As published on www.meetingplace.com

The 2004 edition of the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting American buffalo will be the "in" red meat for 2004, providing a new healthy alternative to beef and pork.

The National Bison Association is currently implementing an industry-wide source verification-labeling program that was approved for use by the Agriculture Department this fall. When fully implemented, that program will verify that all buffalo meat carrying the new label can be traced back to the ranches of origin, and that producers don't use feed containing antibiotics or artificial growth hormones.

In addition, the National Bison Association 's code of ethics prohibits producers from using any animal byproducts in feed. The national association also mounted a targeted Buffalo Stampede marketing campaign in 2003 to promote the deliciously healthy aspect of the meat products.

Buffalo producers say they expect to see a bump in sales as the result of the Dec. 23 discovery of a single U.S. mad cow, but say they see no reason for the public to eliminate beef from their diet because of the discovery.

"We would much prefer people call up and ask about bison because they hear that it tastes great," Dave Carter , executive director of the National Bison Association , said. "And nobody should feel nervous about eating beef in the U.S."