Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series: Michael Weeks

800 West University Parkway,Orem UT 84097

06 October, 2022

Description

“Engineering Beef: A Brief History of the Modern Steak” - Presented by Michael WeeksPrior to World War II, most beef produced in the United States was raised by small farmers who employed the crops on their lands to fatten cattle and the manure from their livestock to replenish their soils. During the 1930s, a small cohort of Colorado farmers were determined to change that by abandoning crop farming and fattening cattle year-round. Their story provides the starting point for understanding why more than 90% of domestic beef today is fattened in massive commercial feedlots and disassembled in nearby slaughterhouses. As part of that story, we’ll learn about how corn became such a critical feed, why pharmaceutical drugs are fed to most commercial livestock, and about the role agricultural colleges such as Utah State play in making meat. I’ll also introduce you to a five-foot tall Japanese-American researcher and centenarian who transformed cattle feeding. If you want to know the history behind the modern steak, join us!About Michael WeeksMichael is a lecturer in the History and Political Science department at Utah Valley University where he teaches courses in United States history, environmental history, and the American West. He has published articles on science and the state, irrigation engineering, and public lands. His recently released book Cattle Beet Capital explains how certain cultural, environmental, and institutional factors that evolved in Northern Colorado explain modern American agriculture. Michael lives in Provo with his wife, Sacha, and dog, Sienna. He is a flailing backyard gardener who would desperately like to replace the rest of his lawn with something he can eat. ______________________Roots of Knowledge is a sweeping stained-glass panorama of history and human drama. The intricate details incorporated into every window represent years of painstaking research on the events and people that shaped humankind from the days of wooly mammoths and cavemen to the iPhone. Created by Holdman Studios and installed at the UVU Fulton Library in 2016, this artistic landmark comprises 80 individual panes and took 12 years to complete.For information on where to park at UVU, please visit https://www.uvu.edu/parking/visitor-parking.html.