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Happy Bison Month!

We made it to the weekend! Hope you had a great week!

It's kind of a big day here, T and I are celebrating 33 years being married today, We have our grands and most of our kids here with us, and the plan is to have some fun today. Don't tell T, but I got her a nice pair of socks to celebrate this anniversary, I didn't have a plan, but found some in the shipping room, taking that as a Win!

NanaCamp has been a blast, but they are heading back to Florida late today... will see the middle daughter and youngest grand on the Alaska trip... they haven't been up there yet, and we think everyone (yes, that includes you) should experience the most beautiful place on Earth, and the fair is coming up fast.

We now have pretty much all our product packed up and ready to ship up there, looks like two pallets this year, I hate running out of stuff for the people who really need it, and that has happened most times.

Huge thanks to Nester and The Knitting Mill, they are getting it done in time. It's flying out the door here fast though. Thank you all! We truly appreciate that, helps us keep making more and making this crazy mission work. What has been a lot of fun are the comments we keep getting on these ranch stories, really love hearing from the ranchers we are writing about.

I know it's been a lot of these bison rancher stories, but I can't give up now, have been saving some of the more fun stories and really excited about sharing them. The best is yet to come... have a list I need to get working on, the research and writing is the fun part.

So, gonna share a bit of family story here today... Hope you enjoy what we have in here. Dad is working on a "Sunday Read" for tomorrow, and he has no idea I wrote about him today... this could be fun.

Hope you have a truly great day!

Ron & T, and the crew here at the BWC

Hired a consultant, he told us we needed to work on our "Brand Awareness"

so, now you are aware of our brands...

Courageous Cowgirls

Women Who Rode the Trails, Ran Ranches, and Raced in Rodeos

by Sue Young Published by: TCU Press

"What a thrill to see the descendants of Molly Godnight’s buffalo herd at Caprock Canyon State Park! Molly instructed the cowboys on her ranch to bring her the orphaned buffalo calves. She fed them by hand and cared for them. She is one of a handful of people who helped save the buffalo from extinction when they were being slaughtered. Molly is featured in my upcoming book COURAGEOUS COWGIRLS, coming October 27 with TCU Press". - Sue Young You can preorder your copy now.

Dad and his herd

Cecil Miskin: A Pioneer and Leader in the American Bison Industry

Cecil Miskin stands as a foundational figure in the modern resurgence of the American bison. A former attorney from Detroit who became a passionate Texas rancher, he has dedicated more than four decades to raising bison, building organizations, serving in national leadership roles, and—most innovatively—transforming a once-overlooked byproduct into a valuable new industry: bison fiber. He started this whole crazy mission, we are just keeping it moving and growing.

Early Beginnings and Passion for Bison, Dad began raising bison in the late 1980s in Burleson, Texas, it was an interesting time in the bison industry as well. He had built a big log house there, bison just seemed to fit in well. They really made the pastures look pretty...

This whole thing started initially as a hobby and just for the love of the animals. What started small quickly grew into a family endeavor spanning four generations of Miskins deeply connected to these iconic animals.

In the early 2000's Dad moved up to Goodnight Tx, on Charles Goodnights homestead, and opened up the "Herdwear Store" (which has since been purchased by the State Historical Society... so dad built a new place across the highway) He also had a pasture full of direct decentants from Goodnight's Herd. These southern plains bison are born black instead of coppery red like most plains bison. It is an interesting trait specific to that region.

The family’s operations in the Goodnight, Texas area became a hub for bison ranching, education, and product innovation.

good video on the store here. From Texas Bucket List

Co-Founding and Leading the Texas Bison Association, One of Miskin’s earliest and most impactful contributions was helping establish the Texas Bison Association (TBA). Founded in 1994 to support bison producers across the state with education, resources, marketing, and community, the TBA has been a vital grassroots organization for Texas ranchers. (I was on the TBA board myself for several years, love that organization... so many great people involved)

Cecil, served in multiple leadership roles, including as president, and was instrumental in shaping the organization’s voice. He served as editor of the Texas Bison Journal from its inception, contributed numerous articles, handled advertising and communications, and helped guide strategic efforts. His writing and organizational work strengthened the TBA’s ability to advocate for producers and share best practices.

He has also been actively involved with the National Bison Association (NBA), the primary national trade organization for bison producers. His contributions were recognized in 2024 when he received the NBA Member of the Year Award at the Winter Conference.

National Leadership: NBA and NBF Boards, Miskin extended his influence nationally through dedicated service on key industry boards. He has held numerous offices and board positions across bison organizations and served as president/chair of the National Buffalo Foundation (NBF), where he advanced research, education, conservation, and fundraising initiatives Including support for the traveling bison exhibit and the SDSU Bison Center of Excellence.

Through these roles, Miskin helped bridge state-level efforts with national priorities, fostering collaboration among ranchers, researchers, and advocates. Pioneering Work with Bison Fiber, Miskin’s most distinctive legacy is his pioneering commercialization of bison fiber—the soft, insulating undercoat that bison naturally shed each spring. While the meat industry dominates bison economics, Miskin saw untapped value in this renewable byproduct. Beginning in the early 1990s, he and his family started collecting shed fiber. Originally called "The Brown Hair Project" What began with a few boxes sold informally evolved in the early 2000s into a serious commercial effort under Buffalo Gold Premium Fibers and later The Buffalo Wool Co., building directly on Cecil’s initiative and our learning about the properties of the fiber. Bison down is remarkably fine (typically 17–22 microns), warm, soft, durable, breathable, moisture-wicking, and naturally odor-resistant—properties that make it ideal for high-performance knitwear, especially in blends. An adult bison yields roughly 4-6 oz of usable down annually. Processing involves careful scouring to remove dirt (bison wallow in mud), dehairing to separate fine down from coarser guard hairs, and spinning into yarn.

This work turned a waste stream into a luxury American fiber, providing bison ranchers with an additional revenue stream and reinforcing the “use every part” ethic. The family’s Herd Wear store in Goodnight, Texas, showcased these products alongside other bison goods, bringing the story of the animal and its fiber to the public.

Enduring Legacy, Cecil Miskin’s contributions extend beyond business and boards. He has supported museum exhibits on bison history and ecology, contributed to documentaries and educational efforts, and consistently championed sustainable ranching and the ecological benefits of bison on the landscape.

His work helped bison herds grow dramatically—from critically low numbers in the late 20th century to hundreds of thousands today—while making the industry more economically resilient for producers.

As a father, mentor, writer, and industry statesman, Cecil Miskin embodies the spirit of innovation and stewardship that defines the modern bison renaissance. His vision turned a personal passion into lasting institutions and new opportunities for an entire industry. Doing our best to carry on his Legacy...

He also likes to fish... comes with us to Alaska every year now.

Congratulations to Winter Conference Recipe Contest

2nd Place winner Cecil Miskin - with a delicious Bison Corned Brisket Hash Ole’!

Bison corned brisket hash is a hearty dish made by combining corned bison brisket with diced potatoes and seasonings, typically cooked until crispy. It can be served for breakfast or as a comforting meal any time of the day.

From Cecil: Not hard, use what you got..

The hardest part of this recipe might be getting corned bison brisket. Mine came from Rocky Mountain Natural Meats in Henderson, CO ... but it was a special order and a fairly good size one. I have seen corned bison brisket on line from a number of our great bison meat providers .. just never ordered. Rock River Ranches, Northstar Bison, Benjamin Lee Bison, Nebraska Bison ... and my apologies to anyone left out. Just Google Corned Bison Brisket.

I served corned bison brisket sandwiches on homemade sourdough buns during the week long “Bash” celebrating the closing of the Herd Wear Store in Goodnight. It came cooked and sliced. ... and omg were they ever good. Some of you know first hand! There was “leftover” corned bison. After so many sandwiches, what next. Hash, of course.

Hash is not a phrew phrew dish, but it is hearty, tasty, nourishing ... and with bison as the base protein, it is great morning, noon or night. Want a little “South of the Border” heat added? That’s standard practice for us here in Tejas. Hash: Meat, ‘taters, onyons, topped with an egg or two if you like. Heat: sweet jalapeno peppers and some great salsa.