Against the Grain : Collective Identity and the Grassfed Livestock Movement in Oklahoma

Abstract

Social scholars have given consideration to many aspects of the alternative agrifood system, but overall they have not engaged the emergent pasture-based, or grassfed, livestock movement. This shortcoming is addressed here by drawing on social movement and agrifood scholarship to examine how grassfed livestock enterprises function within local food systems in Oklahoma. Data for this research consist of in-depth interviews conducted with 31 Oklahoman grassfed producers raising cattle, poultry, and/or hogs. Interviews were coded and analyzed using a grounded approach. Results center on how grassfed ranchers' motivations, values, and agricultural techniques contribute to the creation and maintenance of a collective grassfed identity. Also considered are the roles grassfed producers play in local food systems and the tactics they utilize to navigate the agricultural regulatory environment.