Armin and Rita Mueller invest in the future of bison

Armin and Rita Mueller emigrated from Switzerland to Canada in the 1970s. Through hard work and innovation, they succeeded first in the dairy industry and then in the bison industry.

The owners of Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk recently announced a $4 million donation to Lakeland College to purchase land and establish a bison herd. In this feature story, they reflect on the opportunities they found in Canada, and the risks they took during their rollercoaster journey as ag producers.

It didn’t take long for Canada to make a favourable impression on Armin Mueller.

“I came to Canada in 1975 to work on a dairy in Quebec. Ten days after I arrived, I mailed my first letter home to my family in Switzerland. I wrote that I wasn’t coming back. I also remember the first letter I got back from home. My brother said, ‘You know, you're a dumb dreamer. You'll be back.”

Armin’s brother Xavier was wrong. Forty-five years after immigrating to Canada, Mueller has no regrets about leaving his family’s dairy farm to work in agriculture in Canada. “There was no room for me over there. I needed to make my own opportunities elsewhere,” says Mueller, who moved to Alberta in 1977 to work on another dairy.

Rita Sigrist also grew up on a small farm in Switzerland. She came to Canada in 1977 on an international agricultural exchange program, working at a grain farm near Basano, Alta. She and Armin met in 1978 when both were visiting their families in Switzerland. They married in 1980 and settled on a dairy farm near Bentley, Alta. that Armin purchased in 1979. They named it Pilatus Farms after the Swiss mountain between their families’ farms.

Dairy came first

Things started out well for the Muellers. Alberta and the dairy industry were booming. But their efforts to expand their dairy combined with record-high interest rates led to challenges. Within a few years they were paying up to 24.5 per cent interest on a $1 million loan.

“We didn't take many holidays. We worked hard and put in long days all year long. We didn't know anything else. But we were happy,” says Armin. They, along with their children Alex, Simon and Michelle, worked together to expand their land base and dairy herd.

Their children didn’t want to dairy farm, so Armin and Rita sold the cows and the milk quota in 2000. That same year, they invested in bison, an animal that’s always fascinated Armin.

“As a little boy, I was captivated with the West. I was reading books and watching Western movies. Bison always had a significant role,” he recalls. Although they had done little research on raising and marketing bison, the couple bought about 300 head of bison. They also invested in Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk, a marketing company.

Bad news often comes in threes, and that was the case for the Muellers. Drought, BSE and the near collapse of Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk occurred shortly after they began raising bison.

“Within probably 15 months of us getting involved in Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk, that business was in trouble. We had bison and we needed a place for the meat, so, without any experience whatsoever, we took over the company and kept it going,” says Armin.

Today Canadian Rangeland Bison sells prime bison meat throughout North America and Europe. The Muellers were also founding partners in 2006 of Canadian Premium Meats, a processing company. They sold their investment in that company five years ago.

Early fascination with bison leads to investment

Although Armin jokes that investing in bison was the result of a midlife crisis, there’s nothing he’s enjoyed more during his career than raising and marketing bison.

“I love everything about bison. The way they run, the way they behave, the way they roll in the dirt. And I really love the meat. It’s high in protein, high in iron and the way we raise bison is as close to nature as we can get,” says Armin.

He acknowledges that if they faced the obstacles they did while raising another animal, he likely would have quit. “But I had the drive to continue because I saw the potential in bison. There’s nothing like a bison, especially in North America. This is where they thrive,” he says, noting that he’d love Canada to be as famous for bison as it is for maple syrup.

Armin and Rita’s daughter Michelle and her husband Steven are now involved in Pilatus Ranches and Canadian Rangeland Bison. “Michelle and Steven have a real love for bison. I guess Michelle got a little bit of that from her old man,” says Armin with a smile.

Strong partnerships helped the Muellers succeed. “To be successful you need the right partners. You need the right partner in marriage, and in business. You also need the right employees and I’ve been fortunate in all of these areas,” says Armin.

Rita says their journey has always been interesting. “I think you get into this together and you don’t think ahead, you just do it. You work through it. It wasn’t always easy, but if we look back now, 40 years later, I wouldn’t have wanted anything different. It’s been great,” she says. “Canada’s been good for us.”

The Muellers consider their gift to Lakeland College an investment in the future of the bison industry. Students will learn more about bison and take that knowledge with them throughout their careers. “I think this will really help strengthen the Canadian bison brand,” he says.

Armin’s advice to students is to try new paths, think outside the box, and don’t be afraid of failure. “If it doesn’t work out but you learn from your mistakes, it’ll make you a stronger person.”

And, of course, never quit dreaming.

Photos: Top - Armin and Rita outside on their farm near Bentley, Alta. Middle - The Muellers on their wedding day in 1980. Bottom - Together at home.