A small Saskatchewan business is getting ready to send one of its products into space.
Trails End Buffalo Stix, owned by Twila Wedrick and her family near Gull Lake, has had its cranberry-flavoured smoked bison snack selected by astronauts for an upcoming NASA mission set to launch Oct. 1.
Wedrick said the company has worked with the Canadian Space Agency for about 18 months. The agency helped get the product tested before it was selected for the mission.
The bison snack has a connection to space travel. In 2013, former International Space Station commander Chris Hadfield talked about taking the product into space.
NASA later ordered several hundred sticks for testing and evaluation.
Wedrick said the snack is popular because it has no nitrates, gluten, MSG or preservatives.
“It’s hard to believe that this is happening,” she said. “It is very humbling and we are beyond grateful.”
The family took over the business in 2024 after previously selling the products through their bakery. They continued working with the Canadian Space Agency and provided samples for astronauts to try.
The family was invited to attend the launch, but a delay from September to Oct. 1 meant they could not make travel arrangements in time.
The bison snacks are made at the Agri-Food Innovation Centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. The company is federally inspected and sells its products across Canada.
Since the space mission was announced, Wedrick said the business has received a surge in orders from across the country.
“We are from a small town and it’s pretty cool for us,” she said.
The cranberry bison snacks are available for purchase online through Trails End Buffalo Stix.
