Beyond Barns

Bree Eastman joined me to discuss her path to bison studies, her research and seeing the world through both a Western lens and an Indigenous lens. 
Bree Eastman is a second year master's student at Montana State University studying buffalo as a traditional Indigenous food source for the Great Plains Indigenous communities. Bree is a member of the Sičháŋǧu (Rosebud) Lakȟóta Sioux tribal nation of South Dakota. Her work follows the bicultural accountability approach of a two-eyed seeing methodology in seeing through a Western lens and an Indigenous lens.

I had a great conversation in May with Dr. Trudy Ecoffey, a previous Technical Service Director with InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC). She shares her passion and her unique path to the buffalo industry. As an added bonus, she said "Beyond Barns" is a very cool podcast!
"ITBC is dedicated to the support of sustainable Tribal buffalo programs and provides the membership with technical assistance in the development of such programs on both a localized and a national scale" with a variety of services offered.

I had a great time talking all things bison with Lydia Whitman. She's the Program Manager for the National Bison Association and has tons of great connections! I loved learning more about her path to this industry and hearing her personality shine. 

I took a trip to Ohio (virtually) to talk with Carie and Jarrod Starr - owners of Cherokee Valley Bison Ranch. I loved getting to learn how they started from ground zero and built up to what they have today. We talked about everything from transporting bison, testing agritourism ideas, and the camping option they have at Cherokee Valley Bison Ranch. If camping at a bison ranch isn't on your bucket list, now is the time to add it!
- Your Host, Anna Poull

Host Anna Poull shares the second part of her conversation with Chad Kremer. Chad manages the bison herd at Custer State Park as well as has a personal herd, Kremer Buffalo. He continues to share the wealth of knowledge he has earned through years of experience. Chad is happy to share more - find him at https://kremerbuffalo.com/ or https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/custer-state-park/. 

Chad Kremer joined host Anna Poull for an engaging and enlightening conversation about Custer State Park, bison herd management, and how the industry has changed. Chad is the Bison Herd Manager for Custer State Park and he has a personal bison herd with his family. He discusses what's similar and what's different about the two. 
It was such a great conversation that there is a part two!

Dr. Phil Urso, Assistant Professor of Bison Studies at South Dakota State University (SDSU) joins host Anna Poull to kick off the Bison Topic Series. They discuss how Dr. Urso made his way to SDSU, bison basics, and what's coming in the future!

Tim Meagher joins host Anna Poull to close out the South Dakota Beef topic series. Tim discusses his work as the chief operations officer for Vanguard Hospitality and his efforts to use locally sourced products in the restaurants. They also discuss the costs and benefits of sourcing locally before closing out with what's coming in the future. 

Take a trip to South Africa with Beyond Barns host Anna Poull for this special episode! 
In March 2025, I traveled to South Africa on a short-term study abroad experience with the Department of Animal Science at South Dakota State University. We visited various farmers, wildlife preserves, game farms, and a few sites about South Africa's history. It was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience! I'm excited to share the stories of a few people I met in South Africa.
Thank you to the faculty who taught the South Africa class, the administration who supports international experiences, my classmates, and everyone who welcomed us while in South Africa.
Disclaimer: Excluding the introduction and closing, all audio was recorded in March 2025 in outdoor spaces with a mini microphone, which impacts background noises and audio quality. 

Troy Hadrick joins host Anna Poull to talk all things data! Hadrick ranch has honed in on retaining ownership and using data to improve their herd. Troy and Anna also talk about transitioning management between generations and supplying local restaurants or grocery stores with South Dakota grown beef.