Preamble:

A large land rectangle in Northeast Montana is the centerfold of an altruistic plan by American Prairie (AP) to “rewild” 3.2 million acres stitching together farms, cattle ranches and government owned or managed land utilizing grazing wild bison. Opposing this effort is Save the Cowboy (STC), a group of Montana cattle ranchers and other Montana cowboy-centric groups bent on preserving their ranches, income, heritage and way of life from AP’s encroachment. (Read Episode One and Episode Two if you need a refresher.)

Episode 3.0: My conclusions and prognostications

In my view, the STC versus AP brouhaha is a futile battle pitting STC’s “David” versus AP’s “Goliath.” David won the Biblical battle, which he turned into a long-lasting kingdom of his own. However, STC will not win a protracted war against the well-heeled AP “Philistines.” But of more importance, there is an overarching issue—cell cultivated meats(CCM)—which will eliminate the need for live animal protein production, fundamentally altering all that both AP and STC hold dear.

Until CCM becomes a reality, however, AP’s attempt to “re-wild” a large segment of Montana will proceed in part by dual purposing cattle raising and range restoration, either with current cattle ranch owners or forcing their eventual elimination. STC laments that AP’s efforts displacing cattle ranchers will cause local businesses to wither, ruining rural Montana embedded economies. AP’s counter claim that tourism and other new activities on the “re-wilded” lands will more than offset any rural community business losses is so far unproved.

STC’s way of life, heritage and visceral belief in trying to perpetuate multi-generational years of cattle ranching without any outside interference is now ill-fated not solely because of AP's projected intrusions but more because of their inability to recognize that beef marketing is on the cusp of a dynamic, life-altering change. If, however they are insistent on such a myopic battle with AP, STC must admit that their current “war” plans are ineffective, enthusiastic amateurisms. They need more money to capitalize a consolidated, aggressive and capable counter to AP.

AP is a well-heeled, pugnacious “environmentalist” group hell-bent on forcing STC to cooperate or get out of their way as they take over the glaciated short grass plains of northeast central Montana and re-wild it forever more. AP wants to develop a pristine playground for a select few to enjoy the great outdoors without being penned in by fences nor glamping amongst cow pies.

However, because of issues far larger than AP or STC, I fear STC’s self-preservation goals are not achievable for the long term. Why, because CCM, but not plant-based, is an inevitable iteration of the next step in producing animal protein for human food. With CCM, in six weeks, you can have your steak and eat it too without enduring the 26 months it takes to bring beef from conception to consumption. And, the environmental impact of cell culturing beef is minimal compared to the conversion of 8 pounds of feeds for every pound of beef grown, as well as hauling live animals, feeds and carcasses in carbon emitting vehicles, not to mention the methane belching that goes on in pastures and feedlots.

In light of this overarching CCM issue, is there any need to explore just what STC can do to combat AP? Maybe not, but in the meantime...

Right now, STC’s cattle ranchers and other loosely affiliated cowboy organizations are attempting to justify a way of life that is based more on heredity than environmental salve. Such protestations have not been successful counters to AP’s well-funded, back-to-nature efforts. But with the advent of CCM, both will no longer be necessary.

Overarching all of the bluster from both AP and STC, CCM will eventually erode the traditional cattle to beef production model. When CCM does come to fruition, it will cause the passing of a then anachronistic cattle/beef production system rendering any AP-vs.-STC battle moot. Future generations will witness a decaying of both STC’s cattle/beef production cycle fading into the sunset while zealous and necessary climate change activists and activities displace AP’s “re-wilding” plans.

Both sides lose. While they futilely bait and berate each other, neither recognizes nor prepares for the eventual real winner, CCM.

Beef will survive, but AP and STC will not.

American Prairie vs Save the Cowboy, Episode 3.0: Conclusions & Recommendations

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