Bison meat is in big demand in the U.S.

Bison herd

Recall old western movies that had native Indians and thundering earth with herds of bison running around. Bison, the majestic beast, was worshiped by native Indians because it provided them food. Gradually, like natives, bison population almost got wiped out. A fewer than 1,000 bisons were left in North America a little over a century ago. Bisons have made a come back and their current population is estimated at about 450,000. Of those, nearly 200,000 are raised in the ranches and farms.

According to USA Today, the demand for bison meat has been growing exponentially even though it is more expensive than beef. Bison meat is supposed to be leaner and healthier than beef and contains low-fat and low-cholesterol. However, the supply has been tight and it is a challenge for the ranchers to keep up with the increasing demand, One of the reasons is Bison grows slower than other livestock.

Bisons are raised in all 50 states, including Hawaii, although most of the production occurs in South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado, Apparently, Ted Turner, founder of CNN, is the largest bison rancher with 55,000 heads. Ted’s Montana Grill, a chain of 46 restaurants, established in 2002 and an annual sales of $100 million, sells about 1.5 million pounds of bison a year,

View the original article here