Lakeland’s land acquisition brings bison home

Lakeland College’s bison herd will kick off 2023 in their new home located south of Vermilion thanks to a donor-driven land purchase.

The purchase of land is the culmination of the plan to increase our overall approach to demonstrating a commercial scale mixed-farm operation as part of the Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland (SMF) and support our new bison operation. It was made possible by a historic $4 million donation in February 2020 from Armin and Rita Mueller, specifically for that purpose.

“Partnering with our community is an essential part of learning at Lakeland. We are honoured that Armin and Rita decided to support us on this incredible venture,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “This is the biggest gift Lakeland has ever received and the impact it will have on our students, our campus and our farm will be a long-lasting one. We’re honored that Rita and Armin have entrusted us with carrying on their legacy in the bison industry.”

The newly purchased land consists of eight contiguous quarters, handling facilities, outbuildings, fencing and full services. Lakeland purchased the land for $7,780,000.

Lakeland is the first post-secondary institution in the country with a commercial bison operation. It expands its animal science technology program, offering students the opportunity to work hands-on with commercial-sized mixed farm operation.

“The addition of a bison herd to our agricultural sciences programming not only gives our students experiential learning opportunities with the bison, it expands our entire program, strengthening our ability to teach our students about sustainable range and forage management. It also opens opportunities for the college to partner with bison organizations to complete applied research projects to increase efficiency and profitability in the industry,” says Geoff Brown, dean of the School of Agricultural Sciences at Lakeland. “We are excited to continue developing our bison-related programming and bringing our bison home.”

The bison will relocate to the new land at the end of January.