About
Breen Enterprises
proud to partner with
Rolling R Ranch
RRR
Rolling R Ranch
Karla grew up on Rolling R Ranch. Dale and Beth started raising these magnificent animals when Karla was six years old. Karla and husband PJ Breen returned to the ranch with their three girls in 2017. They are excited to continue the family tradition.
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BE
Breen Enterprises
Karla and PJ founded Breen Enterprises in 2020. Breen Enterprises is proud to partner with Rolling R Ranch to offer Otter Tail 23 Meats. For the first time, bison raised locally are available locally.
Just north of Pelican Rapids, situated mainly along Otter Tail County 23, bison roam the grasslands much as they did for millennia. Otter Tail 23 meats are available locally as Whole Bison, 1/2s and 1/4s. We also offer opportunities to harvest your own bison, as well as a guest suite for you to enjoy a weekend, a week, or longer.
Our Story
Local Family Ranch
Our Story
The Rengstorf family are among the pioneers of the bison industry in Minnesota. From an original herd of 13 cows, Rolling R Ranch has grown to one of the largest producers in Minnesota, currently home to over 700 animals.
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RRR has been raising bison north of Pelican Rapids for over thirty years, but there was nowhere local to get bison meat. Karla and PJ decided to change that, and founded
Breen Enterprises to provide this delicious, healthy meat option to our friends and neighbors. Otter Tail 23 Meats are all our own bison: raised, harvested, and eaten right here in OTC.
Responsible consumers want to know where their food comes from. They want to know the impact their food choices have on their health, their community, and on the environment.
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Bison are a healthy protein choice. "Bison is a highly nutrient dense food because of the proportion of protein, fat, mineral, and fatty acids to its caloric value. According to the USDA, bison is clearly the better choice with significantly less fat and calories, less cholesterol and bison contains higher amounts of protein, iron and vitamin B-12 than beef, pork, chicken and salmon." (from bisoncentral.com)
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A quick search can bring up a lot of information about the effects of farming and ranching on the environment. It's difficult to know what to believe, and can be even harder to understand your role as a consumer, and the impact your food choices have on the environment. Contrary to much of the info out there, proper livestock grazing and careful rangeland management are good for the land! Bison evolved on and with the North American prairie, and their impact, when properly managed, is beneficial to the environment. Rolling R Ranch practices many of the newest management practices, and we were proud to be named a Minnesota Water Quality Certified ranch in 2018. When you choose our bison, you know your food choice is sustainable, and good for the environment.
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Localvores wanted! What is a localvore? Simply put, it is a person who chooses to source their food from their community, from their friends and neighbors, as much as possible. Localvores choose to eat local. When you buy your vegetables at a farmers market, or choose the honey from the local producer at the grocery store, you're choosing to support your neighbors, while also lowering the carbon footprint of your food. Otter Tail County 23 Meats are grown, harvested, and eaten right here in Otter Tail County. It's the ultimate local choice; bison were local before humans were!
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Why Bison?
The Origin Story...
After thirty plus years in the Bison industry, few people know how Rolling R Ranch came to be one of the leading bison producers in Minnesota:
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Rolling R Ranch actually started off in the hog business. According to legend, it was a particularly cold Minnesota day, with an even colder wind chill, when Dale walked out of the house towards the barn to feed the hogs.
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About frozen through when he finally got inside the barn, Dale muttered to himself
"This land is only good for buffalo!"
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And so it began...
Native to Minnesota
Local since the last ice age.
Breen Enterprises is proud to offer
Otter Tail 23 Meats.
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The Bison have evolved to live right here. They are well adapted to Minnesota weather, be it a 100 deg in July, or -40 deg in January.
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While they are "ranched," bison are not domesticated. They retain most of their wild instincts; and we like it that way.
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Our animals spend their lives out in the pasture, with minimal interference from us, their caretakers. The cows breed once a year, and calve out in the pasture, with nearly zero difficulty. Calves start hitting the ground in late April, and "Red Dog" season is throughout most of May.
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We do "round up" on our herds in the fall. At that time, the entire herd goes through the corral system, everyone is vaccinated and wormed, calves (and yearlings) are weaned, and the herd is assessed for health.
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Bison are never treated with growth hormones, and only receive antibiotics if they are sick or injured.
This "hands-off" approach allows the bison to live in as natural a state as possible. We manage their pastures carefully, utilizing continuous rotational grazing for every herd. In the winter, grazing is supplemented with hay bales we put up on much of the same ground the bison graze.
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Minimal interference from us produces very low stress animals, which, in turn, produces a very healthy, delicious meat for our customers.
Nature's Original Plant Based Protein.
We raise our bison as nature intended. With little interference from us, they live their lives with the herd on healthy pastures.
Our animals never receive antibiotics or hormones for growth. Animals selected for finish are given free access to grain, but are never confined to a feedlot. Our animals are handled as little as possible.
This 'hands off' approach allows our animals to live low stress lives, ensuring high quality meat.
The nutritional aspects of bison meat are well documented. America's original red meat has significantly less fat and calories, less cholesterol and higher amounts of protein, iron and vitamin B-12 than beef, pork, chicken and salmon.
Bison evolved with North America's grasslands for thousands of years. The bison herds have truly been local since the last ice age. After nearly being driven to extinction, the bison are experiencing a comeback, thriving in both private and public herds across North America.
As a keystone species, a well managed bison herd is good for the land.
When you choose bison, your choice helps to restore the a keystone species, is a healthy choice for your family, and helps the entire prairie ecosystem.