Buffaloed on May 6th 2008
In an earlier post on the Buffalo Field Campaign blog about the sale of Bison meat to the Montana Food Bank the Billings Gazette got it wrong. BFC received this response to the article from the Montana Food Bank Network.
Hi. My name is James Dodge and I am the Food Resource Developer for the Montana Food Bank Network. I’m writing to set the proverbial record straight regarding the recent Billings Gazette story in which I am quoted saying that the Montana Food Bank Network “purchased” 15,000lbs of bison from the Department of Livestock for 42 cents per pound. As I clearly stated to Brett French of the Billings Gazette in the initial interview, the bison meat was donated free of any charge by the D.O.L. to the Montana Food Bank Network. We in turn paid 42 cents per pound to have the meat processed into burger for use by our clients. If we deliver the processed meat to an eligible food pantry or other hunger relief non-profit in Montana using our own trucks we charge an additional 4 cents per pound to help offset our fuel costs. The pantries also have the option to pick up the meat themselves in which case they only pay the 42 cents per pound for the processing costs. In either case this is significantly lower than the typical $1+ per pound that those food pantries would pay to purchase meat in a retail grocery store. The clients at these food pantries are never charged anything to receive this meat; it is provided completely free of charge to anyone who is food insecure. I asked the Billings Gazette to print a correction but they have declined. I just wanted you to know that the D.O.L. is not making any profit off the slaughter of bison in Yellowstone Park.
Thank You.
James
Filed under: Bison, international
