{"id":130042,"date":"2026-01-10T09:07:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T16:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/?p=130042"},"modified":"2026-01-10T09:08:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T16:08:35","slug":"2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What a year for the bison community! From sold\u2011out conferences and hands\u2011on learning to big outreach wins, groundbreaking research, new producer tools, and major policy victories in D.C., the NBA is charging forward stronger than ever. Thanks to our incredible members and partners for helping us grow, connect, and champion bison nationwide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NBA\u2019s 2025 conference season was our most successful yet, with four regional summer conferences drawing over 350 attendees to working bison operations across the North, South, East, and West, and a sold\u2011out Winter Conference welcoming more than 600 participants. Members showcased incredible talent\u2014from hands\u2011on cooking demos like Benjamin Lee Bison\u2019s sous vide session to a vibrant new research poster showcase featuring 25 cutting\u2011edge projects spanning restoration, nutrition, herd health, ecology, and industry innovation. These gatherings highlight the strength of our member\u2011led education model, where hosts shape the programming, experts share practical insights, and bison stewards build meaningful connections that strengthen the entire community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NBA\u2019s consumer and producer outreach efforts reached new heights in 2025, thanks to strong support from the member\u2011driven Growth Fund. We connected with consumers at 14 in\u2011person events where chefs showcased bison \u201cbeyond the buffalo burger,\u201d introducing attendees to premium cuts and creative dishes, while social media collaborations with young culinary influencers generated nearly 1.5 million impressions. At the same time, we expanded producer outreach through booths at farm shows and soil health conferences, helping current and future producers understand the value bison can bring to their operations. With 40% growth in in\u2011person outreach, 45 member contributors to the Growth Fund, and bison featured at 29 total events, the NBA is strengthening awareness, education, and enthusiasm across the entire industry. Looking ahead, we\u2019re investing 20% more Growth Fund dollars into outreach and education in 2026 to keep this momentum strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NBA is committed to empowering producers with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive, offering members access to live bison pricing, herd health insights, production expense data, digital marketing resources, and a library of more than 150 educational videos. Behind the scenes, the NBA also works to ensure fair access to federal cost\u2011share programs and FSA financing through strong business planning support and market data. Our focus on herd health continues to drive meaningful progress, securing federal funding for bison\u2011specific research and uniting leading scientists to advance the species. Following the momentum of the 2024 International Bison Health Symposium, the NBA is actively engaged in multiple grant\u2011funded projects\u2014including studies on body condition scoring, winter bale grazing, and the development of a national herd health network\u2014while also updating all educational tools through a new USDA grant. At the federal level, we are advocating for dedicated agricultural funding to support long\u2011term, bison\u2011specific herd health initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NBA had a strong year of advocacy in 2025, working closely with Congress and federal agencies to support bison producers and expand opportunities across the industry. Our in\u2011person lobbying trips, National Bison Day celebrations, and ongoing agency engagement helped secure major wins, including $1.75 million in Senate funding for MCF research, a new $5 million producer marketing grant program, continued vaccine development, and the addition of bison to key APHIS and NRCS programs. We also strengthened market access through tariff eliminations and new trade opportunities, ensured producers remain eligible for FSA support programs, and continued important work with FDA on clear labeling for bison products. Altogether, these accomplishments reflect the NBA\u2019s commitment to fair policy, strong representation, and a thriving future for bison stewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we carry this momentum forward, we invite you to help strengthen the work of the National Bison Association in an even more meaningful way. Contributions to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/product\/nba-growth-fund-program\/\"><strong>Growth Fund<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;or through NBA sponsorships provide essential support, ensuring we remain responsive to our members and able to advance the mission we all care about. Whether through a cash gift, a donor\u2011advised fund, or another form of support, your generosity directly fuels the programs, advocacy, and resources that uplift bison stewards nationwide. By making a gift to the NBA, you\u2019re not only supporting today\u2019s work\u2014you\u2019re helping create a lasting legacy for the future of bison across the country. Email info@nationalbison.org, or call (303) 292-2833, ext. 700 to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM-2.pdf\"><strong>CLICK HERE<\/strong><\/a> to explore the entire 2025 National Bison Association Year End Report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What a year for the bison community! From sold\u2011out conferences and hands\u2011on learning to big outreach wins, groundbreaking research, new producer tools, and major policy victories in D.C., the NBA is charging forward stronger than ever. Thanks to our incredible members and partners for helping us grow, connect, and champion bison nationwide!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":130043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association - National Bison Association<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association - National Bison Association\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What a year for the bison community! From sold\u2011out conferences and hands\u2011on learning to big outreach wins, groundbreaking research, new producer tools, and major policy victories in D.C., the NBA is charging forward stronger than ever. Thanks to our incredible members and partners for helping us grow, connect, and champion bison nationwide!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"National Bison Association\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-10T16:07:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-10T16:08:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM-791x1024.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"791\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lydia Whitman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lydia Whitman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lydia Whitman\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c219fd7705a283368ff641d7ae7634c3\"},\"headline\":\"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-10T16:07:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-10T16:08:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":727,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/\",\"name\":\"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association - National Bison Association\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-10T16:07:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-10T16:08:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c219fd7705a283368ff641d7ae7634c3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png\",\"width\":1483,\"height\":1920},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"National Bison Association\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c219fd7705a283368ff641d7ae7634c3\",\"name\":\"Lydia Whitman\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6acf3f7305c070ab394f608d3490ad569e86c31d2d323e48eeac7a4cd9385053?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6acf3f7305c070ab394f608d3490ad569e86c31d2d323e48eeac7a4cd9385053?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6acf3f7305c070ab394f608d3490ad569e86c31d2d323e48eeac7a4cd9385053?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lydia Whitman\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nationalbison.org\\\/author\\\/lydiabisoncentral-com\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association - National Bison Association","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association - National Bison Association","og_description":"What a year for the bison community! From sold\u2011out conferences and hands\u2011on learning to big outreach wins, groundbreaking research, new producer tools, and major policy victories in D.C., the NBA is charging forward stronger than ever. Thanks to our incredible members and partners for helping us grow, connect, and champion bison nationwide!","og_url":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/","og_site_name":"National Bison Association","article_published_time":"2026-01-10T16:07:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-10T16:08:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":791,"height":1024,"url":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM-791x1024.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Lydia Whitman","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lydia Whitman","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/"},"author":{"name":"Lydia Whitman","@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/#\/schema\/person\/c219fd7705a283368ff641d7ae7634c3"},"headline":"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association","datePublished":"2026-01-10T16:07:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-10T16:08:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/"},"wordCount":727,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png","articleSection":["News","Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/","url":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/","name":"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association - National Bison Association","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png","datePublished":"2026-01-10T16:07:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-10T16:08:35+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/#\/schema\/person\/c219fd7705a283368ff641d7ae7634c3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-Year-End-Report_JM.png","width":1483,"height":1920},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/2025-reflections-from-the-national-bison-association\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"2025 Reflections from the National Bison Association"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/","name":"National Bison Association","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/#\/schema\/person\/c219fd7705a283368ff641d7ae7634c3","name":"Lydia Whitman","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6acf3f7305c070ab394f608d3490ad569e86c31d2d323e48eeac7a4cd9385053?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6acf3f7305c070ab394f608d3490ad569e86c31d2d323e48eeac7a4cd9385053?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6acf3f7305c070ab394f608d3490ad569e86c31d2d323e48eeac7a4cd9385053?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Lydia Whitman"},"url":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/author\/lydiabisoncentral-com\/"}]}},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-11 04:58:57","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130042"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130046,"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130042\/revisions\/130046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalbison.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}