DAKOTA DUNES, SD – Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. announced the company is harvesting Open Prairie Natural Angus beef within 60 miles of where the cattle raised in an effort to meet consumer demand for local foods in the Pacific Northwest.

The meat is processed at the company's Pasco, Wash. facility, which joins the Lexington, Neb., plant as an Open Prairie Natural Angus beef processor, according to Tyson. Adding the Open Prairie brand to the Pasco facility will significantly increase production of the brand, the company said.

"Increasing the supply of Open Prairie Natural Angus beef will help us meet the growing demand for premium quality natural beef that has had no hormones administered and no antibiotics added," said Kent Harrison, vice president, marketing and premium programs. "We are especially pleased to produce beef so close to where it’s sourced. Keeping things local reduces transportation, minimalizes animal stress, and helps produce high-quality beef, naturally.”

Roughly 50 ranchers are part of the Open Prairie Natural Angus beef program, according to Tyson. Many of the ranchers are based in the Columbia Basin region, and they feed their cattle a 100 percent vegetarian diet with no animal by-products. The beef is also antibiotic- and hormone-free.