Terry Engstrand, White Oaks Bison Farm, Rochester, talks with second district Congressman Rudy Yakym about operations at White Oaks Bison Farm. Photo by Joe Siciliano.

By Joe Siciliano
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — Second District Congressman Rudy Yakym paid a visit to White Oaks Bison Farm in Rochester Thursday, Aug. 17.

He was given a tour of the facility by owners, Terry Engstrand and Courtney Eaton. Yakym received an up-close and personal visit with the bison, walking confidently around the somewhat muddy, bison field in the morning’s cold rain.

The bison were enjoying the morning shower, but became a bit spooked when the large group of visitors convened upon their field.

Bison leisurely graze in the field at White Oaks Bison Farm. Photo by Eugene Scott.

Engstrand provided information inside the facility after the group was chased inside by a somewhat, sudden cloud-burst. The dripping wet crowd stood by while Engstrand gave a presentation on bison raising and meat production.

Afterward, Yakym went over some keynotes of his, “Make It, Grow It, Move It” tour in the second district, during the August recess.

He outlined his vision for his plan.

“On the make it side, we’re highlighting manufacturing right here in the second district. You make a lot of the best products in the world that we export globally from the second district,” Yakym explained. “On the grow it side, we’re focused on agriculture, everything from the crops we produce, to the livestock that we grow, to the poultry we produce. We are really highlighting agriculture this week. We’re doing an egg farm visit later on today.”

“Next week, we’ll be focused on the move it side, which is focused on transportation and infrastructure. We have some of the best infrastructure in the world here, whether it’s our roads, our highways, interstates that crisscross the second congressional district, to some of our waterways, but also some of the rail that we have particularly in the northern part of the district. The transportation infrastructure in the middle of the country is really important to logistics across the nation,” Yakym noted.

Yakym added, “But here at White Oaks Bison Farm today, we’re really looking at the new bison products that they’ve raised here in the last few years, what they’ve built here, and what they grow on site here. So, we got to see a whole field of bison outback, and we’re going to go and enjoy some lunch today.”

The crowd adjourned to the dining area where buffalo sliders were served.