Wild Idea: Buffalo and Family in a Difficult Land

One of many culinary developments over the past quarter century has been the eating of buffalo meat, which has gone from exotic to (almost) mainstream. Buffalo is touted as tastier and healthier than beef, and of course buffalo carries with it romanticized mythical associations of the American West. But most buffalo meat sold and consumed today comes from animals that spent a good bit of time on feedlots. The animals are not treated as humanely as many of us would like, nor is their grain-fed meat as healthy as it could be.Enter Dan O'Brien. In love with the Great Plains, where he had spent most of his life, he got the notion around 1990 of buying his own small ranch in South Dakota, called the Broken Heart, and raising grass-fed buffalo. A few years later he met Jill, who ran a restaurant in Rapid City. She bought into his vision -- his wild idea -- of raising free-roaming buffalo on the prairie and harvesting them as humanely as practicable, as a way of restoring at least a small portion of the Great Plains to the ecosystem that existed before European-American agricultural practices destroyed it. But the Broken Heart was too small, so Dan and Jill hocked virtually everything they had to buy the Cheyenne River Ranch in southwestern South Dakota, adjoining an Indian reservation and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, and to establish the Wild Idea Buffalo Company through which they sell their buffalo meat.WILD IDEA: BUFFALO AND FAMILY IN A DIFFICULT LAND is the story of their vision and its gradual, though still incomplete, fulfillment. It also is the story of their evolving domestic life, the growing up of Jill's daughter Jilian, various dogs and horses, and the trials and triumphs of a cast of friends.I bought and read WILD IDEA because, after having read "Rewilding the West" by Richard Manning, I was interested in learning more about the "wild idea" of replacing the cattle-and-agricultural-grains paradigm with one of free-roaming buffalo grazing on natural grasses. I in fact learned a fair amount, especially about the "harvesting" of the free-roaming buffalo, which O'Brien does on open grassland with a $250,000 mobile facility that handles preliminary processing in accordance with governmental regulations. O'Brien also has the cooperation and assistance of Native Americans (some of the buffalo that O'Brien and Wild Idea harvest come from Indian reservations). To my mild disappointment, however, buffalo are not the principal focus of the book. Instead, the majority of the book is devoted to "family" -- that second subject named in the book's sub-title. Dan, Jill, Jilian, and two other members of their extended ranch family, Erney and Gervase, are interesting and good folk, and many of the tales of their life on the plains are heart-warming. But, as I said, I wish there had been more about buffalo and the Great Plains ecosystem.O'Brien is a veteran writer, with at least ten previous books under his belt. He is a good, smooth writer, if not a great one. There are patches that are a little too precious, corny, or sentimental for my taste. All things considered, however, WILD IDEA was a worthwhile book.

Another really phenomenal effort by O'Brien. At first, I was somewhat apprehensive to buy this book because I thought it would be more or less the same subject matter of one of his previous books, Buffalo for the Broken Heart. While there are certainly some common themes, I think Wild Idea covers more how O'Brien mended his broken heart, the joy of following his passion and doing so with his new family, and how he came out the other side. O'Brien writes with beautiful, vivid, writing, that will leave you wanting to drive to South Dakota and actually see it for yourself. This book is also part food book, and his descriptions of the meals he shares with his wife, the dinner parties they have, and the various menu items his wife prepares, are mouth watering. This book essentially whisks you away to O'Brien's ranch and the complex environment (both with people and flora/fauna) they live in. Awesome book that I would highly recommend to anyone.

actually, a GREAT book. too many people think they are on the enviro bandwagon when actually they just give it lip service. Dan O'Brien is living it. Really living it. He impresses me that he considers the whole issue. Not only bison but the ecosystem that contains the bison. This guy has earned my respect and admiration.

Dan O'Brien is such a well written South Dakota author. You feel like you are right on his ranch with him. Enjoy his work.

Between this book and Dan's other one titled "Buffalo For The Broken Heart", one can readily see his dedication to bringing the American Bison back to ranching in South Dakota. The trials and tribulations he'd gone through, creating a ranch and a business of raising bison, tells the reader of how much this was needed to bring bison (buffalo) meat to the American diet. The benefits of eating the meat far outweigh anything beef can do. In fact, one day I was among a crew that hosted some people in the buffalo-meat industry. One lady asked me what buffalo tastes like. I replied, "It tastes like beef wishes it could taste." O'brien's sense of humor threads its way through the book, along with his own personal story of struggle and potential failure. I highly recommend it--and his other title--for those who want to learn more about this amazing project he started and has succeeded in bringing to our tables. I'm pleased to also add that I've met the man and he is truly a rancher-extraordinaire.

O’Brien is a gifted writer with an important story to tell. I liked this book so much, I have gifted it to three other people.

I started reading Dan'l back when he wrote Rites of Autumn about his falcons. He added to it with Equinox. Then he wrote some fiction works, none of which I've read. Then he came back again to non-fiction, tales of his life, with Buffalo for the Broken Heart (great title). And now just last year Wild Idea, which is also the name of his business. Dan is a one of a kind fellow. Complex and yet simple. Definitely a natural historian and I like that. He has the novelist's ability to remember names, places, events that I could never dream of. It all comes together in his non-fiction works and I like to read and re-read them because I can enter for a while his world and be part of it. Anyway, Wild Idea is more of the same only up to date. An effortless type of writer and a great individual.

Mr. O'brien is a good Author. I liked his Buffalo for the Broken Heart a little bit better than Wild Idea, but enjoyed both. The near extinction of Bison at the hands of humans is a history lesson important for all to learn about, and reflect on. It's cool to read about the ecology involved with bringing the large mammal back onto the prairie, and the effects down the ecological chain, or pyramid. I've only read a few books on the topic, but it would be nice to see Bison replace cattle in areas that would benefit the land.

I enjoyed this book. It tells the story of a unique man and his journey in life ranching and working to live that dream. This book includes good stories and is well written.

Un livre passionnant qui raconte l'aventure d'un universitaire, passionnément écologiste qui prend à coeur les bisons et se lance dans une aventure dans les plaines du South dakota pour protéger leur mode de vie et assurer leur exploitation dans des conditions "humaines".