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America's cattle herd reaches a 75-year low

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom
Published March 12, 2026 at 7:50 AM AKDT
Cattle stand while grazing in freshly opened pasture using adaptive grazing at CS Ranch, during the Soil Health Academy which teaches regenerative agriculture techniques, on June 1, 2022 in Cimarron, New Mexico. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Cattle stand while grazing in freshly opened pasture using adaptive grazing at CS Ranch, during the Soil Health Academy which teaches regenerative agriculture techniques, on June 1, 2022 in Cimarron, New Mexico. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The American cattle herd is at a 75-year low. That supply squeeze is leading to skyrocketing beef prices and layoffs in the meatpacking business.

Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins speaks with Monty Lesh, a commercial rancher in Montana, about why herds are so thin and what his industry can do to recover the American cow population.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR
Here & Now Newsroom