Entrepreneur Spotlight: Landon Ash

We’re excited to introduce you to Landon Ash, owner of Big Horn Bison Ranch near Sheridan! Read on to learn more about Landon, the ranch and his vision. Visit bighornbison.com to learn more about the ranch, the bison and to check out their line of products.

WLM:  Tell us about yourself!

LA:  I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, in a family that instilled a strong work ethic, an appreciation for quality, and a belief in giving back to others. Some of my earliest memories involve animals and wildlife. My mother volunteered at the local zoo, which gave me the opportunity to spend time around everything from elephants to bison, and those experiences sparked a lifelong fascination with conservation and the natural world.

Over the years, I’ve built and operated businesses across several industries, but I’ve always been drawn to the American West and the values it represents. Eventually, that passion led me to Sheridan, Wyoming, where I founded Big Horn Bison Ranch. The state’s strong sense of community, commitment to preserving its heritage, and connection to the land align with the values that have guided me throughout my life, so it was a natural fit for me.

Family has deeply shaped the values that guide me today and is very important to me. My grandmother was unable to attend college because of financial limitations and the barriers women often faced at that time. She carried that regret throughout her life and made it her mission to help future generations access educational opportunities, which has inspired me throughout my entrepreneur and philanthropy journey.

My grandfather gave me another lesson that has stayed with me: “Never sacrifice quality because quality keeps customers coming back.” That simple principle has influenced every business I’ve built. Later in life, losing both of my parents to cancer reinforced the importance of giving back and supporting causes that matter. When I look back, those experiences helped shape not only my career but also my sense of responsibility to others.

WLM:  Tell us about your business!

LA:  Big Horn Bison Ranch is a working bison ranch located in Sheridan, Wyoming, that I founded in 2021. We manage more than 350 bison while focusing on sustainable agriculture, conservation and responsible stewardship of native grasslands. Our goal is to preserve an iconic American species while producing high-quality, ranch-raised products that consumers can trust.

Beyond raising bison, our mission is centered on education, conservation, and helping people reconnect with where their food comes from. We believe transparency, quality, and stewardship should be at the core of modern agriculture.

While Big Horn Bison Ranch remains at the heart of everything we do, our mission extends through Bison Union Co. and Bison Union Coffee Co. as well. Through these brands, we offer small-batch roasted coffee, Americana-inspired apparel, hats, drinkware, and other goods for those who appreciate the outdoors and the spirit of the West. Our coffee is proudly served at Bison Union Coffee on Main Street in Sheridan. Whether it’s responsibly raised bison, thoughtfully sourced coffee, or products that celebrate Western heritage, our goal is to create connections between our community and the land.

Together, these businesses help support the ranch’s conservation efforts while creating opportunities to share the values of stewardship and craftsmanship with a broader audience. We believe consumers increasingly want to know where their products come from and who stands behind them, and we’re committed to building brands that earn that trust.

WLM:  What inspired you to start your business?

LA:  My love for bison goes back to childhood, and some of my earliest memories involve animals. As I mentioned earlier, my mother volunteered at the local zoo, which gave me the opportunity to spend time around wildlife, including elephants and bison, and those experiences left a lasting impression on me. I’ve often said that my fascination with bison began when I first saw the Buffalo Nickel as a child. There was something powerful and symbolic about that animal, and that curiosity never left me.

As I got older and spent more time in Wyoming and the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, that early fascination evolved into a deeper appreciation for the role bison played in shaping the West and the importance of preserving native landscapes. Starting Big Horn Bison Ranch allowed me to combine several passions into one mission, including conservation, entrepreneurship, and community.

I wanted to build something that wasn’t just financially successful but also reflected the values I grew up with. The opportunity to help restore native grasslands, support bison on their historic ranges, and provide responsibly raised food directly from the ranch to consumers felt like a meaningful way to contribute to both Wyoming’s ranching heritage and the future of the land we all care about.

WLM:  Tell us a little more about the ranch. How exactly does it work?

LA:  Big Horn Bison Ranch is much more than a traditional ranching operation. Our mission is centered on preserving the genetic integrity of the American bison while practicing responsible land stewardship and regenerative agriculture.

We began building our herds by carefully selecting genetically tested bison from some of the most respected conservation herds in North America, including Yellowstone, Custer State Park, and Castlerock. From there, we focus on growing our herds naturally and responsibly, allowing the animals to thrive in an environment that closely mirrors their historic habitat across Wyoming’s mountains and high plains.

The ranch operates as a 100% grass-fed system; our bison are never treated with growth hormones and receive antibiotics only in rare situations when medically necessary. We use holistic and regenerative grazing practices that allow the animals to move across the landscape while giving native grasses and ecosystems time to recover and flourish. These practices not only support healthier animals but also help improve soil health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability of the land.

Animal welfare is also a major priority. Because bison are a native species rather than domesticated livestock, we use low-stress handling techniques and allow them to exhibit their natural behaviors whenever possible. Our goal is to manage the animals with respect while minimizing unnecessary intervention.

What makes the ranch unique is that conservation is built directly into the business model. We actively monitor herd growth, genetic diversity, and land health to ensure that both the animals and the ecosystem remain sustainable for generations to come. Beyond producing high-quality bison products, we’re committed to preserving an iconic American species, supporting Wyoming’s ranching heritage, and helping people reconnect with the history of the American West.

WLM:  Any thoughts on entrepreneurs becoming involved in their communities outside of their businesses?

LA:  I believe entrepreneurs have a responsibility to be active members of their communities. My commitment to social impact comes directly from my family and the values they instilled in me growing up. I was taught that if you’re fortunate in life or business, you have a responsibility to help others who may not have had the same opportunities. That belief has guided many of the decisions I’ve made throughout my career.

One of the biggest influences was my grandmother. As I mentioned earlier, she never had the opportunity to attend college, and she regretted it throughout her life. As a result, she became passionate about helping young people access educational opportunities. She often said she wanted to help every child she could attend college if that were their dream. Watching her turn a personal challenge into a mission to help others left a lasting impression on me. Continuing that legacy has been important to me, which is one reason I’ve supported scholarship initiatives and educational institutions over the years.

Another defining experience was losing both of my parents to cancer. That loss reinforced how important it is to use success to make a difference in the lives of others, which is why cancer research remains a cause that is deeply personal to me.

Over the years, that sense of responsibility has expanded to include supporting veterans, first responders, conservation efforts, and community organizations. Through initiatives like the IK9 First Foundation, we’ve helped connect veterans and first responders with service dogs that can have a life-changing impact. Across my businesses, we’ve also tried to build giving directly into the mission, whether that’s supporting educational opportunities, contributing to conservation organizations, or creating products that give back to the communities and industries they serve.

I’ve always believed that success should create opportunities and strengthen your team and others. That’s why I don’t see social impact as separate from business. To me, it’s part of the purpose of business itself. If you’re fortunate enough to build something successful, it is your responsibility to leave people, communities, and the world better than you found them.

WLM:  Any hopes for the future?

LA: One goal is to continue expanding Bison Union Coffee Co., which benefits Big Horn Bison Ranch, throughout the Southeast and Midwest. However, what really matters most in this area of the business’s growth is whether we’re helping to restore trust in the products people consume every day.

I want consumers to feel confident that what they’re buying is genuinely what it claims to be. For my business, whether it’s honey that hasn’t been diluted, grass-fed and grass-finished bison raised responsibly, or coffee sourced directly from trusted farmers and roasted for freshness, the goal is integrity. If, a few years from now, we’ve expanded and helped more people access healthier, higher-quality products, I would consider that a success.

We are also looking to continue growing awareness about the crucial work we are doing at Big Horn Bison Ranch. We would love to continue sharing about our bison and farming systems with our Wyoming and Western communities, and continue to be involved in ways that support ranching families and our treasured Western land.

WLM:  Please include anything else you want to add! Thank you so much again!

LA:  Thank you for this opportunity. I am incredibly grateful to be a part of the Wyoming community and for the chance to share more about our story. At Big Horn Bison Ranch, we believe that conservation and strong, healthy communities go hand in hand, and we’re honored to play a role in supporting these efforts in Sheridan and beyond. If anyone would like to learn more about the ranch, we encourage them to visit bighornbison.com and would love to hear from them.

Thank you to Landon Ash for sharing your business and journey with us! Do you know an entrepreneur who deserves the spotlight? Send us an email at wyolifestylemag@gmail.com! We also have sponsorship opportunities available for our Wyoming Entrepreneur Spotlight series!