Turner confirms anti-cattle bias
- Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and owner of the largest bison herd in the world, told the National Bison Association that he hopes to populate the North American Plains with bison and send all the beef cattle "back to Europe."
That statement explains in just a few words why many U.S. cattlemen have a problem with Turner, who not only denigrates their industry but makes no bones about buying large amounts of rangeland in cattle-feeding states.
However, cattlemen have little to worry about yet from any bison explosion. Although more people are raising the animals — with processing of bison meat under USDA up 17% in the last year — total bison slaughter is only approximately 70,000 head per year. That compares to more than 32 million head of cattle slaughtered in the U.S. annually.
Speaking at a banquet of bison shortribs at the group's annual convention, Turner explained his lust for land. After graduating from Brown University, Turner started out in advertising, but shifted to broadcasting in the early 1970s. According to his official biography, he bought his first bison in 1976, started CNN (Cable News Network) in 1980 and bought his first ranch (The Bar None in Montana) in 1987. In the speech he said he was worth $10 billion "at one point" (1997) but had been worth $7 to $8 billion for years.
As he got rich, Turner said, he was "smart enough to start buying land . . . quickly." He bought 1,000 bison calves, let them loose "and the bison did the rest." Ten years ago," he said, "I bought every ranch I could and moved the calves onto them. I went from 3,000 head to 40,000 head in 10 years." Today his Turner Enterprises (TEI) manages approximately 2 million acres of Turner's land in 14 states and in Argentina, as well as Turner's bison herd.
The mission statement of Turner Enterprises is "to manage Turner lands in an economically sustainable and ecologically sustainable and ecologically sensitive manner while promoting the conservation of native species." This philosophy allows "natural processes" to take precedence, but still recognizes the "hand of man," according to his biography. All of the Turner properties are used in some way through bison ranching, commercial fishing and hunting and, in a few cases, limited and sustainable timber harvesting.
In 2002, Turner opened his first Ted's Montana Grill, which features bison as well as beef and other meats. Turner's preference for bison is well known. "I love bison," Turner told the crowd. "I had them 10 years before I ate one bite."
But today he believes in the viability of the bison meat business, which he says "serves to ensure the survival of the species."
- Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and owner of the largest bison herd in the world, told the National Bison Association that he hopes to populate the North American Plains with bison and send all the beef cattle "back to Europe."
That statement explains in just a few words why many U.S. cattlemen have a problem with Turner, who not only denigrates their industry but makes no bones about buying large amounts of rangeland in cattle-feeding states.
However, cattlemen have little to worry about yet from any bison explosion. Although more people are raising the animals — with processing of bison meat under USDA up 17% in the last year — total bison slaughter is only approximately 70,000 head per year. That compares to more than 32 million head of cattle slaughtered in the U.S. annually.
Speaking at a banquet of bison shortribs at the group's annual convention, Turner explained his lust for land. After graduating from Brown University, Turner started out in advertising, but shifted to broadcasting in the early 1970s. According to his official biography, he bought his first bison in 1976, started CNN (Cable News Network) in 1980 and bought his first ranch (The Bar None in Montana) in 1987. In the speech he said he was worth $10 billion "at one point" (1997) but had been worth $7 to $8 billion for years.
As he got rich, Turner said, he was "smart enough to start buying land . . . quickly." He bought 1,000 bison calves, let them loose "and the bison did the rest." Ten years ago," he said, "I bought every ranch I could and moved the calves onto them. I went from 3,000 head to 40,000 head in 10 years." Today his Turner Enterprises (TEI) manages approximately 2 million acres of Turner's land in 14 states and in Argentina, as well as Turner's bison herd.
The mission statement of Turner Enterprises is "to manage Turner lands in an economically sustainable and ecologically sustainable and ecologically sensitive manner while promoting the conservation of native species." This philosophy allows "natural processes" to take precedence, but still recognizes the "hand of man," according to his biography. All of the Turner properties are used in some way through bison ranching, commercial fishing and hunting and, in a few cases, limited and sustainable timber harvesting.
In 2002, Turner opened his first Ted's Montana Grill, which features bison as well as beef and other meats. Turner's preference for bison is well known. "I love bison," Turner told the crowd. "I had them 10 years before I ate one bite."
But today he believes in the viability of the bison meat business, which he says "serves to ensure the survival of the species."