The skies were clear as people toured around K-Seven Farms, watching bison grazing, feeling the soft skeins of bison yarn inside the barn, and taking in a demonstration, as farm owners Don and Lise Katerynych put their bison handling system to work, during Alberta Open Farm Days this past weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, the crowd of more than 40 watched in amazement as the powerful bison pushed its way through the handling system, rearing its head and trying to escape, battering the sides of the gate.
Without blinking an eye, Don Katerynych grabs the de-wormer, gives the bison a squirt before opening the gate so the writhing animal can leave the enclosure. He turns to the crowd and says with a wry grin, “That wasn’t picture perfect.”
The crowd laughs, and he explains, “That’s their attitude though.”
It was a unique experience for several of the attendees, some of whom came from backgrounds farming cattle, while others had no farming experience whatsoever. Attendees came from St. Paul and Mallaig areas, where K-Seven Farms is located, to as far as Edmonton and Calgary.
As visitors watched, Don explained the handling system that allows him to tag and de-worm the animals, explaining that part of the system is new and requires modifications yet.
“The way he’s got it built, I can’t get at the ears. It’s dangerous for me,” he said. However, generally speaking, the handling system allows them to care safely for the massive beasts, which reach 1,200 lbs at the adult stage.
“The trick is to have a good handling system, and our handling system works well,” said his wife, Lise. In the 23 years that the Katerynych couple have been raising bison, they have never been injured, she added.
“That is the one thing about bison that’s really different, you have to handle them differently than cattle. You have to know their psychology and how they’re going to work.”
Beyond watching the handling demonstration, visitors also got to enjoy a wagon-ride tour of the farm and took in a bison barbecue, with Saturday closing off with a good old-fashioned barn dance.
Lise explained the couple had long been aware of the province-wide Alberta Farm Days, and agreed with its philosophy of opening farms to the general public, “so they can see what’s happening, how their food is grown, and also so that they get to know what happens on a farm.”
“The smaller picture is just that we like our operation, we’re proud of it and we like to show it off,” she said with a smile. “And the bison association is looking for members. It’s a small industry and it needs to grow.”
Sasha van der Klein and Sarah Ficko were two students from the University of Alberta who have been studying agriculture, that were among those dropping by the Katerynych farm, specifically to see a bison farm.
Van der Klein, who originally hails from the Netherlands, explained she attended the annual event last year, visiting farms that were closer to Edmonton, including u-picks and a bee farm.
“This year, I was looking for more alternative lifestyles,” she said. Both students said they learned a lot from the visit, including how bison, in some ways, require less care and maintenance than cattle.
“In the winter, they can dig through snow, which cattle don’t really do so well,” said FIcko, adding that the pair learned that the Katerynyches also are less tied down by calving season, as the bison calve independently, part of being wilder beasts than cattle.
Van der Klein is looking at information about all types of farms, as she wants to farm herself someday, and said she loved the experience of visiting K-Seven Farms.
“It’s pretty awesome,” agreed Ficko.
