By Lily Platts
AgDaily
The fast-paced nature of the modern U.S. beef industry can make it easy to forget just how far it has come over the course of our nation’s history. Today, for the most part, the system runs like a well-oiled machine. Science, genetics, and technology have allowed producers to home in on productivity and create a consistent end product. Some breeds have risen in popularity, and each has a national association guiding its organization and development.
Cattle are believed to have been on this continent since the late 1400s. Some of these first cattle were brought to the U.S. by explorer Christopher Columbus, yet were a far cry from the beef cattle we know today. Many were used for milk and meat, but efficiency and selective breeding weren’t necessarily at the top of anyone’s priority list, especially since most of the colonists were simply trying to survive. For example, in 1611, Plymouth pilgrims had a group of cattle and are recorded to have imported a bull and three cows from England. East of the Mississippi, cattle continued to spread, alongside immigrants, and beef became a protein staple for many. However, it is reported that for the most part, the demand for beef far outweighed the available supply.