| Abstract | Throughout the United States, industrial agriculture has created a set of traditional methods used to raise beef cattle. These traditional methods have large adverse effects on the environment as well as profitability. The producer who took part in this case study has been managing a beef cattle operation in North Texas since 1999. This rancher's non-traditional, holistic land management and business approaches to finishing grass-fed cattle for his custom beef brand are drastically different than traditional methods. This single-case study examines the intersection of profitability and sustainability on a traditional beef cattle operation compared to a holistic, non-traditional beef cattle operation. The data collected for this study includes interviews, a review of government documents, historical management documents, soil laboratory reports, scientific journal articles, and botanical and phenological reports. The aim of this study is to examine traditional and non-conventional approaches to raising cattle, their benefits, and explain how Taggart?s ranching methods create an intersection of profitability and sustainability that may be transferable to other ranches worldwide. The findings from this study inform land management practices that boost both economic value and long-term environmental sustainability. |
