Tanka Fund regrants $118,000 to rancher partners in May
$118,000 to rancher partners in May
As part of its mission to return Buffalo to Native lands, lives, and economies, Tanka Fund provides funding directly to its rancher partners to establish new Buffalo ranches or to support, expand, and sustain existing ranch operations.
In May alone, Tanka Fund granted $118,000 to 10 rancher partners. This is the first round of funding for 2024.
Our regranting program is a strategy to increase access to capital and animals for Native Buffalo caretakers. Tanka Fund also provides funding to assist with the infrastructure-building needs of ranch operations. Funds can be used for equipment, fencing, feed, hay, soil testing, or any other function related to daily operations.
BUFFALO RESTORATIONRancher Focus: Theda and Chris Pogue
Theda Pogue (Muscogee Creek Nation) and her husband, Chris, are one of our rancher partners that joined us in 2023 and received Buffalo from our partnership with The Nature Conservancy.
The couple, along with their children, run GP Ranch — a 60-acre property in Hopkins County, TX, about 90 miles northeast of Dallas. The couple is featured in the upcoming video series, which commemorates Tanka Fund’s 10 years of work in Buffalo restoration. The project, funded by ButcherBox, will be released in early July.
The Pogues first started herding bison in 2018 and entered the meat industry. However, they discovered the demand was a lot greater than their supply. Because they didn’t want to compromise their family values or quality, they sold during the Covid pandemic and chose to caretake Buffalo as a conservation effort.
Theda said that there has been an uptick in the Buffalo meat industry to ranch Buffalo in a cattle-like model using feed lots and feeding them grain to gain weight quickly — something opposite of how the animals are meant to be raised.
READ MOREFencing campaign underway
Infrastructure is one of the key ways Tanka Fund assists our rancher partners as part of our mission to return Buffalo to their homeland. This isn’t a simple task as even with a wild-managed model, Buffalo ranchers need specific fencing to keep their herds safely on the property.
One of our Native rancher partners has already fenced more than 40 miles around the perimeter of his pastures and he’s only 5½ miles away from completing the Buffalo fencing he needs to become a Buffalo caretaker. Once completely fenced, his ranch can accommodate up to 150 Buffalo. We want to make sure as many Buffalo as possible return to their homeland this fall and we need to help him finish that 5½ miles of fence this summer.
It costs about $34 for a foot of fencing so every dollar counts and no donation is too small.
FENCING CAMPAIGN Tanka Fund video series coming soon
We are finally in the homestretch of launching our FIRST installment in our Tanka Fund video series featuring several of our rancher partners across the nation.
We have been working behind the scenes interviewing and shooting footage of our rancher partners and their operations across the nation since last year.
For nearly 10 years now, Tanka Fund has been the only organization that works solely with and financially funds Native American family- and community-owned Buffalo ranches across all U.S.-based tribes.
Tanka Fund’s rancher partners now represent more than 1,800 head of Buffalo over 100,000 acres of land. Our 5-year goal is to increase that to 500,000 acres and 5,000 Buffalo or more.
We will announce the release of the first video soon! Until then, please continue to help us reach our goal and bring more Buffalo home.
SUPPORT THE RETURN 2024 South Dakota Conservation Planning Workshop
Tanka Fund collaborated with First Nations Development Institute last month to host a successful 2024 South Dakota Conservation Planning Workshop. Below are a few takeaways from the event:
Conservation Plan Over the 3.5-day session, First Nations consultants and staff presented a variety of content on conservation planning using in-depth PowerPoint presentations, hands-on rangeland health assessments out in the field, and filled out documents included in our planning binders.
Utilizing the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service nine-step conservation planning process, FNDI walked participants through steps to continue working on their plans, collect field inventory data, and receive technical assistance from FNDI consultants.
Virtual Technical Assistance First Nations will be offering Virtual Technical Assistance to producers who attended the Conservation Planning Workshop.
Each producer can access four hours of virtual technical assistance with one of two FNDI consultants.
The consultants will provide guidance as participants collect field data and work with us one-on-one to complete their plans.
FUNDER SPOTLIGHT: The Builders Initiative
Builders Initiative invests in and collaborates with non-profits, businesses, and others working towards sustainable solutions to societal and environmental challenges. Their projects are primarily focused on Food and Agriculture; Climate and Energy; Oceans; and Community. Builders Initiative has supported the Tanka Returns fund, which provides grants and services directly to our partner Buffalo caretakers to establish new Buffalo ranches or to support, expand, and sustain existing ranch operations.
MORE INFO DID YOU KNOW?
It’s calving season! The birthing season, or “calving season” occurs between mid-April to early-July. Calves nurse for about 9 months and stay with their mother until they are about one year.
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