Beef, largest single segment

Agfact Day #30

Cattle and beef production represent the largest single segment of American agriculture. In fact according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) more farms are classified as beef cattle operations (31%) than any other type of farm. Grant most cattle operation are small, 90% of cow herds are less than 100 with average about 44 animals.

In 2011, 742,000 herds of cattle (farms) existed in the United States, the home of 30.9 million  beef cows and 26.7 million feeder calves.