Sunset Hills Bison Ranch hosts National Bison Day event

      Some of the 45 bison at Sunset Hills Bison Ranch north Malcom enjoy grazing and eating pumpkins tossed over the fence by guests during the National Bison Day event held at the ranch on Saturday, Nov. 2. 

By J.O. Parker
 
          It was a cool and sometimes sunny early November day as families from the area, across Iowa and from other states milled about the Sunset Hills Bison Ranch north of Malcom.
       The event, which was held on Saturday, Nov. 2 , was in honor of National Bison Day, the nation’s mammal.
           This was the fifth year that ranch owners Karl and Bethany Kriegel have hosted the event at their ranch.
           This year’s event drew an estimated 400 plus guests.
         There were games such as ring, football and basketball toss, bubble making, calf roping, a music wall, cotton candy and lots more fun for the youngsters. Families enjoyed taking hay rack rides where they had a chance to see the bison herd of 45 animals and toss pumpkins across the fence for the bison to eat.
         There was an indoor/outdoor vendor fair with upwards of 15 vendors selling everything from candy to BBQ sauce, hats, jams and jellies, Pampered Chef, Scentsy, jewelry, books and more.
        And the grills were busy as Karl and a host of volunteers cooked more than 250 lean bison burgers, all processed from the Kriegel herd. The bison burger meal came with condiments, chips and a cold drink, all for $12.
      Guests also had a chance to check out the fully-functional cabin on the farm. It features bunk beds, kitchen, televisions, couch, kitchen island, bathroom, deck and many more features. 
        There are also two Conestoga glamping covered wagons on site. The glamping wagons have heat and AC with a king bed, bunk beds, coffee maker, refrigerator and microwave, all under a canvas cover.
       “Each wagon has its own private bathroom and shower a short walk away,” said Bethany. “The glamping wagons don’t have Wi-Fi, so people can just come, unwind and enjoy the land.”
       In August, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, her husband, their three daughters and their husbands, along with 11 grandchildren spent a night at the ranch.
         “They loved it,” said Bethany. “We could hear the grandkids playing all afternoon.”
       Sunset Hills Bison Ranch is located at 1307 400 Ave., just north of Malcom and about one mile east of Highway 63 on the gravel.
      The ranch was founded in August 2020 on 10 acres and adjoining 48 acres used during the summer months for the bison. Joining Karl and Bethany as co-owners of the operation are Karl’s parents, Don and Christy Kriegel, and brother, Neal.
        Bethany said they love the bison and got into the business as a way to diversify their farming operation. 
       “We love South Dakota and Montana, where a lot of bison are raised,” said Bethany. “We decided to bring some to our farm to diversify the row crops.”
      The Kriegel family raises corn and soybeans and Karl is the owner of KDK Crop Services, a custom fertilizer and chemical application company.
        “The Kriegel family is great,” said Molly Maschmann, who was volunteering at this year’s event. “They are very involved in the community and I come volunteer to help.”
    “We enjoy it so much we attend every year,” said Grace Van Arkel of rural Grinnell. “We think it’s fascinating to learn about bison. The kids enjoy getting to see bison first hand and they enjoy all the games and other activities the festival offers. It’s unique that our little town of Malcom has an event like this every year. It’s such a blessing to have community events and we hope people will come out and support them.”
    “We love this opportunity for community outreach,” said Karl. “We love to offer a fun, family day for everyone to enjoy.”
       “I think every year we try to do something different to attract people,” added Bethany. “We do this to get more interest in bison and are grateful for all those who spent their Saturday with us and hope they return next year.”