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Why Bison Might Be the Most Important Meat in America’s Future
A rancher’s perspective on nutrition, sustainability, and the quiet return of America’s original red meat.
The Meat That Built the American Plains
Long before industrial cattle ranching defined the American West, another animal shaped the landscape.
For thousands of years, American bison moved across the Great Plains in massive herds. Early estimates suggest there were once 30 to 60 million bison roaming North America. These animals influenced entire ecosystems, from grass growth patterns to soil health and wildlife migration.
For Indigenous communities, bison were far more than food. They were central to culture, survival, and land stewardship. Nearly every part of the animal was used — meat, hide, bone, and fat — reflecting a deep respect for the animal and the land it lived on.
By the late 1800s, however, bison were pushed to the brink of extinction. Industrial hunting and westward expansion reduced their population to only a few hundred animals.
Today, the species has made an extraordinary recovery.
And in the process, something interesting has happened.
More Americans are rediscovering bison meat, not as a novelty, but as one of the most compelling proteins…
