Dave Carter works for “the Other NBA—you know, the National Bison Association,” based in Westminster. His mission: advocating the iconic Western ruminant as an excellent (and low fat/high protein) alternative answer to “What’s for dinner?” Currently, Weld County officials are weighing a bison-only feedlot, while in Park County, they’re sorting out legal issues related to 32 bison slaughtered near Hartsel.
Claire Martin, The Denver Post
Q: Why would a bison-only feedlot be necessary?
A: With bison, you need heavier fencing and a little more space. The more space they have, the less stress there is on the animal. At the international bison conference, (livestock behavior specialist) Temple Grandin spoke about the need to recognize that these are undomesticated animals. They react more strongly to stress. You can’t stand behind a bison, whoop and holler and expect it to move. Staying calm and quiet with them is even more important than it is with cattle.
Q: What’s the social structure in a bison herd?
A: They’re a very matriarchal society, and they form tight social units. Even if you go out on big ranches where there are a couple thousand head of bison, they’ll cluster in groups of 25 or 30 apiece.
Q: There’s been double-digit growth in consumer interest in bison over the past four years. Why?
A: We sit at the sweet spot of three major trends. No. 1, and the most recent, is that people have discovered this is a great-tasting product. The foodies like red meat, but they want variety. And second is diet and health. People want to eat red meat, but they want something lower in fat and higher in protein. Third, the trend toward sustainable local production. When you think about a sustainable food, there’s nothing more sustainable in this part of the world than the bison. We’re in an ecosystem that evolved for tens of thousands of years to provide continuous grazing for bison.
Q: How would you describe the taste difference between bison and beef?
A: The taste of bison is a little sweeter than beef. And bison tastes different in different seasons.
Q: Why is that?
A: The meat picks up the flavor of what the animal was eating, so an animal finished on grain tastes different from an animal that’s finished on grass with the attributes of omega-3. A bison harvested during fall in Colorado’s high country will taste different from a bison harvested in Kentucky in the spring. That’s why the locavores and foodies like bison — the meat has the taste of the place.
Q: Like regional wine varietals?
A: Yes, only we haven’t yet solved what they’ve learned in the wine industry. You know what a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from a particular region is going to taste like. With bison, we’re working to quantify that. Was it grass-fed or grain-finished? Is it from fall or spring? There’s a big variation. I personally prefer bison that’s been harvested in the fall after coming off the good summer grass.
