Last week we had the privilege of seeing six year-old bison being released into their new 30-acre fenced pasture at the Pleasant Valley Conservation Area in McHenry County. About a year prior, we walked that same land with three family members of Ruhter Bison LLC and the McHenry County Conservation District, a gathering we facilitated through our land access work. Through an RFP process, Ruhter Bison was ultimately awarded a 15-year lease for bison grazing. This image shows the bison rumbling out to explore their new territory. The District has already planted the 90-acre bare field beyond the fence line in the background with prairie seed, which will allow bison grazing to eventually to expand to 180 acres in the coming years. Congratulations to the Ruhter family and the District on this big step forward for conservation and local food!
Watch a video and learn more about the Ruhter/MCCD bison story here.