Now more than ever, consumers want to know about the meat they eat—where it comes from, how it’s raised and what’s in it. Noble Premium Bison is a brand born and raised in Canada, by two Canadians with a mutual passion for animal care, sustainable agriculture, and healthy, safe food. Our bison are 100% Canadian and so are we, and when you buy our premium bison products, you’re supporting both Canadian and sustainable agriculture.
The bison story in Canada
Just over a century ago, millions of bison roamed free across the great plains of North America. According to the Canadian Bison Association, historical accounts suggest there were 60 million bison in 1800, but by the end of the century, there were less than 1,000 bison in North America. After nearing extinction, the noble bison is now one of the greatest conservation success stories of all time. Over 500,000 bison thrive on natural grasslands across Canada and the US, with the vast majority raised on farms and ranches.
According to a 2016 census conducted by the Canadian Bison Association, there were 119,314 bison on 975 Canadian farms and ranches. Currently, there are over 150,000 bison on Canadian farms, ranches and public lands. The Canadian Bison Association, conservationists and Canada's bison producers see a future where a thriving bison population forms a key component to sustainable agriculture in Canada.
At Noble Premium Bison, we’re committed to growing the bison industry in Canada by:
Educating customers on the nutritional and ecological advantages of bison meat
Providing premium bison products to consumers across Canada
Promoting Canadian bison to the European hospitality market
Aligning with chefs to feature bison as a delicious protein that’s easy to cook
Supporting the Canadian Bison Association in their mission to “bring together our members, and create the environment that contributes to the bison industry’s success—domestically and globally.”
Helping bison help the land
The Northern Great Plains is a region spanning 180 million acres and is one of only four remaining intact temperate grasslands in the world. This is where our bison call home.
As stewards of the land and its animals, maintaining these grasslands for generations to come is a part of our brand promise. Adhering to restorative ranching practices helps conserve biodiversity, but it also means cleaner rivers and streams, less fertilizer runoff, more pollinators for plants and more carbon stored in the soil. Raising bison naturally in this environment helps us maintain a symbiotic relationship that is vital to the health of both land and animals.
Home on the range
While the vast majority of beef cattle are raised in large factory farm settings, bison live freely in open pastures. Noble Premium Bison live in their natural habitat on the Canadian prairies, grazing on native grasslands, surrounded by clean air and water. The bison are never confined in feedlots or tight quarters, eliminating the need for antibiotics, and federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising bison.
We’ve been raising bison in Canada for three generations so we like to think we’ve learned a thing or two. Our bison graze as nature intended—on over 9,000 acres of native and restored grassland in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. As Canadian bison producers with a history of regenerative ranching practices, we’re always looking for better ways to:
revitalize the land our bison graze on
maintain a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna
ensure our animals are raised as naturally as possible, with minimal intervention and without inputs like growth stimulants or antibiotics.
We’ve worked hard to develop the very best practices that ensure a healthy environment for our bison, and the safety and quality of the bison products we sell. When you buy our Canadian bison products, you get all the superior nutrition of bison meat with none of the hormones or antibiotics commonly used in the beef industry. Bison meat has everything you want in a premium meat product, and nothing you don’t.
Health benefits of bison meat
Bison meat is one healthy protein, but don’t just take our word for it. Canada’s Food Guide recommends bison as a ‘heart healthy lean protein’ and nutritional experts like Dr. Josh Axe tout bison as ‘a step above beef and poultry when it comes to sustainability, heart health and even taste.’ Nutrient-dense bison meat is healthy for many reasons. Bison meat is:
a great source of lean protein
one of the best Omega-3/Omega-6 ratios of any red meat
high in iron and B vitamins
known to fight inflammation and support a strong immune system
A rich source of lean protein
Bison meat is a rich source of complete protein containing all the essential amino acids in appropriate amounts. Each 100g serving of cooked lean bison contains about 21g of protein, which the body uses to build and repair tissues, produce enzymes and some hormones, and maintain cell membranes and components of the immune system.
Good fat, bad fat
Red meat often gets a bad rap, but when it comes to cholesterol and saturated fat, lean bison is considered by many nutritionists to be quite healthy. Some studies have shown that bison raised primarily on grassland have a better total fatty acid concentration, with more omega-3 and less omega-6, compared to cattle raised in feedlots. That makes bison meat one of the more beneficial omega-3 foods to include in a balanced diet.
Compared to other cuts of meat, bison is considered one of the best when it comes to having a high protein-to-fat ratio. Bison meat packs in protein but is still considered to be “lean” since it’s relatively low in saturated fat (especially compared to fattier cuts of beef). According to the Canadian Bison Association, 100g of cooked lean bison meat contains 143 calories compared to 201 for beef, and 2.42g of fat, compared to 8.09g for beef.
Helps prevent Iron deficiency
Bison meat is considerably high in heme iron, higher than beef and other proteins. The additional iron is what gives bison meat a darker red color than beef, and it can actually deepen over time. Heme is an essential nutrient and makes up 95% of functional iron in the human body. Heme iron derived animal products is more absorbable than non-heme iron found in plant sources and can therefore be effective for preventing low energy, anemia symptoms and other symptoms of iron deficiency. Anemia is a common disorder partially resulting from low iron intake, especially among vegetarians and women of reproductive age.
High in Energizing B Vitamins
Bison meat is rich in Vitamin B12, B6, Phosphorous and Niacin, all essential for physical and mental health, and recommended daily. They also help with the conversion of nutrients from the food we eat into useable energy for the body—one reason why eating more protein is important for increasing energy levels. B vitamins support multiple metabolic functions as well as overall cognitive health, and even help your body deal with the effects of stress at the cellular level.
Selenium to fight inflammation
According to Dr. Axe, you might not think “antioxidants” when you think of bison meat, but consuming it is a great way to boost your intake of selenium. Selenium benefits are similar to the benefits of antioxidants. In fact, selenium acts as an antioxidant by helping prevent oxidative stress that causes cellular damage and winds up speeding up the aging process. Inflammation is increased from a poor diet and the effects of free radicals from environmental toxins. This is why we rely on a nutrient-dense diet to counteract these effects and keep us feeling energized.
Think Zinc to support a strong immune system
Bison meat is a great way to naturally acquire zinc. Zinc is critical for proper immune system and cellular functioning. Zinc benefits even include forming new tissue, hair and skin cells.
Want to know more about Canadian bison, sustainability and nutrition?
Whether you’re a full on meat lover or one who enjoys red meat sparingly, we know that nutrition, health and being good to the environment are important to you. From the benefits of regenerative agriculture to the latest trends in food, we respect that you want to choose wisely and be part of the conversation. That’s why we created ‘In The News‘ on our website. It’s a portal for podcasts and stories we’ve found interesting and informative and hope you do too.
With discussions on how biodiversity can heal our planet, to why certain foods fuel our brains, to the growing interest in Indigenous Cuisine, our goal is simple - to share knowledge on sustainability, nutrition and health, and a passion for food that’s good for us—and good for the environment.
We also have an FAQ on our website that answers all those great questions you’ve been asking us, including what our bison eat, where they’re raised, what bison meat tastes like, and why our packaging says Product of USA even though we’re 100% Canadian ☺
Let’s keep the conversation going! We invite you to engage with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (@BisonNoble) and LinkedIn, so we can answer your questions and share all those fantastic recipes and photos! Tag your posts #eatbettereatbison and we’ll be sure not to miss you!
Visit our ranch at noblepremiumbison.ca or contact us at info@noblepremiumbison.ca to find out more about our brand, our products and how we can help you purchase and enjoy premium Canadian bison meat.
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