KFC's Beyond Meat chicken nugget things?

[bae]

What would happen if everyone in the world who eats beef decided to only eat locally grown organic grass fed beef?

I think we'd need to redesign our settlement patterns significantly.

[Ultralight]

I think we'd need to redesign our settlement patterns significantly.

I think you are right, we would definitely have to do that. And then some!

[Gardnr]

What would happen if everyone in the world who eats beef decided to only eat locally grown organic grass fed beef?

It would be phenomenal boost to local economies and more small business. Let's do a bit of math. The farm I buy from locally has a full beef on the hangar at 730 pounds. Our household of 2 might buy 40# per year (but I think it's less). For ease, let's call us the standard. That animal will provide beef to 18 households. 1 animal on average needs 1 acre to graze (this stat is from my farmgirl days in the 70s). Not a problem in rural states. I'm not sure what our cities of greater than 500k peeps will do but I think there is enough land within 200 miles of most locations to do it.

Remember, until corporate growers came to be, meat WAS grown and sold this way but the small farmer families got chased out of business.

The best thing peeps can do is return to buy local. Chase those giant suckers out of business and locals will farm again because it will be a livable wage again. And hopefully it will appeal to youngsters?

A girl can dream.................right?

[Ultralight]

It would be phenomenal boost to local economies and more small business. Let's do a bit of math. The farm I buy from locally has a full beef on the hangar at 730 pounds. Our household of 2 might buy 40# per year (but I think it's less). For ease, let's call us the standard. That animal will provide beef to 18 households. 1 animal on average needs 1 acre to graze (this stat is from my farmgirl days in the 70s). Not a problem in rural states. I'm not sure what our cities of greater than 500k peeps will do but I think there is enough land within 200 miles of most locations to do it.

Could this work on a USA-wide scale? There are about 128,000,000 households in the USA. How many cows would be needed a year? 7,111,111?

[bae]

Stocking rates vary hugely with location. In New Mexico, it’s 50 acres per cow. Where I live, in some areas it’s an acre per cow-calf pair, if you go to other parts of the state you are looking at 25-75 acres per pair.

[Ultralight]

Stocking rates vary hugely with location. In New Mexico, it’s 50 acres per cow. Where I live, in some areas it’s an acre per cow-calf pair, if you go to other parts of the state you are looking at 25-75 acres per pair.

Hmmm... interesting, but now that you mention it, not surprising that it would vary so much.

All told, I wonder if we could support 7,111,111 cows in the USA at any given time. Though I guess it might be less cows than that because some people don't eat cows.

But then again, maybe it would need to be more cows as some (such as myself) eat dairy products.

Interesting stuff, for sure. The USA has about 2.4 billion acres of land.

[Rogar]

What would happen if everyone in the world who eats beef decided to only eat locally grown organic grass fed beef?

I suspect the price of beef would sky rocket due to supply and demand. There are places where the climate or soil won’t support much grassland feed. More people would be forced into vegetarian foods.

Then again, it might open up much of the corn belt.

[Ultralight]

It would be phenomenal boost to local economies and more small business. Let's do a bit of math. The farm I buy from locally has a full beef on the hangar at 730 pounds. Our household of 2 might buy 40# per year (but I think it's less). For ease, let's call us the standard. That animal will provide beef to 18 households. 1 animal on average needs 1 acre to graze (this stat is from my farmgirl days in the 70s). Not a problem in rural states. I'm not sure what our cities of greater than 500k peeps will do but I think there is enough land within 200 miles of most locations to do it.

Remember, until corporate growers came to be, meat WAS grown and sold this way but the small farmer families got chased out of business.

The best thing peeps can do is return to buy local. Chase those giant suckers out of business and locals will farm again because it will be a livable wage again. And hopefully it will appeal to youngsters?

A girl can dream.................right?

Oh, I have an interesting question. You might know off-hand. Like you said, one cow feeds beef to 18 households approximately. Suppose no one ate cows but rather just consumed the cow's dairy products. How many cows would it take to provide dairy products for 18 households?

[Ultralight]

I suspect the price of beef would sky rocket due to supply and demand. There are places where the climate or soil won’t support much grassland feed. More people would be forced into vegetarian foods.

Perhaps, or to other meats like birds or wild game?

[bae]

All told, I wonder if we could support 7,111,111 cows in the USA at any given time. Though I guess it might be less cows than that because some people don't eat cows.

I think the current US herd size is ~95 million animals.