Pueblo County Rancher Champions Dexter Cattle Amid Drought and Industry Consolidation
Leo shares real production costs, including a 486-pound steer that landed at just over $8 per pound, while explaining why smaller, docile, efficient cattle could be the answer for family ranchers getting squeezed out. The conversation digs deep into the Ogallala aquifer crisis, drought compacts written during wet years in the 1920s, and wells running dry across the region. Trent and Leo also tackle equipment monopolies, John Deere dealership consolidation, and a staggering statistic: US grazing land has dropped from 1.1 billion to 643 million acres in just 26 years. It's a hard look at the "perfect storm" facing American cattlemen — shrinking grazing land, imported beef competition, and a commodity system stacked against small producers. Leo makes the case for consumer education and doing things differently.
