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| Since the 1880's Swauk Prairie has provided
farmers and ranchers with a wholesome rural lifestyle. From the early days
when most farms raised hay, grain, beef and dairy cows to the more recent
dryland wheat farming, the people of this area are tied to agricultural.
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Swauk Prairie is nestled in the foothills
of the Eastern Washington Cascade Mountains. Located ten miles East of Cle
Elum,
the ranch not only provides a way of life but also beautiful scenery. With the
wilderness gateway of the Teanaway Valley to the West, Lookout Moutain to
the South, and Table Mountain
and Blewett / Swauk Pass to the North and East, this area provides scenic
vistas from every angle.
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In 1888, John and Sarah
Hanson decided to make Swauk Prairie their home. This pioneer family dug the well, built the barn and log cabin and in 1898 built the home that we live in today. The descendents of
this early couple have lived and worked on this land ever since.
My desire to raise bison has been one of long standing. We became acquainted with this magnificent animal in the early 1980's and I was soon helping on any bison ranch that I could find. My travels took me to places like Monroe, WA and Umatilla, OR. After a few years of working around these animals and with help from a good friend and fellow producer, it was only a matter of time until we had our own. In the early 1990's we converted some of the dryland wheatfields to pasture grasses and in 1995 we had the first bison on Swauk Prairie. |
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Change is a constant factor and the face of
Swauk Prairie is changing as well. Although recreational homes may become as
common as combines, our bison have taken their rightful place in a long
line of food and fiber provided for humans by the farmers and ranchers of
Swauk Prairie.
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Farming on Swauk Prairie Today |
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