Cattle Beet Capital: Making Industrial Agriculture in Northern Colorado

In 1870, settlers founded Greeley, Colorado, as an agricultural community. One hundred years later, it became the world's largest concentrated cattle-feeding operation. Cattle Beet Capital explores how the beet sugar industry dominated the region in the early twentieth century, supported by a reciprocal relationship with growers and exploiting migrant laborers. The transformations led to commercial feedlots in the 1930s, replacing crop rotations and seasonal livestock operations with densely packed cattle pens, mono-cropped corn, and agro-industrial products.

Format: Hardback
Length: 348 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

In 1870, a group of settlers arrived at a land located at the confluence of the South Platte and Cache la Poudre Rivers in Colorado Territory. They envisioned creating an agricultural community, which they named Greeley, based on small landholdings, shared irrigation systems, and a diverse range of market crops. A century later, Greeley had transformed into the epicenter of the world's largest concentrated cattle-feeding operation. This remarkable transformation begs the question: How did Greeley undergo such a dramatic shift?

Cattle Beet Capital, an animated documentary, explores this transformation by expanding its focus beyond Greeley to encompass the entire northern Colorado region. It reveals how the beet sugar industry emerged as the dominant force in the early twentieth century through a mutually beneficial relationship with its growers. This relationship not only supported a healthy and sustainable agriculture but also exploited tens of thousands of migrant laborers.

Michael Weeks, the filmmaker, delves into the state's role in facilitating this industry's growth. He highlights how the state implemented tariffs and conducted research that aligned with the interests of industry and large farmers. These measures played a crucial role in synchronizing the agendas of the industry and the farmers, ultimately leading to the development of commercial feedlots.

The transformations that paved the way for commercial feedlots began in the 1930s, as farmers replaced crop rotations and seasonal livestock operations with densely packed cattle pens, monocropped corn, and the products derived from agro-industrial labs and factories. Cattle Beet Capital offers a unique lens through which to examine these historical processes, shedding light on the factors that shaped our modern food systems.

In conclusion, Cattle Beet Capital is a captivating documentary that delves into the historical roots of the modern food industry. It explores how Greeley, once a small agricultural community, transformed into the epicenter of the world's largest concentrated cattle-feeding operation. Through its examination of the reciprocal relationship between the beet sugar industry and its growers, as well as the state's role in fostering its growth, the film offers valuable insights into the complex processes that have shaped our contemporary food systems.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496208415