PETALUMA, Calif., and BOULDER, Colo., May 19, 2009 – Panorama Meats, Inc., the nation's leading organic grass-fed beef producer, has partnered with Arapaho Ranch, the nation's largest certified organic cattle operation, to supply Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Beef exclusively to 28 Whole Foods Market stores in the Rocky Mountain region beginning this week.

Operated by the Northern Arapaho Indian Tribe on 595,000 acres on Wyoming's Wind River Indian Reservation in West Central Wyoming, Arapaho Ranch received USDA organic certification in 2008. The tribe has raised an all-Angus herd —a breed known for producing tender, highly flavorful beef — on a year-round diet of grass and forbs since the 1940s. Its 3,500 cattle and 2,800 yearlings never enter a feedlot, are never fed antibiotics or growth-stimulating hormones and coexist with predators and a diverse mix of wildlife on Wyoming's high plains.

The agreement, resulting from a half-year of discussions between Panorama and the Northern Arapahoe Indian Tribal Council, makes Whole Foods Market stores in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Utah the exclusive U.S. retailers of Arapaho Ranch beef.

"The Arapaho Ranch product will further grow the Whole Foods Markets’ access to locally-raised food since the cattle are raised in Wyoming and processed in Colorado," said Mack Graves, CEO of Panorama Meats. Panorama will process Arapaho Ranch beef in compliance with its own and Whole Foods Markets' standards for safety and humane animal treatment.

“We’ve been searching for an organic, grass-fed beef supplier that would offer our shoppers high-quality beef at a good value,” said Dave Ruedlinger, Meat Coordinator of the Rocky Mountain Region. “Since Panorama’s beef is also local, raised and harvested within a 7 hour-drive, our shoppers will revel in the taste.”

The Northern Arapaho tribe is committed to maintaining the biodiversity and ecological balance of its land. Even wolves and coyotes, normally regarded as cattle's predators, are protected. The cattle move freely over abundant pastureland, sometimes spurred to move by those very predators — a natural check against overgrazing. Loss of cattle to predators is miniscule. More information about Arapaho Ranch can be found at http://tinyurl.com/cyg22q.

Many firsts are represented by this recent purchasing commitment:

• First time certified organic and grass-fed beef is offered to customers in 28 Rocky Mountain Region Whole Foods Market Stores
• First time for grass-fed and/or certified organic beef to retail at an average of only $1 per pound above natural beef choices
• First time for the Northern Arapaho tribe to sell 100 percent of their beef to a retailer

Panorama's relationship with Arapaho Ranch is a major addition to the firm's existing network of ranchers based in Northern California, Southern Washington and Southern Oregon.

Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Beef comes from cattle raised entirely on pastures of natural grasses, legumes and range forage.

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On the Net:

http://www.arapahoranch.com