Many of you saw the headlines...” US border closed to Canadian beef due to “mad cow disease” . In fact they closed the border to many meat products, even fish meal. The news of “mad cow” (BSE) in a North American cow is not surprising to us. It confirms what we have been saying for a long time, and why we have worked so hard to offer an alternative. The news had an immediate impact on our business as exports were closed down, but the awareness it brought to our local customers has caused our local sales to grow exponentially. We are using this as an opportunity to further our educational program, and below you will find some very interesting facts that we have collected about current practices in the meat industry. We have been on the phone with the U.S.D.A (U. S. Dept. of Agriculture) , the F.D.A (Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the C.F.I.A. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency), and Canadian Federal meat processing plants to gain more information. Though we knew much of these facts prior to this month, we learned some new facts that are interesting and distressing at the same time. Though you hear the “border is closed” , there really is no border for mad cow disease. U.S. cattle move over the border into Canada every day to be fattened on feedlots and then trucked back to the U.S. for processing. In the U.S. and Canada, cattle are routinely fed rendered animal protein made from pigs and poultry including chicken manure. Pigs and poultry are fed animal protein made from cattle. In the United States this rendered animal protein also includes millions of euthanized cats and dogs. Cats carry their own form of BSE. In the U.K., BSE spread through the practice of feeding rendered contaminated cattle back to cattle. The theory in the U.S. and Canada is that it’s okay to feed cattle to pigs and poultry, and it’s okay to feed pigs and poultry to cattle . It’s also believed to be okay to feed cats and dogs to cattle , pigs, and poultry (cats in the U.S. not in Canada). We find this theory flawed. First because the concept of feeding animals to herbivores is unnatural, and produces a meat that we consider unfit to consume. Secondly, it’s been reported that the BSE agent or prion survives temperatures of 600 celsius. Even surgical instruments used on BSE infected tissue must be destroyed after use as they cannot be sterilized by conventional means. Common sense indicates that passing the prion through a chicken or pig would not destroy the prion either. BSE does not show up in cattle or in humans for as long as 10 years after the prion is ingested. The World Health Organization has issued a warning that BSE may have already spread worldwide through contaminated feed. The regulations and requirements for rendering plants and abattoirs are more far reaching and strict in Canada than in the U.S. Under Canadian regulations, all cattle must be traceable by permanent ID tag back to the farm of origin. Whenever cattle are moved a Record of Movement form must be filled out and copies must be kept by the buyer and seller. This is why the C.F.I.A . was able to trace the single cow in Alberta that tested positive for Mad Cow (BSE) back to the farm of origin and every farm it had lived on, and also why they could trace its offspring and the contaminated feed to the farms that used it. When BSE shows up in the U.S. they will not be able to trace the cattle or the contaminated feed this way, because there is no tracking requirement or national system in place in the U.S. for cattle and requirements for rendering facilities are substantially less stringent. Along with rendered animal protein, cattle, pigs, poultry, and other animals raised for human consumption routinely receive antibiotics in their feed (sub- therapeutic) and antibiotics for sickness (therapeutic). Sickness increases substantially with the stress and contaminated conditions on intense factory style feedlots. Cattle, pigs, and poultry also are given hormones, steroids, pesticides, other growth stimulants and genetically modified corn, soy protein and other GM feed crops. Even certified organic beef is allowed to receive therapeutic antibiotics and be raised on feedlots as long as the feed is certified organic. Feedlots, whether organic or conventional, increase stressful conditions and sickness. Some producers are taking a steps in the right direction by decreasing the stocking rate and increasing the size of the feedlots, and also feeding only natural grass, hay, and grains. We feel no feedlots is best but the consumer bears a responsibility regarding this too, as they must be willing to pay more for food that costs more to produce. Cattle and buffalo fed corn, soy, and other high carbohydrate , high protein feeds do not have the same beneficial nutrients in their meat as animals raised on grass and low carbohydrate grains that occur naturally when grass ripens. The high carbohydrate, high protein feeds also increase the acidity in the stomach and rumen. Bacteria that naturally occurs in the digestive tract of these animals then becomes acid resistant, and the acid in the human stomach that would normally kill the bacteria cannot. Hence we have outbreaks of deadly forms of E. Coli. The practice of feeding antibiotics produces resistant strains of bacteria also. The mainstream solution is then to irradiate meat and instruct consumers to overcook it. Heat denigrates some of the most valuable nutrients in meat, and overcooking it makes it hydrophobic and hard to digest. We believe a better solution is to raise the animals naturally. All of this news is confirmation for us that the vision we have worked so hard to build is worth the effort for our animals and our customers. Rocky Mountain Buffalo Company does not use feedlots, antibiotics or any unnatural additives. Our buffalo are not exposed to cattle. We have joined with several other buffalo ranches and with Medallion Meats Corp. to build a team that is committed to doing what is best for our animals and our customers. We welcome our customers to see for themselves how our animals are raised and how their meat is processed. We offer you the purest, cleanest, most healthful, nutrient rich, and delicious tasting meat we know of on the market today. As ranchers raising buffalo naturally we reflect on the news from an interesting vantage point. As we write, our herd is enjoying the spring dandelions that grow profusely in this Canadian environment. We observe that almost all the wild ungulates and omnivores love this plant. If you have ever studied herbs, you know the rich nutrients found in dandelions. We know that the animals instinctively understand this and benefit from it. Raising animals naturally means the consumer receives these nutrients, along with other natural grasses, herbs, plant nutrients and sunlight transformed into pure meat. We see challenges ahead for the meat industry and for the farmer who raises animals naturally within the system. Our customers become part of our team and assist us in rising to these challenges. Ultimately we as consumers have the power to change the system, our support of farmers and ranchers who raise food naturally is critical. We have been told that the border may open as soon as a few more days, but it will probably take longer as the C.F.I.A . must demonstrate that the infected cow and the animal feed made from it has all been accounted for. We ask for your patience. If you have any questions regarding your order or buffalo in general, please feel free to contact us. Leo and Karen Downey Owners - Rocky Mountain Buffalo Co.   Here are some references and links below. We encourage you to do your own research as well.   http://www.citizen.org/cmep/foodsafety/gsfc/articles.cfm?ID=1562 Letter to the FDA and USDA regarding BSE (Mad Cow Disease) from Public Citizen - a non profit public interest group. It gives a great overview of the problems with meat industry standards and regulations.   http://www.fda.gov/cvm/guidance/guidance68.pdf FDA guidance for protein blenders, feed manufacturers and distributors.   http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/consumer/litter.htm The use of recycled animal waste in animal feed.   http://www.mad-cow.org/00/01jan_news.html Sept. 1, 1997 US NEWS & WORLD REPORT - Disturbing details on meat industry practices.   http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/animaldisease/nf482.htm http://extension.usu.edu/coop/ag/livestoc/dairy/newsletter/animprot.htm More information about protein source in feeds.   http://www.mad-cow.org http://www.organicconsumers.org More links and resources.

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