USDA Bison Pilot Program Aims to Make Meat More Available for Native Tribes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has unveiled a novel interagency pilot initiative to increase the availability of locally sourced ground bison meat to tribal communities via the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). This initiative will explore ways to refine the USDA’s bison procurement methods to prioritize purchasing from local, small to mid-sized bison herd managers, ensuring a more direct delivery to the respective tribal communities.

This initiative was brought to light by USDA’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Jenny Lester Moffitt, alongside Paul Kiecker from the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Heather Dawn Thompson from the USDA Office of Tribal Relations, and a regional delegate from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Together, they engaged in discussions with key figures from the participating tribes: the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, as well as their herd managers and local producer, Dakota Pure Bison.

Such localized bison procurement will shorten the delivery time and distance to consumers and open up new economic opportunities for tribal and local bison businesses. Moreover, it ensures the provision of nutritious and high-quality foods for nutrition assistance schemes.

To bring this new opportunity to tribal communities, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, which manages FDPIR, the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the USDA Office of Tribal Relations are collaborating.

“USDA recognizes the role its purchasing power can play in providing access for smaller, local, and tribal producers,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We’re pleased to take this step forward toward offering locally raised bison directly to the tribal communities where those herds are located.”

Tribal communities have consistently expressed a desire to obtain more local food products via the FDPIR. They’ve pointed out that the USDA’s purchase guidelines don’t mesh well with the practices of tribal and other smaller to mid-sized producers. To address these concerns, the pilot initiative has been designed based on insights from Indian Country and small-scale producers. It aims to match purchasing schedules with indigenous principles of minimal animal handling and traditional field harvests that adhere to a nature-driven procurement calendar. Additionally, the pilot allows for inspections to be conducted by either the USDA or state bodies.

Furthermore, this initiative will delve into offering smaller packaging options and order sizes to accommodate the scale of small to mid-sized businesses. A significant focus will be placed on prioritizing Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) purchasing preferences, which cater to economically challenged regions; all tribal reservations fall into this category. It’s noteworthy that every producer involved in this pilot operates within tribal territories.

“Our nation-to-nation relationship with tribes enriches how USDA does business for Indian Country and for all of rural America,” said Director of Tribal Relations Heather Dawn Thompson. “This pilot is an important step to use government procurement flexibly for the benefit of tribal and our smaller producers and their surrounding communities.”

The USDA’s pilot project represents a substantial advance by improving market access and expanding the use of foods crucial to indigenous populations. The USDA is supporting a more open food system for everyone by giving tribal communities better access to local and tribal bison meat.

In order to test the above-mentioned flexibilities, the Agricultural Marketing Service recently issued bison contracts to four tribal and local producers on September 18. Contracts were awarded to:

Akicita Consulting (owned by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe)

Brownotter Buffalo Ranch (operating on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation)

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Buffalo Authority Corporation (owned by the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation)

Dakota Pure Bison (operating on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation)

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service oversees the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). This program supplies wholesome domestic USDA Foods, acquired by the Agricultural Marketing Service, along with administrative funds to affiliated tribes and state entities. These provisions are then distributed to FDPIR participants. Eligible recipients encompass households on Indian reservations or Native American households located in specific regions close to reservations or in Oklahoma. This program is pivotal in addressing food and nutrition challenges in these communities.

The USDA plays a vital role in the daily lives of all Americans, creating a myriad of positive impacts. Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, the USDA is spearheading changes in America’s food landscape. This includes emphasizing resilient local and regional food systems, ensuring everyone has access to wholesome food, pioneering new revenue avenues for farmers via climate-conscious practices, making unprecedented investments in rural infrastructure and clean energy, and championing equity by eradicating systemic hindrances and fostering a more diverse workforce. For further details, one can visit http://www.usda.gov.