Bison in the CAPE BRETON HI

摘要

I swing open the gate as Dougie Beaton drives into the field. The bison, anticipating a treat, edge up to the truck as he opens a bag of cattle feed and pours it into small piles around the field. We stand by the truck as they jostle for position andBeaton describes the various animals to me.We are standing on a steep hill on his farm in Broad Cove Marsh, Inverness County, Nova Scotia. A brisk wind is blowing off the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is ice free - an unusual sight for the end of February. Looking out over the Gulf we can see Margaree Island, and farther to the west, Prince Edward Island makes its appearance on the horizon.Today there are eight bison in the field, but over the years the herd has been as large as 30 head. I asked Beaton about the farm and how he ended up raising bison. "I am the fourth generation of my family to farm this land. When my father passed away, I wanted to keep the farm in operation and thought that sheep may be the answer."