PEMBROKE — Back in 1978, Donald and Jane Saar were Ontario’s bison farming pioneers. Thirty years later, Jane says they are still looking for a profit. "Don keeps saying wait ‘til next year," she says.

What began as a hobby with three bison evolved into a herd of 125-head, which includes 25 one-year-old calves, 25 bulls and 75 cows. Donald says he plans to increase the size of their plains bison herd by intermixing it with wood bison. "It’ll create a better animal," he says. There are now almost 100 bison farms across the province.

It is not uncommon to see the Saar family, with help from friends, corralling the wild animals back into the fields with their cars. But Donald attests that taking care of bison is much easier than cattle, "Our vet bill is zero or near that," says Donald, "because the vet can’t get near them." Native to Canada, the bison only need rudimentary shelter, a waterhole and adequate grazing land to survive.

There are only eight to 10 bison farms in Eastern Ontario, according to Jason Pyke, president of the Ontario Bison Association. "Farms can range from just a few bison to almost 400," says Pyke. But Ontario bison farms are only five per cent of the nearly 1,900 bison farms across Canada, according to the 2006 Statistics Canada census.

Jane says the small Ontario market is growing. Donald says his wife "peddles the meat piece-by-piece" to restaurants, butcher shops in Ottawa and Pembroke, and a few private clients. The Saars also plan to create their own website to market the bison meat, hide and skulls (for wall ornaments) in Canada and the United States.

The Saars also joined the new Ottawa Valley Food Co-op, a local coalition marketing organic food. "It’s opening so many doors," says Jane. "They ship the meat to the people who wouldn’t be able to come here and get it."

The Saar family branched out into numerous farming avenues to turn a profit after they stopped dairy farming. "Dairy farming was getting too demanding and we were working the kids too hard," says Jane.

"But we keep the facilities up to date if any of the kids want to go into farming," she continues. Along with breeding replacement heifers, they grow organic hay and grain, do custom work and landscaping.

Though Donald and Jane love to eat the bison meat, bison are still considered wild animals under the law. Donald has come close to death a few times handling bison and has battle scars to prove it.

Donald concedes: "If people go into this kind of business, they are crazy, eccentric."