Wyoming Indian Tribe Selling Beef To Whole Foods

The deal means Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods gets cattle from a ranch within a seven-hour drive, which it considers to be local.

The ranch protects other wildlife including bears and coyotes that roam the same land as the cattle. "As an Arapaho, those animals are here before our cows were," council member Ron Oldman said. "Part of our heritage is to be nurturers of the land."

Most work is done on horseback rather than ATVs or other vehicles to avoid stressing the cattle.

"Anything living we treat them like a brother," council member Norman Willow said. "That will pass on to the people who eat it."

Oldman said the tribe has been affected by the slumping economy like anyone else but has been helped by the ranch and casinos, two of which have restaurants that serve beef from Arapaho Ranch.

The tribe has had the ranch since 1940 and was certified organic last year, a move the Business Council made to fetch higher beef prices, council member Darrell O'Neal said.