I think one of the problems with a discussion like this is that people are in vastly different places. I’m in an area kinda like you, very rural. And there are a lot of cattle around here. They’re cheap. There wouldn’t be a need to truck in beef from anywhere.
Like you, there are no feed lots around here. There just aren’t. Oh, when we drive out west and go through Texas, we see those huge feed lots with thousands of steers being fattened up and not the sight of anything even resembling green grass for miles. And that’s the picture most people have of where ALL beef comes from. You can bet, if a TV camera is looking for something to shock people, they’ll be all over that.
Yes, most of the beef around here get a little grain. But I see how they live. Green pastures are the norm. And right now, they’re doing thousands and thousands of bales of hay for winter. Feed lot cattle… not around here.