New Website Features

September 10, 2022

Dakota Territory Buffalo Association members,

Hopefully, the rains have come for most of you and the grass and hay are plentiful as we head into fall. I know there are some areas that are hard hit with drought, but families and communities can really pull together to make hard decisions. In our area we received much needed snow and rain this past spring that allowed a recovery to some degree, but we are dry again and in need of some moisture.  However, as always, we push on.

It has been an interesting year since the 2022 Winter Conference where conversations were dominated by many topics from mycoplasma to drought, to the impact of amiable species on the industry, to the question of whether the markets are going to hang on or not. Well, it has come almost full circle and we are already making plans for the 2023 Winter Conference. Our theme this year will be “The Great Bison Get Together” and we will be stepping away from the historic Black Hills Buffalo Classic with the Young Guns and Girlz Gone Wild competitions to the new performance-based show & sale “Stack the Deck”. I feel this sale will keep with the tradition that has always allowed the DTBA to showcase high quality animals supported by performance-based data but will also toss in a little ranch marketing for added flavor. The show and sale committee worked hard on the new theme, drafting the terms & conditions, and defining the performance-based data requirements, all of which you can now find on the website.

Which brings me to the DTBA website. We have made some upgrades to the site over the past few months, an endeavor which has been quite a project and that proved to be quite an education on how what you see on the surface comes with a lot of backend function that you don’t even know is there. Major changes, which you should be able to see this weekend, include:

Sponsors – We have tried to better highlight our sponsors and to promote and present sponsor information based on our various sponsor levels. We felt this was important as without our sponsors’ support so many things cease to exist. We will also be able to capture the number of views and clicks on sponsor links, which will be good information that we can share with those individual sponsors.

Vision – We have also updated the DTBA’s vision statement based on input we heard loud and clear during the round table discussion at the last conference.

Members Area – We have added a “Members Only” page that we will populate with important information on the industry and current events, including a “Vet’s Corner” column that will offer a variety of insights on a number of topics. This is, of course, available only to current members, so please be sure to keep your membership up to date!

Member IDs – We have maintained the automated payment feature for membership renewals and conference registrations but have added a new feature that allows members to access and download a membership ID card. This card can be presented at various businesses, vendors and participating stores for discounts on purchases. Again, this is only available to current members so be sure to double-check your membership status!

Stack the Deck – The website will also provide a “one-stop-shop” for information on and registration for the new show and sale as we move forward.

Social Media – We are working on improving the Facebook page and YouTube channel and linking them with the website so we can better connect with and inform members on events and news in real time.

Lastly, we will be sending out a survey to our membership very soon to ask for your input on topics to be covered at the 2023 Winter Conference. This is your chance to make your voice heard, so please take a few minutes to fill it out.

Well, that is it folks! Just a quick recap of the moving parts behind the scenes of the Dakota Territory Buffalo Association. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to me at Info@DakotaBuffalo.com, or to any of your board members. I look forward to seeing you all at the ranch tour this weekend!

Best Regards,
Jim Degenstein
Executive Director – Dakota Territory Buffalo Association