The federal government provided Roosevelt and other cattlemen with free land, and nature provided the grass and water that the cattle consumed. The federal government and states subsidized the railroads that promoted cattle-raising and hauled cattle to market. For all practical purposes, the “producer” in this industry was the product itself, for cows and steers got precious little help from humans in surviving on the Great Plains. Their owners branded them, gathered them when ready for shipping, and sent them off to market.
