Bison Month: NBA celebrates America’s national mammal during month of July
The National Bison Association (NBA) kicked off Bison Month, encouraging consumers to add the delicious, healthy and uniquely-American protein to their regular diets.
According to the NBA, the population of American bison once exceeded 30 million animals across North America, but in the late 19th century, bison were decimated to near extinction through hunting, slaughter, drought and disease.
Recently however, bison have made a tremendous comeback, and now numbers are over 400,000 head across the continent.
This remarkable comeback is thanks to a unique collaboration among American farmers and ranchers, Native American Tribes and conservation groups, all working to restore the species to its historic range.
In 2016, this collection of bison stakeholders also successfully lobbied to make the American bison the first-ever National Mammal of the U.S.
“A big part of Bison Month is to encourage consumers to try bison – the preservation and growth of bison is directly connected to the demand for them,” stated NBA Program Manager Lydia Whitman.
She continued, “It is truly conservation through commerce, and by making bison a regular part of one’s diet, they are helping restore bison herds to the landscape and promoting regenerative ranching practices. Plus, it’s good for you and good for the planet.”
Full flavor
While not a federally-designated observance, Bison Month is celebrated each July by the bison community and is a time in which bison stewards promote the delicious taste of bison burgers, steaks, ribs and roasts.
NBA notes, “Bison is the leanest protein widely available to consumers today while being supremely nutritious, with 26 percent more iron and 87 percent lower in fat than conventional beef, for example.”
Based on nutrient data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), bison has 766 percent more B12 vitamins than chicken and 32 percent less fat.
Bison meat has a similar flavor and protein content to that of beef, but it is lower in fat and cholesterol because bison get all of their food from grazing and do not get supplementary feeds like cattle do.
According to the USDA, a three-ounce serving of bison meat contains 21.7 percent protein, about 1.9 grams of fat, 93 calories and 75 milligrams of cholesterol, while a three-ounce serving of lean beef contains 21 percent protein, four to eight grams of fat, 143 to 179 calories and between 57 to 76 milligrams of cholesterol.
“By adding bison to one’s diet, they are eating a delicious, naturally-raised, nutrient-dense protein that is healthy for them and good for the environment,” NBA says. “In choosing bison, you are helping to restore herds to North American grasslands while encouraging regenerative agriculture.”
In short, by supporting bison ranchers, consumers are contributing to grassland regeneration, carbon sequestration, soil regeneration, increased biodiversity and more bison on the landscape.
NBA events
The NBA is a nearly 30-year-old, member-based, nonprofit trade association based in Westminster, Colo. and is made up of bison farmers, ranchers, marketers, conservationists, public herd managers, enthusiasts and others.
The association’s mission is to bring together stakeholders to celebrate the heritage of American bison, while educating and creating a sustainable future for the industry.
Just recently, the NBA cohosted a three-day conference at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. with other industry leaders including the Canadian Bison Association, the USDA Agriculture and Foods Research Initiative and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The International Bison Health Symposium hosted worldwide specialists who collaborated on bison, combining commercial, conservation and tribal interests for a robust response to bison health needs.
This event, held June 30-July 2, was the first in 10 years to bring together bison researchers, managers, producers, conservationists and veterinarians in a collaborative forum to share ideas, research and forge future collaborations in the area of bison health in North America.
The conference placed emphasis on the context for modern bison farming and ranching and conservation, work currently underway and future needs for bison health.
The NBA will be hosting the Western Bison Conference Sept. 13-14 at the Prairie Ridge Buffalo Ranch in Limon, Colo., and registration for the NBA Winter Conference, held in Denver on Jan. 22-25, 2025, opens in November.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
The National Bison Association (NBA) kicked off Bison Month, encouraging consumers to add the delicious, healthy and uniquely-American protein to their regular diets.
According to the NBA, the population of American bison once exceeded 30 million animals across North America, but in the late 19th century, bison were decimated to near extinction through hunting, slaughter, drought and disease.
Recently however, bison have made a tremendous comeback, and now numbers are over 400,000 head across the continent.
This remarkable comeback is thanks to a unique collaboration among American farmers and ranchers, Native American Tribes and conservation groups, all working to restore the species to its historic range.
In 2016, this collection of bison stakeholders also successfully lobbied to make the American bison the first-ever National Mammal of the U.S.
“A big part of Bison Month is to encourage consumers to try bison – the preservation and growth of bison is directly connected to the demand for them,” stated NBA Program Manager Lydia Whitman.
She continued, “It is truly conservation through commerce, and by making bison a regular part of one’s diet, they are helping restore bison herds to the landscape and promoting regenerative ranching practices. Plus, it’s good for you and good for the planet.”
Full flavor
While not a federally-designated observance, Bison Month is celebrated each July by the bison community and is a time in which bison stewards promote the delicious taste of bison burgers, steaks, ribs and roasts.
NBA notes, “Bison is the leanest protein widely available to consumers today while being supremely nutritious, with 26 percent more iron and 87 percent lower in fat than conventional beef, for example.”
Based on nutrient data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), bison has 766 percent more B12 vitamins than chicken and 32 percent less fat.
Bison meat has a similar flavor and protein content to that of beef, but it is lower in fat and cholesterol because bison get all of their food from grazing and do not get supplementary feeds like cattle do.
According to the USDA, a three-ounce serving of bison meat contains 21.7 percent protein, about 1.9 grams of fat, 93 calories and 75 milligrams of cholesterol, while a three-ounce serving of lean beef contains 21 percent protein, four to eight grams of fat, 143 to 179 calories and between 57 to 76 milligrams of cholesterol.
“By adding bison to one’s diet, they are eating a delicious, naturally-raised, nutrient-dense protein that is healthy for them and good for the environment,” NBA says. “In choosing bison, you are helping to restore herds to North American grasslands while encouraging regenerative agriculture.”
In short, by supporting bison ranchers, consumers are contributing to grassland regeneration, carbon sequestration, soil regeneration, increased biodiversity and more bison on the landscape.
NBA events
The NBA is a nearly 30-year-old, member-based, nonprofit trade association based in Westminster, Colo. and is made up of bison farmers, ranchers, marketers, conservationists, public herd managers, enthusiasts and others.
The association’s mission is to bring together stakeholders to celebrate the heritage of American bison, while educating and creating a sustainable future for the industry.
Just recently, the NBA cohosted a three-day conference at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. with other industry leaders including the Canadian Bison Association, the USDA Agriculture and Foods Research Initiative and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The International Bison Health Symposium hosted worldwide specialists who collaborated on bison, combining commercial, conservation and tribal interests for a robust response to bison health needs.
This event, held June 30-July 2, was the first in 10 years to bring together bison researchers, managers, producers, conservationists and veterinarians in a collaborative forum to share ideas, research and forge future collaborations in the area of bison health in North America.
The conference placed emphasis on the context for modern bison farming and ranching and conservation, work currently underway and future needs for bison health.
The NBA will be hosting the Western Bison Conference Sept. 13-14 at the Prairie Ridge Buffalo Ranch in Limon, Colo., and registration for the NBA Winter Conference, held in Denver on Jan. 22-25, 2025, opens in November.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
