Cows stand in a feed barn at Hallstead Farms in Lexington, Ky., in February. Although the U.S. cattle herd size has shrunk in recent decades, U.S. beef production has remained strong, partly because cattle now weigh hundreds of pounds more than they did in the 1950s. Luke Sharrett for NPR hide caption

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Luke Sharrett for NPR

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Beef has long been an iconic and beloved staple of the American diet, from barbecue to hamburgers and steaks. Even as retail prices have soared recently, U.S. demand for beef has remained strong .

Yet the U.S. cattle herd, including both beef and dairy cattle, is the smallest it has been in three-quarters of a century. Domestic producers had 86.2 million head of cattle on the first day of this year, according to U.S.…