"Grass-fed" has become one of those phrases you see everywhere: on menus, on packaging, on the side of a delivery truck. It sounds good. But if you've ever wondered what it actually means, you're not alone.

Here's what it means to us, on our land, with our herd.

Bison are built for grass

Bison evolved on the grasslands of North America. For thousands of years, their entire diet came from grasses and other plants on open range. Their digestive system, their grazing behavior and even the way they move across a pasture are all shaped around that diet.

So for us, raising bison on grass isn't a marketing angle. It's simply raising them the way they were made to live.

Our pastures

Our bison graze on pasture in the Bitterroot Valley, on land the Treadwell family has worked for three decades. In summer, that means green grass under big Montana skies, with the Sapphire Mountains and the Bitterroots on the horizon. The herd moves through the pasture as it grazes, taking what it needs and leaving the grass to recover.

Taking care of those pastures is just as important as taking care of the animals. Healthy grass depends on good water, good soil and not overgrazing any one area for too long. Every season teaches us something new about how the land responds.

What about winter?

This is one of the most common questions we get, and it's a good one. In a Montana winter, the grass is often under snow.

Bison are remarkable winter grazers. They use their massive heads to sweep snow aside and reach the forage beneath. But in a hard winter, ranchers commonly supplement with hay, which is dried grass, to make sure the herd stays healthy.

[CONFIRM WITH FAMILY: Do you feed hay in winter? Are the bison grass-finished, meaning raised on grass and forage for their whole lives with no grain finishing? Please confirm the exact wording you're comfortable using on labels so this section is accurate.]

Grass-fed vs. grass-finished

You may also see the term grass-finished. Here's the difference, in plain language:

• Grass-fed generally means the animal ate grass for at least part of its life.

• Grass-finished generally means the animal ate grass and forage for its entire life, including the final months before harvest, rather than being switched to grain at the end.

Labels and definitions can vary, so when our bison is ready for your table, we'll tell you exactly how it was raised, in plain words, with nothing hidden.

Why it matters to us

There are lots of reasons people choose grass-fed meat: flavor, nutrition, animal welfare, the environment. For us, it starts with the animals and the land.

We want our bison to live the way bison should: on open pasture, moving and grazing as a herd, with room to roam. We want our pastures to be healthier ten years from now than they are today. And we want to be able to look you in the eye and tell you exactly how your food was raised.

Humanely raised

Grass is only part of the picture. Raising bison humanely means:

• Space. Our bison aren't crowded. They have room to move and live as a herd.

• Low stress. We handle them calmly and as little as possible. Bison don't like to be rushed, and we don't rush them.

• Attention. We watch the herd every day, looking for changes in behavior, appetite or movement that might mean something needs care.

• Respect. These are powerful, wild-hearted animals. We work with their instincts, not against them.

Looking ahead to 2027

We're working toward bringing ranch-raised bison from our pastures to your table, with our first meat expected in 2027. When that day comes, we want you to already know the answer to "Where did this come from?"

It came from the Bitterroot Valley. It came from grass. And it came from a family that cared about every step.