Hoop Beef Story the origins of the Hoop Beef System go all the way back to mid-1950’s. Dr. Bryant’s first cattle on feed were fed in an open lot using a scoop shovel to feed ground ear corn. After returning to NW Iowa after graduating from Veterinary School at Iowa State University he helped build a 640 head open feedlot with his father and brother. He built and owned several confinement cattle feedlots in NW Iowa in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. At one time he even marketed his own branded beef harvested at a leased packing plant. But the slatted floor systems were very hard on the cattle’s feet and legs and he just wasn’t satisfied they were the only solution. In 2001 Dr. Bryant began to experiment with what would come to be known as the Hoop Beef System®. Originally used to house cows and calves during the harsh Iowa winters, he quickly saw the potential for feeding and back grounding cattle. He was convinced Hoop Structures would work for feeding cattle. Over the next several years he perfected the System, finally applying for a patent in 2006. The Hoop Beef System® was introduced to the general public in June of 2006. The first open house had over 400 cattle-feeders and cattle industry representatives in attendance. Since that date the Hoop Beef System® has grown across the Midwest at a phenomenal rate. By the end of 2008, approximately 50,000 head of cattle per year will be fed in the Hoop Beef System® in 8 states.