031241 Federal Contracts Keep Bison Industry Alive

Washington - Bison sustained American Indians on the Great Plains for centuries, but members of Nebraska's Winnebago tribe needed some nudging before they were ready to eat government-supplied ground and stew meat from the huge mammals.

"We had to work with (tribe members) quite a bit because they weren't used to eating buffalo," said Louis LaRose, a Winnebago who is an executive on the Intertribal Bison Cooperative. "We hired one of our young tribal people who is an excellent cook. Now we have a lot of creative recipes."

The supplements came through an Agriculture Department program that has sent bison meat to tribes over the past three years. LaRose and others say the meat offers Indians a choice protein source that also has ties to their cultural history.

But just as important for ranchers, government contracts for bison meat totaling $25 million since 1998 have kept the industry afloat. About one-third of the government's bison purchases were specifically for reservations. The other two-thirds were aimed at stabilizing prices.

Congress is poised to set aside an additional $4 million in bison meat contracts for tribes in 2004 as part of spending bill the Senate is expected to send to President Bush in January.

If the measure passes, the department will ask bison cooperatives and producers to submit bids for selling the meat to the government. Tribes then will have the opportunity to request meat free of charge, said William T. Sessions, associate deputy administrator for the Agricultural Marketing Service's livestock and seed program.

Though dozens of Great Plains tribes keep their own herds, few have sold the animals commercially. Last year's government contracts were divided equally between Idaho's Western States Bison Cooperative (search) and North Dakota's North American Bison Cooperative (search), both collectives of independent bison producers.

Bison producers profited throughout the 1990s before the market crashed at decade's end. A glut of meat and a drop in demand for breeding stock put many ranchers out of business.

Industry leaders now say the market is ready for an upswing. They point to the growth of Ted's Montana Grill, a chain of bison meat restaurants owned by Ted Turner with 15 locations in Colorado, Georgia, Ohio and Tennessee. The meat-heavy Atkins diet and high beef prices also are driving more people to eat bison.

Turner, who owns more than 35,000 bison himself, plans to open at least 25 new restaurants in the next year. The company has steady sales of its bison products even with beef, chicken and fish items on its menus.

Dave Carter, executive director of the North American Bison Association (search), is banking on bison's health benefits and taste to maintain the industry's growth.

A 3.5 ounce serving of bison meat contains 2.42 grams of fat and 143 calories; the same size beef serving has 9.28 grams of fat and 211 calories. Consumers say the meat tastes like beef, though a little sweeter.

"We're starting to see a real strong demand," Carter said.

Many tribes are trying to decide how, or if, they will enter the bison market.

LaRose said he would like to see the Winnebago market its bison as its herd of 60 grows. He also said the federal programs would be an ideal outlet for the 51 members of the Intertribal Bison Cooperative.

Other tribes keep small herds for cultural rather than economic reasons.

"The reason the bison are here is because we're Indian people. It's because bison are a part of our culture and history. They're a part of us. It's very important that they exist here," said Jerry Lunak, agriculture director for Montana's Blackfeet Tribe (search).

Lunak oversees a herd of 125. Since the tribe also keeps more than 20,000 cattle and leases grazing land to neighboring ranchers, the Blackfeet do not need to sell or consume their own bison.

Though Lunak said many in his tribe stick with beef products, he said the government's bison meat program is a welcome improvement over the food supplements reservations received in his youth.

"The program has become a lot more Indian friendly. Looking at some specific items that are part of our culture is a good thing," he said.

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