Can Italians appreciate a buffalo that doesn’t provide mozzarella? I had an opportunity to explore that question this past week at the Tutto International Food Show in Milan, Italy. Tutto, which is held every two years in Milan, typically attracts more than 82,000 retailers, foodservice operators, distributors and other food industry professionals for a five-day …
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Conservation. Years ago, terms like “conservation groups” and “conservation community” seemed to describe only organizations and individuals committed to protecting wildlife, plants and other resources on our public lands. In fact, policy debates often brought the conservation community into direct conflict with commercial bison producers. Some of those conflicts began to ease over the past …
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“That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” Nearly every schoolchild learns that phrase, and a few of us have been around long enough to remember watching the grainy television images as Neil Armstrong uttered those historic words while stepping onto lunar soil in 1969. I thought about those words the other …
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As genetic engineering capabilities vault forward, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently initiated the steps to start developing regulations governing the production of genetically modified animals, and the meat they produce. The advance public input process undertaken by APHIS presumes that meat from genetically engineered animals will soon ben headed to retail …
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Years ago, farmers in the European Union coined the term “multifunctional” to describe agriculture’s role in society. As one French farmer explained to me, “We produce so much more than simply food and fiber commodities. We protect healthy soils and watershed, provide wildlife habitat, and create the open spaces that the public enjoys. Why do …
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A couple of news articles caught my attention in recent weeks. First was a story headlined, “Plant Based Diets Crucial to Saving Global Wildlife.” A few days later, my newsfeed carried a story on the assertion by Bill Gates that eating lab-grown meat was an important step to addressing climate change and protecting biodiversity. Then, …
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Last year began with more than 600 bison ranchers, marketers and enthusiasts gathering in Denver, CO to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the National Bison Association. There was a lot to celebrate: The bison business had enjoyed a decade-long run of steadily increasing market prices and producer profitability. The cooperation between the National Bison Association, …
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It’s been a little over a week since producers and organizations that were excluded from the initial round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program were able to file comments with USDA requesting that they be covered in the second round of assistance. NBA Assistant Director Jim Matheson and I have fielded numerous emails and phone …
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One aspect of bison that never ceases to amaze me is their ability to turn on a dime. A bison running full speed will plant a front hoof in the ground, spin, and run full speed in another direction. Mother Nature perfected that ability to equip them to escape threats when able, and to face …
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Suppose you wanted to buy a pen of calves but needed to know the weights. “No problem,” the owner replies. “In fact, why don’t you weigh them yourself right now? Use this,” he adds, as he hands you a yardstick. Ludicrous, right? That’s not too far removed from the situation bison producers are facing as …
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