Beef cattle were routinely finished locally in Kentucky before the 1950’s, primarily on pasture with some grain and by-products from distilleries. Cattle were typically born, raised, and finished on the same farm, sent to a local butcher, and the meat sold in nearby communities and cities. This all changed after the Second World War as grain and transportation costs decreased dramatically in conjunction with the establishment of supermarket chains that required a large, steady supply channel. The combined effect of these changes made finishing in large centralized locations more economical. Over the next couple of decades the finishing industry consolidated, and feedlots sprung up across the Great Plains1 to finish the bulk of the nation’s cattle
