Ranchers bullish on bison

WESTMINSTER – Hey, cows, take a breather.

But bison, you might consider some bulletproof vests – it appears humans are starting to like the way you taste.

Dave Carter, executive director at the Westminster-based National Bison Association, said it’s getting more popular for three reasons: “It’s a sustainable product, it’s a great health food, and it tastes great.”

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Research has shown that bison meat is low in fat, high in protein and iron, and is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Carter guesses it’s the taste that’s really driving much of the recent surge in bison consumption.

“A few years ago, most consumers had the misconception that bison meat would be tough and gamey,” Carter said. “Once we’ve been able to convince them to take a taste, they’ve recognized that bison has a wonderful flavor. That’s why it’s catching on with chefs of all varieties.”

It appears to be catching on at grocery stores, too.

Cathy Cochran-Lewis, marketing director with Whole Foods Market in Thornton, said the company has experienced an increase in bison sales, and Whole Foods officials believe there is a trend that more people are eating bison. “Our stores have focused more on selling bison in the last year, so we definitely see an increase as a result of that focus,” Cochran-Lewis said. “Ground buffalo is one of our biggest sales items. We encourage our customers to buy bison as a healthy, low-fat alternative to red meat.”

The red meat folks, namely the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, did not respond to questions related to bison’s apparent surge in popularity.

Safeway and King Soopers also didn’t reply to a request for information on the demand for bison. Rocky Mountain Natural Meats in Denver has reported that Safeway’s Denver stores have increased their bison order – sometimes by as much as 65 percent.

Production increasing

“Grocery stores are starting to carry more bison because they recognize that consumers today are looking for variety in red meat,” Carter said. “Bison will never replace beef, but we are a nice addition to the red meat case.”

He added it’s becoming much more readily available in part because production is increasing.

“Last year we processed 21 percent more animals than the previous year, which was up 17 percent over 2004,” he said. “Our producers and marketers are doing a much better job of assuring that the products in the retail and food service markets are high quality.”

Sales of buffalo meat are increasing at Spomer Bison Ranch just east of Milliken in southwest Weld County. David Hayes, owner, said he’s been offering buffalo meat products since 1989. “It was a hobby for years and I turned it into a business in 1989.”

Hayes said with a growing interest in health consciousness on the part of consumers, buffalo meat’s low fat, low cholesterol and lack of growth hormones is generating a demand.

“We do a pretty good business,” he said. “We’ve grown every year since we started doing this.”

Spomer doesn’t sell its meats to grocery stores, Hayes said, but supplies cuts to many area restaurants, including CooperSmith’s in Fort Collins and Chimney Park Bistro in Windsor.

Prices up significantly

Carter said Ted Turner, the media guru, has spurred some increase in consumption by opening his chain of Ted’s Montana Grill restaurants. “Other restaurants such as Ruby Tuesday, Rock Bottom Brewery, CB & Potts and Fudruckers are adding a variety of bison entrees to their menus, too,” he said.

Carter said it’s difficult to project the value of the business in Colorado because the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not keep the level of detailed records for bison that it does for beef. His association calculated that the national sale of bison meat to grocery stores and restaurants was $145 million in 2006.

“Colorado would have a significant portion of the national value,” he said. “Even though we’re not the largest state in terms of animals, we are the largest in terms of processing and marketing.”

Earlier this year, the association reported the bison prices that ranchers pay showed renewed strength at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Prices paid for most categories of bison were up from the 2006 auction – 2-year-old bulls fetched double the price of the previous year. Bred heifers and yearling bulls also posted significant gains. “Ranchers know there’s a strong outlook for the growth of the bison industry, and they demonstrated their confidence (at the stock show) by their willingness to invest in top-quality seed stock for their herds,” Carter said.