Bison Advantage Workshop
Friday, December 9, 2011 • Mandan, ND
The first-ever Bison Advantage workshop in North Dakota will be held on Friday, December 9 in Mandan, ND at the Best Western Seven Seas Hotel and Waterpark. This workshop will be hosted by the North Dakota Buffalo Association (NDBA) and the National Bison Association and will be held in conjunction with the NDBA Annual Meeting and Fall Consignment auction.
The workshop will begin on Friday morning with a series of speakers covering subjects pertinent to the buffalo industry, including feedlot and nutrition, health updates, producer financing, a Young Produces panel and native uses and traditions. Following a noon lunch, the group will head to Kist Livestock Auction in Mandan to view the auction facilities and watch a brief handling demonstration as the sale animals are sorted up for the Saturday auction. The group will then return to the hotel where the NDBA will have their Annual Meeting banquet and Fun Auction that evening. On Saturday, there will be a short business meeting for the association, followed by the Fall Consignment Auction at Kist Livestock.
The Friday workshop is free of charge to attendees, with coffee and rolls available in the morning and a complimentary Buffalo Lunch Buffet. We ask that you pre-register for both the workshop and the NDBA Annual Meeting Dinner so that meals and workshop materials will be available to attendees.
Registrations must be postmarked by December 3, 2011 or faxed by December 6, 2011 (pay on arrival) to guarantee meals/workshop materials. The only cost to attendees is for the NDBA Annual Meeting Dinner on Friday night. Cost for NDBA members is $10 and non-members is $25.
The Best Western Seven Seas Hotel and Waterpark will be the host hotel. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-597-SEAS (7327) and reference the North Dakota Buffalo Association.
The workshop is a joint effort between the National Bison Association, North Dakota Buffalo Association, Dakota Territory Buffalo Association, Rocky Mountain Buffalo Association and the Risk Management Agency.
The North Dakota Buffalo Association can be contacted at (701) 252-1122 or director@buffalomuseum.com.
Participants are asked to dress accordingly for the trip to KIST Livestock. Typical North Dakota weather dictates cold and snow for this annual auction! Transportation to and from the sale barn is the responsibility of attendees. KIST Livestock is located at 1715 40th Ave SE in Mandan, right off the Memorial Highway in eastern Mandan.
NOW AVAILABLE!
Bison Breeders Handbook
The $40 handbook is available through the National Bison Association website www.bisoncentral.com. The handbook is free to new Active NBA members and is available at a 50 percent discount for current members of the National Bison Association.
"The Bison Producers' Handbook will serve as the industry standard for easy-to-understand information for newcomers and bison veterans alike," said Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association. "The handbook contains information useful to people engaged in small-scale direct marketing, and larger scale commercial enterprises."
Among the chapters included in the Bison Producers' Handbook are:
- Creating a Successful Bison Business
- Getting Started with the Right Animal
- Daily Bison Management
- Low-Stress Handling
- Bison Health
- Grass and Grain Finishing Options
- Marketing and Promotion
- Added Value Products from Bison
Carter noted, "The experts who contributed material for this handbook have been on the front line of building the modern bison business. Their material is based upon actual experience in raising, processing and marketing buffalo during the past three decades."
