National Bison Month Kicks Off

Bison ranchers are scrambling to build herds as the industry gears up to celebrate National Bison Month.

National Bison Month, celebrated each July, is a time in which American bison producers and marketers promote bison burgers, steaks and roasts as a summer grilling alternative.

"There's no doubt that people are embracing the great taste, the great nutrition and the sustainable story of bison," said Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association.

Because of the growing popularity of bison meat, the National Bison Association is undertaking a campaign to promote the "Bison Advantage" to producers, and to prospective producers. The association's recently released Bison Producers Handbook contains 260 pages of information contributed by more than 30 experts in all phases of buffalo ranching, processing and marketing.

"If people want to enjoy bison meat this July, they can find plenty of recipes on the NBA website at www.bisoncentral.com. If people are interested in getting involved in bison ranching, we have information on the website for that as well," Carter said.

Carter noted that bison meat is becoming increasingly easy to find in retail stores and on restaurant menus. Most natural food stores, and many conventional supermarkets, now stock a selection of bison meat. Farmers' markets across the country are also popular outlets for locally grown bison meat.