High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A cow-calf operation is a method of raising beef cattle in which a permanent herd of cows is kept by a farmer or rancher to produce calves for later sale. Cow-calf operations are one of the key aspects of the beef industry in the United States and some other countries. In the British Isles, a cow-calf operation may be known as a single-suckler herd. The goal of a cow-calf operation is to produce young beef cattle, which are usually sold. A rancher who works within such a model is often called a "cow-calf operator" in the United States.