May 14, 2025

170. Building a Bison Empire in Oklahoma with Dusty Baker

1 hour 26 minutes

Dusty Baker of Cross Timbers Bison joins us on the Grazing Grass Podcast to share his journey from city life to raising bison full time in Sulphur, Oklahoma. With a background in wildlife ecology and a deep appreciation for the nearby Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Dusty took the leap into bison ranching during the pandemic, starting out on an old dairy farm. Since then, he’s poured his passion into building a thriving herd and managing his land with regenerative practices that benefit both the soil and the animals.

In this episode, we dig into:

Dusty’s transition from city life to bison ranching
How he adapted a former dairy into a working bison operation
The challenges of fencing and handling these powerful animals
His approach to regenerative grazing and land stewardship
Thoughts on bison genetics and today’s bison meat market
Lessons learned from experimenting with multi-species grazing
Straightforward advice for anyone looking to get into bison ranching

If you’re curious about bison, regenerative grazing, or just love hearing a good ranching story, you won’t want to miss this one. Dusty’s experience offers practical tips and a real-world look at the ups and downs of raising these incredible animals.

Links Mentioned in the Episode

Cross Timbers Bison Ranch
Cross Timbers Bison on YouTube
This is Oklahoma Podcast with Dusty Baker

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction and FAST Five

(00:23) - Welcome to the Grazing Grass Podcast

(02:01) - Farm Updates and Teeter Farm Tech Gates

(03:06) - Web Tinkering and Community Projects

(05:24) - Interview with Dusty Baker Begins

(05:47) - Dusty's Journey with Bison

(16:57) - Challenges and Learnings in Bison Farming

(21:59) - Transition to Full-Time Farming During COVID

(29:29) - Starting a YouTube Channel

(35:25) - Regenerative Practices on a Bison Ranch

(45:05) - Transition to Overgrazing

(45:59) - Redmond Agriculture Ad

(46:56) - Getting Started with Bison

(47:49) - Fencing and Keeping Bison Happy

(50:25) - Bison Genetics and Breeding

(57:32) - Bison Meat Market and Business

(01:00:21) - Challenges with Multi-Species Grazing

(01:11:34) - Cooking Bison Meat

(01:14:00) - Famous Four Questions

(01:25:48) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Upcoming Grazing Events

Noble Profitability Essentials - Ardmore, OK - February 4-5, 2026
Feb 8, 2026 Arrow L Ranch Annual Production Sale

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Grazing Grass Links
Website
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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

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