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By Scott Mechura EBS Food Columnist
The evolution of ranching in North America has become incredibly efficient since its arrival in the new world.
For almost 500 years, habitants of North America have kept cattle as livestock. Europeans introduced domesticated cattle almost immediately upon arrival to the continent. While they were used for sustenance at the local community level, for centuries, cattle were used primarily for their hides and tallow. Beef was just a secondary use.
Herds were growing quickly as the U.S. was growing, but this growth was limited the western half of the country as Texas.
Although the demand for beef was increasing nationwide, it wasn’t until the invention of the refrigerated railcar in 1860 that allowed beef to be transported and sold all the way back to the East Coast.
Subsequently, the number of herds on ranches west of the Mississippi doubled in just 20 years; from 1880 to 1900. But, since meat was still towards the bottom of the list of reasons for raising and selling cattle in the first place, there still was no reason or resources to fatten them up.
As the demand for food increased, they started exploring how to more efficiently raise a heavier animal. And four things came into play.
Cattle breeds in Great Brittan were larger and more muscular. Much more so than the smaller leaner longhorn native to Spain that we now associate with Texas. And while Texas has taken claim the Longhorn, they have been crossbred with the larger British breeds for over 150 years.
While Texas certainly had the land for stockyards and feedlots, they lacked the connective railway system. Cities like Chicago and Kansas City did have the required rail infrastructure. This meant that cattle could be transported easily to the upper Midwest and finished, which led to the third development.
Cattle then needed to be processed. They could now be shipped live for relatively short distances into these same large cities with refrigerated processing plants very close by. Today, the upper Midwest is still a huge producer of processed beef for the nation.
In addition to the ability to greatly expand what we know as the modern restaurant diner (which I wrote about a few years ago), President Eisenhower’s massive national highway project began in the 1050’s. That allowed beef and beef products to now reach all corners of the U.S.
All over the world—but nowhere more so than in the U.S.—has the raising and production of cattle become so incredibly efficient and congruent with the land they graze on gone from a negative to a positive.
As we often hear that beef cattle are taking over our planet and steering us towards eminent doom, it’s interesting to note that while the gross weight of beef cattle in America is only slightly higher than it was in 1955, the total number of beef cattle is in fact less than it was in 1955.
We have kept up with food supplies since first colonizing the Americas, but that brings up a bit of a chicken or the egg quandary. Have we innovated and found ways to keep up with human growth and grow more and better? Or, has our innovation and efficiency allowed us to grow our population?
A question for another time perhaps.
Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry. He is a former certified beer judge and currently the multi-concept culinary director for a Bozeman based restaurant group.
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CALL FOR ARTISTS: Paint anytime from June 1-28EXHIBITION & SALE: June 29 - July 31Calling all artists and nature enthusiasts! Get
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CALL FOR ARTISTS: Paint anytime from June 1-28
EXHIBITION & SALE: June 29 – July 31
Calling all artists and nature
enthusiasts! Get your paintbrushes ready for an unforgettable experience at
Paint Under the Big Sky, a thrilling plein air event set against the stunning
backdrop of Big Sky, MT, Chet Huntley’s “The Last Best Place”. Don’t
miss this chance to unleash your creativity and be part of a vibrant artistic community.
What is Paint Under the Big Sky? PUBS is a plein air event for all painters of any ability (over the age of 16). Sponsored by the Big Sky Artist’s Studio & Gallery and the Big Sky Artists Collective, a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster a strong community of artists in the Big Sky area, the paint-out hopes to introduce painters to our extraordinary landscape for an opportunity to create, meet and have fun. Plein air painters record our landscape for generations to come.
Artists are invited to travel to Big
Sky, MT to paint anytime between Jun 1 – 28, and participate in the exhibition
and sale of paintings from June 29 – July 31.
Come join us! We have a great
place to paint and are welcoming and fun!
Don’t miss out!
Time
June 1 (Saturday) 1:00 am - July 31 (Wednesday) 11:55 pm
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Embrace the freedom and serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice
Event Details
Embrace the freedom and
serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the
Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice to
invigorate your day of adventure ahead. Complimentary. Weather
permitting.
Time
June 1 (Saturday) 7:00 am - August 31 (Saturday) 7:00 am
Location
Montage Big Sky
995 Settlement Trail
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
Time
June 10 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 19 (Monday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
Time
June 17 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 26 (Monday) 6:00 pm