need doing. Primarily we got to get some more bison fiber sheared and in process to keep this train on the tracks. The warehouse is looking thin.
So, Clint and I are heading out tomorrow for Colorado, to go get this whole process started again... it's shear, scour, dehair, blend, spin, knit, package, sell, and repeat as necessary.
There are big things gonna happen here in 2026, spoiler: we are going after the NFL, NBA, and NHL. Have already had some serious interest, we just got to make it happen.
The original plan was to make this story into a book, have a fair bit of it written up somewhere, and had the perfect title. "How We Turned a Million Dollar Idea into $27.50 and some Chickens" maybe someday it will see the light of day...
I hope you enjoy what we have in here this morning, might have to extend this one more depending on how verbose it gets, but let's get into it. It's a 20+ year long story, might be too much for two emails and your patience.
Hope you have a Wonderful Day!
Ron & T, and the rest of the crew here at the BWC
Life on the road: Ten years traveling...
So, when we left off, Dad and I had just split up Buffalo Gold, my wife, Theresa, now referred to as "T", who had been working at the Ft. Worth Housing Authority as a contract counselor, took the chance, gave up our benifits, insurance, and 401k, and joined me doing this full time.
It was a leap of faith, we had put all our savings into this, and refinanced the house... and we really had no clue how or if we were gonna make it, but we knew that bison fiber was pretty magical stuff, and we had a lot of smart friends with lots of ideas, and we were determined to make this work.
So, we did what we thought was best... we hit the road and let people see and touch things in person, was a very interesting experience, so many people back then believed bison were still endangered, and how could we take their fur.
We started attending every event and show that we could get into. Starting each year off at DSC here in Dallas, then racing to Denver, spend a couple of weeks in Harrisburg, Santa Clara CA., OKC, Schaumburg IL, Baltimore, Dallas again, Blackland Prairie, Taos, San Diego, Calgary, Tacoma, London, Edinburgh, Rhinebeck, Asheville, and a lot of other places I can't even remember now, and ending the year spending a month standing on the streets of DC.
By the end of the run, we were crossing the country 4x a year, doing 42+ events annually, basically every weekend, and 3 of which were two weeks or longer, spending approx 46-50 weeks traveling.
It wasn't easy, there were plenty of 14 hr days driving (the most we were allowed by law) so much time setting up the booth, standing there, talking to people and then breaking down, driving home and leaving again for the next one. It wasn't easy at all, but we met literally thousands of truly amazing people, and are still friends with a heck of a lot of them (like you friend reading this), we did some wild and fun things, and learned a heck of a lot.
At some point early in that traveling phase, we were home for a few hours, and we had the idea to build out a traveling store... well, one late night, I was playing on Ebay, and the next morning I had to go tell T that I had somehow managed to buy an old Twinkie truck for $12,000... and I knew we definitely didn't have that kind of cash. So I did what any self respecting husband would do, went to the wife and said "I think I bought a truck last night... and I have a plan." We launched a GoFundMe to help pay for Ms. Betsy, we named the truck after a truly wonderful woman who discovered that you could actually dye bison fiber into different colors. (common thinking at the time was that it wasn't possible)
We raised the funds very very quickly... so many good friends who believed we could make it work out supported us. We ended up putting all their names on the truck, and every time we went out to go load up or head somewhere, it was a habit to look at those names and give thanks for the people who helped us along the way.
this is what the truck looked like when we got it... there was a lot to be done.
Well, after a fair bit of work, she cleaned up nicely... completely redone and ready for customers to walk through and shop our wares. Even got a little trailer to haul additional stuff with us as we made many many miles. She was absolutely horrific to drive... top speed of 62 mph, and at 63 she would shake so bad we would leave pieces and parts behind.
I do remember once traveling down a NY highway when the battery came undone, T was driving, and I was laying down holding the battery cables onto the posts so we could get out of traffic. Good Times.
this still cracks me up, from when we sold her.
So, if you have made it this far, Thank You so much... went through a bunch of old pics and memories, 3 hrs this morning, and still a ways to go.
I know it's a big wall of text and pics, and the one takeaway I hope you leave with is that this expererience helped shape us and the company. Mostly it was the friends we made along the way, so many wonderful people. We learned a lot, and still are.
The next installment was a huge eye opener for us, a truly amazing person invited us to a sportsmans show in Wasilla Alaska... this is when the story gets good and the pics get better.
Some stuff we still have available.
This post was published
Hello and Good Morning Friends, and Happy New Year!
Hope you had a great 2025, and here is to making 2026 the best year yet! We have some fun plans in the works, and looking forward to sharing them with you as things come to fruition, but in the meantime, we have had a huge influx of new friends now reading these missives, and thought we would take today and introduce ourselves, tell a little about what we do and why we do it. If you have been around for a while, you most likely already know the story, but will stick in some new fun stuff here too.
This time of year, as things are selling/sold out, we get so many inquiries as to when "X" will be back in stock and why we don't have more Large Trekkers available... or whatever, this past month have literally had many hundreds such notes and calls, and I have to explain that we just can't go purchase bison fiber, and that it takes a year or so from harvest to shelf.
So, telling how we do this, and what it takes helps explain our processes and how things are made. Might have to split it into two or three parts, as I got started writing, it seems to be a much longer journey than I had in my head starting this today.
So, for all you new friends, just so you know, normally we don't talk about ourselves that much here, usually take this time/space and share fun stories about bison and maker/rancher friends doing interesting things. Will try and keep it brief today, there is fun to be had with family and friends.
We try not to just make these a weekly sales pitch, it's more fun telling other peoples stories and what is happening in the bison world, most of the time we only send one a week, unless we really have something important we need to get out to y'all.. new products or ??? The goal is to give you something fun, borderline funny, and hopefully educational to read on Saturday mornings.
Hope you have an amazing 2026. Make good choices and have some fun with family and friends!
Much love and gratitude from Ron & T, Cecil, Stacy, Paula, Little Piggy Wrangler and the crew here at RATHranch.
Good news, the America's Forgotten Prairie Documentary, on the native Florida bison has been fully funded, and is gonna happen, if you would still like to contribute though, you can here. Will just make it better.
From the beginnings..
Somewhere around 1986, My father, Cecil Miskin (commonly referred to as the Herd Bull here) got a couple of bison and they really made his little ranch look good. We didn't have a clue then what how much that was going to change the trajectory of our lives. I was still in High School, and really had very little interest in raising animals then... until he started putting bison steaks and burgers on the table, at the time, I was intending to be come a world famous chef, and obviously that didn't happen.
It's been a while, and there may be some minor factual inaccuracies, but this is how I remember it, and I am old, and do have a touch of CRS.
Fast forward a few years, and in the late 90's Dad had started up what ended up being called "The Brown Hair Project" gathering shed bison fiber from around our place. He had put a box of fluff that he had gathered around the ranch on Ebay, and after a frenzy of bidding from handspinners, a 3lb box of nasty dirty bison fiber ended up selling for over $400... and that sparked some interest.
Bison ranching at that time wasn't a "Get rich quick" scheme, it was more about passionate enthusiasts trying to bring back these big beasts to their rightful prominance in our country, and his re-discovering that the fiber had value (will share the story of the original 1870's Buffalo Wool Company soonish) back then, the hides back then were going for $5 or so and a lot of them just ended up in the trash, and with this new market, the thought that money that could be passed back upstream to the ranchers was exciting.. the more of the animal you use, the less waste and more profitable ranching could be. That was the original spark that started this 20+ year adventure.
FF to 2005, he had started gathering fiber from ranches, and was trying to figure out how best to utilize it. I had the opportunity to sell my share of our little restaurants and was looking for a new mission. He called me one day, and said that he was having 400 bison hides delivered to the ranch from a local processor, and asked if I could go down there and lay them out and salt them. Well, fresh raw hides don't do well in Texas heat, and by the time I got there, they were pretty rank and I spent a while laying them out, tossing my cookies every couple hides. It was pretty bad.
Well then a lot of experimenting and a huge learning curve on washing and cleaning, and separating the coarse guard hair from the fine soft down, and we got contacted by Linda Cortwright, publisher of Wild Fibers magazine, and long story short, she proclaimed that we had a legitimate business, and named it "Buffalo Gold" we were just selling bison fiber to handspinners, we did that for a while, as we learned the best uses and most practial applications for this amazing resource.
Somewhere in there, over the course of the next 5-7 years, we learned how to spin, weave, knit and blend fibers, and understand a little bit about the construction of garments and fabrics. It took a while, this was an evolution of our abilities and knowledge.
It wasn't till we were going to make a large batch of our "Lux" bison/cashmere/silk yarn that things really changed. We had invested pretty much everything we had in that batch of yarn... a bale of cashmere and one of silk weren't cheap (more than our house cost), and the spinning mill mistakenly plied it at 2 twists per inch instead of 7 and it was basically unusable for handknitting. Well, in a panic, thinking we were gonna lose the house, be homeless and be out on the street, I started calling knowledgable friends, and Scott Gray the yarn maker at Jagger Brothers in Maine suggested we make some socks out of it. That was a major tipping point for us. Still have a fresh pair of those bison/cashmere/silk socks on my desk here. They serve as a reminder of how this crazy stuff all started.
Then not long after, Dad had a chance to purchase a piece of Charles Goodnight's property in the Texas panhandle and acquire some of the decendant animals from the original Texas herd, and since it made sense, so we kinda split up the biz, and my wife Theresa and I started the Buffalo Wool Co, and Dad opened up the Herdwear retail store.
There is a fair bit more to the story and it actually gets to be more fun and funny, but I think it's been a long enough read for now, we will continue this on Saturday.. gives me something to work on over the next 48 hours.
From a friend... stress testing his Pro-gear socks. Loved this shot.
Some things we have in stock.
This post was published
Hello and Happy Saturday Friends!
Hope you all had the Merriest of Christmases. We definitely did, T and I snuck out on Tuesday to Florida to spend a quick 48 hours with the younger grandkids and the family there. Had a great time and got to celebrate the youngest daughters Christmas Eve Birthday as well...
and well, there were some developments, and T decided to stay and play with the kids a few days more, so I returned home alone Christmas night late... between the farming chores, and getting all the orders placed Christmas eve and day packed and on their way, it seemed like the best plan.
We are getting super excited about the release of Native: part 1 at the NBA conference next month, if you are coming, make sure you reserve your tickets ASAP, they are going fast... and we have some nice little gifts from the NBF for the premier (I am making some bison leather coasters with the NBF logo, and T has done some nice notepads and pens)
So it's 3 am here, and you would think I could find some time during the week to get a start on this... it rarely happens, life tends to keep us occupied. Do have a couple of great things in here from friends, hope you enjoy it.
and if we don't talk soon, hope you have the happiest of New Year's Celebrations...
Much love and Good Tidings from the BWC,
Ron, T, Cecil, Stacy, Lacee, Lauren, Meghan, Paula, Little Red, Maverick, MurderMittens, CreamCheese, and the rest of the gang here.
And Happy Holidays from the National Bison Association!
From a Friend. ActionXander (he leads our OutDorks podcast group) Super good guy... and amazing wildlife photographer Xander's work highlights the bison's impact on biodiversity: their grazing creates mosaic habitats for birds and wildlife, their wallows form essential wetlands, and their natural behaviors suppress invasive plants while enriching the soil. Drawing from collaborations with park officials, the documentary promises stunning footage of these majestic animals alongside Florida's wild horses, shedding light on a forgotten chapter of American natural history.
We're making a short documentary film about something most people don't know exists: Florida's wild bison herd.
We're working with Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park to produce "America's Forgotten Prairie". Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is one of the last wet prairies in North America. In 1975, ten bison were brought here as a reintroduction experiment. Could they survive Florida's heat, floods, and hurricanes? Fifty years later, they're thriving.
This isn't just about bison. It's proof that restoration works. That we can bring ecosystems back from the edge.
We're partnering with Florida State Parks to document this story and share it with the world. But we need your help to make it happen.
We're crowdfunding $3,500 to cover production costs: accommodation, travel, equipment rentals, permits, and field supplies. Every donation is tax-deductible now that we're a 501c3 nonprofit.
From NorthRanger Candle Co.
I arrived home to some pretty wonderful gifts from friends... this was one I defintely had to share... love it. Might grab one for yourself or any other bison enthusiasts you have in your life.
Handmade bison sculpted with Native American–inspired geometric detailing. Available in 100% pure beeswax sourced from the local beekeepers
A Century Ago: Bison's Rocky Ride in Colorado National Monument
From the Grand Junction Sentinel
Picture this: 100 years ago this month, Grand Valley unwrapped a wild Christmas gift—three American bison arriving at Colorado National Monument on December 14, 1925. John Otto, the monument's visionary superintendent, aimed to transform the red-rock canyons into a game preserve.Drama ensued: The bull died en route from Denver, but replacements from Yellowstone and donors (including kids' buffalo nickels) grew the herd to 45. Tourists loved it, but bison had roamed here prehistorically—evidenced by nearby rock art and bones dating back 950 years, says archaeologist Holly "Sonny" Shelton.Otto, who secured the monument's 1911 status with President Taft's help and locals like Sentinel publisher Walter Walker, built trails and added elk—all on a $1 monthly salary (later $25). But by 1927, feuds over expansion plans ousted him; he vanished in 1931 and died in California in 1952.The bison thrived... too much. C
Some of the things we still have available...
I know there is a lot out of stock right now, that seems to happen every year, we are getting ready to start our 2026 fiber harvest, and then we can get back to making stuff and filling up the warehouse again. Did a quick check and so far this year, we have delivered over 26,000 pairs of bison socks to you fine folks, (will do a BWC by the numbers next week) We are so blessed and truly appreciate all the support in this crazy mission.
This post was published
Hello and Happy Saturday Friends, and a Very Merry Christmas too!
We hope all is well in your part of the world, things here are good, it's been a heck of a week though, and I for one am ready for some fun time with family and friends. Youngest daughter is home, and Dad has come down, he has also taken over the 2 hr mail run this past week, been a HUGE help.
I did have a "Last Chance to Order" email ready to go out Tuesday, but we got so slammed Monday, I scrapped it... you didn't miss anything.
A special prize has been sent to Jaime R, who figured out that the "no-show" socks weren't in the website navigation, and that I had been pushing the joke a bit far.
We did have a couple good stories to share, It's kinda long, so maybe grab a fresh cup of coffee, there is a little surprise we didn't expect down at the bottom of the page (Spoiler: our first no-synthetic socks showed up).
I hope you enjoy what we have today.
If we don't talk soon, a Very Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hanukkah to you and yours!
Much love and thanks from Ron, T, Stacy, Hannah, Paula, Piggy Wrangler, Cecil, Lacee, Lauren, Meghan, Lulubelle and Maverick.
Thank you all for reading this each week, we truly appreciate each and every one of you!
We will pack orders till 10-11am today and run FedEx in then if you need something before Christmas morning.
From the Greatness that is Chad Carpenter, Tundra Comics.
Raising Bison: Interview with John Flocchini
from Mother Earth News, sent by a friend, it's an excellent interview, and John and his family are some of our favorite people, and a huge force for good in the bison industry! Without the Flocchini Family we wouldn't have the Bison Center of Excellence, or the Native: Prodigies of an Icon film.
How great is this! From Barnyard Bison
Good Friend Doing Good Things.
Jacob's Reward Farm, nestled in Parker, Texas, began as a modest sheep and alpaca operation founded by Cindy Telisak, who leveraged her background in theater, copywriting, and homesteading to create a sustainable haven that emphasizes community and craftsmanship. Cindy was a huge inspiration for us to start our little farmish efforts here.. clean food for friends and family.
Over time, the farm has transformed into The Giving Garden at Jacob's Reward Farm, a faith-based non-profit dedicated to growing vegetables, raising poultry and quail, and producing fresh, non-GMO eggs. Through these efforts, Telisak actively feeds her community by sharing the farm's products and agricultural knowledge with food-insecure individuals, fostering not just physical nourishment but also social bonds via activities like knitting groups, farm camps, and fall festivals that bring people together.
Cindy's commitment to compassion and community building is further captured in her book, "Giving Away the Farm: How Kindness, Critters and Yarn Knit a Community Together," which chronicles the farm's evolution from a personal hobby into a nurturing space for art, empathy, and heartfelt connections, complete with stories of critters, yarn crafts, and even a beloved stray dog that became a farm guardian. I got a chance to read it before publication, and it was a huge inspiration for us starting RATHranch
Join us for Boots & Blooms, a festive evening benefiting The Giving Garden, our nonprofit farm dedicated to feeding food-insecure families in Collin County through fresh vegetables, eggs, and pasture-raised chicken.
Enjoy great food, live music, fellowship, a silent auction, and raffle prizes — all while helping us grow more meals for neighbors who need them most. T and I are gonna be there, and it will be a great time.
From the Herd Bull.
If my tires could only talk, they would probably complain that I need to quit taking advantage of slightly lower gas prices .... and stay in Goodnight more.
I might well listen ... if they would only quit squealing!
I am back in the Ft. Worth area (actually in Ft. Worth) at the moment. Some medical appointments for Vicky .... and family Holiday celebration Saturday at Ron and T's.
Bob W. has been coming over every day since I departed to be sure orders got out the door. Not a whine or grumble. He is a true one-of-a-kind. , will be working orders yesterday and today;
Most of the SOON TO LEAVE collection has left. As soon as Western Trading Post gets those pieces up for their auction I will post it. Might be some bargains .... might be some sad faces! What's left is still in the Collection Link above ... and I am looking for offers
The "List" has gone away ... at least for a month or so. When it returns it will be all new old stuff; none of the things that were there. They are still on the website ... but finding them might be a challenge.
But still the ODC shelves are pretty dang full ... and we don't quit looking, thinking . .. and re-stocking with things we think make sense. Thanks for your keeping on looking ... and ordering. You all that can't find what you want are also taking me up on the "call me" ... for which I am appreciative. Keep calling.
Manufacturing is still an issue. ... and probably always will be here on out for us smaller guys. But there there is bison fiber, there will be a way for us. Stay well, Stay happy and Stay tuned.
Cecil
Ron's note: The last week or so, Dad has been a huge help here, taking the mail run in, feeding us, and just helping keep the wheels on the wagon.
Pure Prairie Socks
Step into pure luxury, wild and free,
100% natural, just for thee!
Step into pure luxury, wild and free,
No synthetics to cramp your style,
Warmer than sheep, mile after mile.
No synthetics to cramp your style,
Warmer than sheep, mile after mile.
Wicks away sweat, stays dry all day,
Soft as a bison on the prairie way.
Cozy in cold, tough through the heat,
Pure natural bliss for your happy feet!
by Charles J
Nothing Not Natural... 50% bison down 50% Montana Merino
Have been wearing them a month, they really feel great, and wear well, just wear them with shoes. They aren't slippers. still working on those.
Knitted in Liberty Hill TX. 50 pairs of Lg and Med available.
This post was published
Hello and Happy Saturday Morning Friends!
Hope all is well in your part of the world. Things here are pretty good, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! This has been the busiest shopping season we have had here by a wide margin, we have been blessed with more order than ever before, and I am hoping you have finished up your holiday shopping as things here are getting pretty thin...
Mike at the Knitting Mill is still making and delivering stuff, but we are running out of time for USPS holiday delivery. Monday will most likely be our last trip to the downtown post office, and while we have to do it to get things to you in any sort of timely manner, it's a big chunk of every day and I am not gonna miss sitting in traffic every day. So, if you need anything else, more socks, pecans, gloves, beanies, or whatever, please get your order in quickly if you would like it before Christmas. Or, if you would like, we do offer instant delivery Gift Certificates, let them choose their own BWC gift.
I did do my little driving adventure Thursday morning, and do have to say that my wife won the birthday thing this year, was soooooo much fun. Was the perfect gift. T had to stay and handle customer service and questions, so, I took a buddy with me, and we did a ride along first 4 laps in a Hellcat with a real driver, and then he filmed my racing experience. Really hated to return the car... was a lot of fun zipping around the Texas Motor Speedway, if there had been a good exit, I probably would have driven it home.
Other than that, just a little randomness in here, and a recycled tamale recipe. Hope you enjoy it, and hope you have an amazing day!
T, Ron and the rest of the crew here at the Buffalo Wool Co.
The alarm rings. Long johns on. Coffee. Snow pants on. Mid-layer. Snow bibs. Puffy jacket. Thermos. Snow cap. Extra layer. Sunglasses. Heck, maybe another puffy. Wool socks. Muck Boots. Gloves. Start the car. Scrap the ice off the windshield. Time to go.
To exist in Yellowstone in the winter takes some serious consideration. Thankfully humans have the option of staying inside when it gets a little too chilly or storms are a bit too thick. Wildlife species don’t have that option. The species that call Yellowstone home have gone through thousands of years of evolution causing adaptations that make them specifically well-suited to the environment that is brought about by the winter season. The bison, red fox, and otter are all great examples of how winter survival is not a matter of one adaptation, but rather the complex interactions of several factors that make these animals capable of surviving the landscape’s harshest season.
NPS / Jacob W. Frank
American bison are built for winter. Being such massive animals, they retain heat easier than other species with smaller bodies and lower surface area-to-volume ratios. This phenomenon, known as Bergmann’s Rule, is a general trend that suggests it is more common for mammals to be larger when they experience climates that are typically colder. With more core volume, they are losing much less heat to their ambient environment than a smaller animal would whose surface area to body volume ratio is much higher. Bison also grow a thick winter coat that is renowned for its ability to keep them warm in intensely cold conditions. Their winter coat has an average of 20,000 hairs per square inch. This insulates them so well that snow will accumulate atop a bison’s coat and not melt from their body heat! For comparison, research found that the average human has about 1,150 hairs per square inch (although notably there is quite a range depending on the person). While they have the warmth figured out, bison still need to access grass for forage, which could be buried under multiple feet of snow.
Ron's Note: If only somebody would figure out how to protect humans utilizing this amazing natural resource... would probably make excellent socks, gloves, hats etc... just an idea
IT'S HAPPENING!!!!
Charlie, Shauna, T and I have been working with the National Buffalo Foundation and The National Bison Association, and we have a release date, a plan and a venue!! The most exciting film on bison is going to premier at the National Bison Winter Conference on Jan 21 next year...
and Meet My Neighbor will have DVD's available not too long afterwards.
It's Tamale Season!
Chile and Cheese Bison Dog Tamales
This might have been one of the strangest bison recipies we have ever made, but they are absolutely flipping delicious. The dogs used aren't like any other hot dog I have ever had, Rocky Mountain did an amazing job on these things, they are actually all high quality bison meat and hold up perfectly in the tamale.
Got third place in at the NBA bison recipe contest last year.
Masa for 12 – 18 tamales:
Ingredients
- 1 container (12 oz) “Bacon Up” rendered bacon fat. Or, if you have your own bacon, pork or bison fat available .. that all works just fine at room temperature
- 4 cups masa harina (personal preference is MaSaCa)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- Optional - 1-3 oz of ground red chile powder, I like Pendry’s “Fort Worth Fire”
- 3 3/4 cups warm chicken, beef, bison stock divided – 3 ½ cups for mixing; ¼ cup reserved … as you will see later.
Prep:
- Place fat in a large 8-10 qt. bowl. Beat with a fork or small whisk until very creamy. 10-20 minutes—yes, it’s a long time but it is worth it in the end. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or hand mixer on medium speed for about 8 minutes.
- Add the baking powder, and salt to whipped fat. Whip thoroughly
- Add the masa harina and continue mixing by hand. You cannot over mix but you can under mix. You can use either your stand mixer or hand mixer if you prefer, but do keep scraping the edges and bottom to get all the masa harina thoroughly incorporated.
- Slowly add in the 3 ½ cups of stock. Mix another 5-15 minutes. Again, you cannot over mix but you can under mix.
- Neat test to see if the masa is properly mixed. Take a liberal spoonful and drop it in a glass of water (cold water). If it floats and stays on top, you are ready. If it sinks, add a bit more stock from that last reserved ¼ cup, keep mixing for another 5 or so minutes. Repeat the test. Again, if the ball floats easily, the masa is ready.
Masa can be kept at room temperature 4 plus- hours. It can also be refrigerated for up to 4 days if properly sealed to keep it moist.
Tamale assembly:
Prep:
- Cut bison hot dogs into pieces about 3-4” long.
- Roast or fry the peppers after seeding them. Cut into 3” strips about the width of the hot dogs
- Cut the pepper jack cheese into similar strips so that the peppers, cheese and hot dog all can make up the filling.
- Drain the corn shucks and pat dry
- There are a huge bunch of You-tube vids on how to put the masa onto the shucks … no reason to repeat that here if you have not done it before. Just a quick search and “boom”; you will have the technique.
- With your masa covered shuck, spoon on a scant spoon of your chili; put the hot dog piece on top; the cheese on one side and the pepper pieces on the other.
- Now, fold one side of the shuck over the top and press; life the shuck gently and the masa layer should stay down and cover the filling. Lay that first side back down on the table.
- Take the other side and fold it over the first layer but leave the shuck in place; roll the tamale over the first side and now you should have an encased bison dog, cheese, chili and pepper tamale. Pat it or gently squeeze; fold the bottom over and ….. start the next one. Just like the You tubes on spreading the masa, there are a bunch on folding the tamales. No reason to repeat here.
Tamale cooking:
- I am very much in favor of the Instant Pot … and that is what I used. I put the little spacer plate in the bottom; added about a half cup of water; put a couple of corn husks over the plate to keep the tamales from dropping into the water.
- Loaded the tamales … fairly tight but not crammed.
- Covered; cooked on high pressure (meat/stew) for 25 minutes. Let it release naturally (which only took about 7 minutes).
- Let stand with the top off for another 5 or so minutes to allow the tamales to firm up.
- All done! Enjoy!
Things we still have available, I did manage to get some green grinchy socks done, but haven't gotten them on the site yet, and dyed some of the Advantage beanies, have more Red, Blue, and Green...
If I get everything packed up and shipped out today, gonna get comfortable and read a bit, gonna be slightly chilly here this weekend.
This post was published
Ron's Birthday present!
Hello and Happy Wednesday!
Hope all is well in your part of the world! Things here are going really well... we have some new team members helping get stuff finished and packed, and I get my beautiful BIRTHDAY FERRARI Tomorrow!! (actual birthday isn't for a couple more weeks)
I am pretty excited, T booked me a race experience at 8 am tomorrow at the Texas Motor Speedway, and NGL, I am stoked, I only get control of it for like 6 minutes (or 4 laps) and then have to give it back. It's gonna be way more fun than the two hour drive I have been doing daily the last two weeks, taking mail to the main postal center in Ft. Worth... there should be a lot less traffic and construction at least... (did get a laugh yesterday, snapped a pic and it's down below)
Other than that, things are going pretty much as expected, we have a lot of stuff out of stock, and have been responding to the literally hundreds of emails of "Are you gonna have these back in stock before Christmas?" where I have to politely say... "Those were in stock for months, and now you want them?" I do bite my tongue a bit these days.
We do have one more good cause and one more good friend to share here today, I hope you enjoy what we have. I have really been enjoying doing these, and it really is awesome seeing so many people doing good things.
Dad has also been having fun and still finding some new treasures... if you are looking for something really fun, maybe spend a few minutes browsing around his store... Click Here
It's not long today, I know a lot of us have to actually work today, and there is the proverbial "Good News/Bad News" down after the friend stories.
Hope you have an awesome day
Ron & T, and the crew here at the BWC.
yes, this is a real sign at the FT Worth Postal center.
Diego Ranch Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Jonesboro, Arkansas, specializing in equine-assisted therapy to support individuals with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.
Have known them for a few years now, and it's truly amazing watching how kids respond and become so much more aware and verbal with the horses.
Founded around 2017 by Michael after witnessing a transformative moment where a non-verbal autistic child spoke for the first time during a horse interaction, the program uses a herd of nine Rocky Mountain horses—known for their gentle, affectionate nature—to facilitate healing.
The mission centers on uniting the sentience of horses with people in need, promoting self-regulation, emotional bonding, and personal growth without the side effects of traditional medications or therapies. Operating through word-of-mouth referrals from doctors and therapists, Diego Ranch serves a wide range of clients, including schools, hospices, and hospitals, and has impacted over 8,000 individuals directly while reaching 30,000-40,000 through community events.
Focusing on children, Diego Ranch offers therapeutic horseback riding and horse interaction sessions tailored to kids aged 8-18 facing challenges like autism, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, and physical conditions such as severe scoliosis or mobility impairments. Success stories abound, with 16 out of 19 non-verbal autistic children learning to communicate in full sentences, 36 dyslexic kids raising their grades significantly, and three wheelchair-bound children regaining the ability to walk unassisted after just 3.5 months of sessions.
By mirroring human emotions, the horses help children learn to manage anger, build trust, and develop social skills in a non-judgmental environment, leading to faster and more lasting results than conventional therapy. The program boasts a 100% success rate for its young participants, emphasizing teamwork with volunteers like teachers to create a supportive, inclusive space.
Pawley Studios old friends, beautiful ceramics.
Pawley Studios, the creative haven of Daniel and Amanda Pawley, specializes in stunning handmade ceramics that capture the essence of artistry and everyday utility. From elegantly thrown mugs and bourbon cups to whimsical housewares like Harry Potter-inspired pieces, each item is meticulously crafted on the potter's wheel by Amanda, with Daniel innovating through laser designs and more, all born from their shared passion that sparked during college at Western Kentucky University. We've been dear friends with Daniel and Amanda for years, bonding over travels on the show circuit to art fairs and events across the country. But now that we've settled into staying home more, we don't get to see them as often, missing those lively adventures and shared stories, we are also out of BWC Mugs... need to get more after the holiday rush.
The Bad and Good News!
well, it's that time of year, and things are flying... thought it was time for an update.
Bad news, We are out of Trekkers in LG and XL, but do have a few Mediums left, and since they run pretty large, if you are under a Men's size 10.5, Med will fit (I wear an 10.5/11 and typically wear the mediums myself)
Yellowstone, Casual Crew 2.0 and Field Socks are also sold out in LG.
Good news, the new sock mill, Nester Hosiery, has said we should see some socks in Mid-January! That is really exciting!
Bad News, the weaving mill Faribault, has had some Jacuqard issues and the Red Striped Blankets we were supposed to have here now aren't gonna make it till January, and I am not sure where we are with the Ponchos we put up for pre-order, waiting to hear back now.
We are also out of the Diamond Cabled closed top hats, we do have a few of the ponytail hats available, The Infinity Scarves are gone, but there are a couple of Smoke Rings left, and the Ribbed Gloves are gone, have some of the Ladies Cabled gloves.. however Michael at the Knitting Mill has been working like crazy, and just got us 60 more Bison Beanies, and more Large Fingerless Gloves... so those are available. and that is Good News
The Best Good News, we have a pretty good stock of the Pro-Gear Boot and Crew, since these are usually the first to sell out, we made them last!
The Red Rudolph socks have flown... and I am waiting on the delivery of more red dye, but have had more than a few inquiries of Green Grinchy Socks, might you be interested in those? Please let me know, might do some today.
It is also the last day for the $250 "BrownFriday" code to work on the Garment Tanned Bison Robes.... these truly are the nicest we have had, the pics truly don't do them justice, I wish you could see them in person easier...
This post was published