Buffalo roam onto Iowan’s plates

Health-conscious Iowans are driving the state’s bison industry to reach new heights. Gail Griffin is spokeswoman for the Minnesota Buffalo Association, which has members in several Iowa cities and across the country. Griffin says “The meat sales are crescendoing tremendously. The demand for the meat is up 200 to 300-percent over the past 12 months.” Griffin says buffalo is lower in fat and calories and has other health benefits over more traditional meats. She says the bison industry will -not- be hurt by worries over Chronic Wasting Disease as all evidence shows bison are immune.She says there are many ranchers and farmers that have both elk and buffalo on their properties where the elk have been identified with C-W-D, but the buffalo remain resistant to it. The association has Iowa members in Algona, Davenport, Dubuque, Hampton and Waverly in addition to in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.