Meat
Randall
B tier
Randall (Randall Lineback) is a rare American landrace cattle type descended from multipurpose Lineback cattle of New England, conserved through the Randall family’s closed herd in Vermont. Animals show a distinctive black or colour-sided lineback pattern, medium dairy-beef frames, and thrifty foraging ability; beef is lean to moderately marbled with a clean, old-fashioned flavour when grass-finished on small farms. Nearly extinct by the late twentieth century, Randall cattle are now a heritage conservation breed supplying specialty milk, beef, and oxen. Meat is marketed through farm-direct and rare-breed channels rather than commodity beef systems.
Also known as: Randall Lineback
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Colour-sided multipurpose cattle common in New England formed the broader Lineback landrace of colonial farms.
The Randall family of Sunderland, Vermont, began a closed herd that preserved a pure Lineback type.
After the Randall herd was dispersed, conservationists rescued remaining animals from near extinction.
Breed registries and landrace programmes formalised Randall Lineback identity and breeding goals.
Smallholder and historic-farm projects expanded pure Randall herds for milk, beef, and draft demonstration.
Specialty grass-fed Randall beef and conservation marketing stabilised a still-rare purebred population.