Grass or Grain? Assessing the Nature of the US Bison Industry

Abstract

By looking at recent developments in the US bison industry this article illustrates some of the inadequacies of the productive/post-productive divide in contemporary agriculture. To this end, conceptions of quality are examined to indicate the factors that move the industry towards or away from conventional modes of production. These perspectives have become manifest in attitudes regarding the use of grain in the production process. Increasingly, the use of grain conflicts with the pre-modern image of the animal, thus casting the productive/post-productive dichotomy into doubt. In order to circumvent this problem, the concept of hybrid agriculture is put forth as an alternative form of description and assessment in an attempt to redirect attention toward critical aspects of nonhumans. Hybrid agriculture stresses the need to recognise and foster the agency of nonhumans, whether it is exemplified by diverse body types or by the capacity for nonhumans to redistribute themselves within the physical environment.

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