Day 7: Dakota Pure Bison Story

The latest news from Ron & T of The Buffalo Wool Co. at RATH Ranch. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

Happy Bison Month, it's Day 7 Friends!

Hope y'all are having a great day!

Socks showed up yesterday! Really excited to see how they finished the Yellowstones, they did them like the new steam tumbled Trekkers, they fit and feel perfect now! Nester is doing a stellar job making our stuff, honestly better than it ever was before, there have been some minor labeling issues (just typos), but the construction is perfect. Can't wait to go back up there, the people working are so happy and friendly, and we got a lot of good feedback and some cool ideas for the future from them. Great operation run by some good people.

We also received a few odds and ends from Fox River, a couple dozen of XL Field Crew socks, and a few Medium and one pair of XL Field Boot socks. (have them in the clearance section) Really hope to be able to make more of these and hopefully some Kodiaks... just a bit short on fiber this year to make such a high bison fiber percentage sock.

Got some more good friends in here today... really love the Heim and Assman Families... great people doing excellent stuff. Best bison meat stick I have ever had too.

Let's get into this, got some fun stuff today...

Today's Ranch: Dakota Pure Bison

The Dakota Pure Bison Story. Two Families, one legendary operation.

On the wide, rolling grasslands of South Dakota, where the wind still carries the spirit of the open plains, two ranching families found a shared purpose in the American bison.The story begins with the Assman family. Four generations had worked the land on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota. William Assman had arrived from Nebraska in the early 1900s, and his descendants built a life raising cattle and farming. By 2017, Mike Assman, his wife Darla, and their son Scott were running registered Angus cattle. Beef prices were falling, and they searched for something more sustainable.That first winter brought a powerful blizzard. While the cattle huddled near hay bales, the newly purchased bison simply stayed on the hill, strong and self-reliant. In that moment, everything changed.

The Assmans sold their beef cows and committed fully to bison. Today, Mike, Darla, Scott, his wife Kaylen, and their four young sons, continue the work at Antelope Creek Bison—stewards of the land, raising animals the way nature intended.

Farther north, the Heim family had already been part of the bison story for decades. In 1967, Ignatius Heim and his sons Tony and Leonard bought their first bison. They became pioneers, traveling across the country to hand out samples of bison meat so people could taste its clean, rich flavor.

Tony helped launch the Gold Trophy Show and Sale in the early 1980s, inspiring countless producers. Chad continued the original Heim Buffalo Ranch, while Leonard and his son Alex built Heim Land & Bison near Wood, South Dakota. Alex now manages nearly a thousand breeding females with his wife Cassie and their five children, using the bison as natural grass managers to help restore the prairie to its original strength.

In recent years, these two families—the Assmans and the Heims—came together under the name Dakota Pure Bison. They share a deep respect for the land, the animals, and the generations who came before them. Their bison roam freely on South Dakota ranches, just as they have for thousands of years—pasture-raised, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free. The families focus on regenerative practices, letting the bison help heal the soil while producing meat that is as nutritious as it is flavorful.

Today, Dakota Pure Bison brings that heritage straight from the prairie to your table. You won’t find their meat in most grocery stores. Instead, they sell it direct to consumers through their website, dakotapurebison.com. Customers can order premium cuts—ribeyes, T-bones, porterhouses, tomahawks, brisket, and ground bison—along with convenient boxes like the Steak Box, Sampler Box, or Party Size Griller Box.

They also offer bison meat sticks and hot dogs, perfect for on-the-go snacks or family meals.Every order ships free straight to your door, packed with care from their South Dakota ranches. You can also find their popular bison meat sticks on Amazon. Occasional special releases and community support (such as donations to local auctions and tribal food programs) show their commitment to the broader bison community.As the sun sets over the golden prairie, the bison graze peacefully, and the next generation of Assmans and Heims learns the same lessons of resilience and stewardship. Dakota Pure Bison isn’t just selling meat—it’s sharing a legacy of family, land, and the powerful spirit of the American bison.From the rolling hills of South Dakota to kitchens across the country, their story continues one delicious, responsibly raised meal at a time.

Check them out here.

Smoked Ground Bison Queso - From Dakota Pure

1 pound ground Dakota Pure Bison burger 12 oz heavy cream

16 oz white sharp cheddar cheese 8 oz mozzarella cheese

4 oz chopped green chiles 1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon Traeger Chicken Rub (if you don’t have could make your own 1/2 teaspoon cane sugar, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder)

-Brown the DPB burger

-Bring cream and cheese to medium heat and simmer.

-Add browned burger, cream and cheese, and rest of ingredients to cast iron skillet

-Smoke at 425 for 15-20 minutes

-Enjoy!!