Reps. Dina Titus and Nancy Mace Applauded by Sustainable Agriculture and Animal Welfare Leaders for Introducing OFF Act to Reform USDA’s Runaway Checkoff Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM), Animal Wellness Action (AWA), Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF), and National Dairy Producers Organization (NDPO) applauded U.S. Reps. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C. for introducing the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, designed to reform and bring accountability and transparency to reform the USDA’s Commodity Checkoff Programs that have long been plagued by scandal after scandal for misappropriation of funds, lack of transparency, and misusing farmer and rancher tax dollars Read More …

OCM Testifies at Public Hearing on Federal Prohibition of Whole Milk in Schools

June 17, 2021 Media Contact: Mike Eby Organization for Competitive Markets meby@competitivemarkets.com 717-799-0057 LINCOLN, NE: Yesterday, OCM’s executive director Mike Eby, testified at the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing on the federal prohibition of whole milk in schools. Eby claims, “Dairy farmers have lost a generation of milk drinkers since whole milk was removed from schools in 2010”.  He continues, “In my many interactions with other farmers and consumers, having done many outreach programs through my industry Read More …

CLARIFICATION FOR NCBA CEO COLIN WOODALL

June 8, 2021 Media Contact: Mike Eby meby@competitivemarkets.com 717-799-0057 LINCOLN, NE: Recently, Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network in conjunction with KIWA Radio aired an interview with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CEO Collin Woodall who misspoke saying, “R-CALF USA and the Organization for Competitive Markets petitioned USDA to terminate the National Beef Checkoff program last July.”  Vaughn Meyer, president of OCM appreciates Mr. Woodall’s attempt to credit OCM with the noble initiation of requesting a referendum vote for the first time Read More …

NAMI, Myth or Fact?

Recently, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) published a list of facts on common beef market myths which was sent to Congressional constituents in an attempt to derail ongoing support for the Senators Rounds and Smith letter to Attorney General Garland.  The Rounds/Smith letter directs the government, specifically the Attorney General Office, to investigate the meatpacker stranglehold over our meat processing markets and if any violations of anti-trust laws and fair competition principles are occurring. In their letter Read More …

Organization for Competitive Markets Addresses disparaging comments from NCBA leadership

LINCOLN, NE – Today the Organization for Competitive Markets issued the following statement from Fred Stokes, VP and founder of OCM, after a series of cattlemen’s meetings held in Florida in an attempt to bring industry stakeholders together for the betterment of the industry. This statement follows a campaign of misinformation by NCBA president Marty Smith and CEO Colin Woodall who attacked OCM and it’s board members. “Colin Woodall, speaking on behalf of NCBA has resorted to absurd Read More …

Organization for Competitive Markets Addresses Beef Checkoff President’s Cowardly Misinformation, Failure to Disclose NCBA’s Partnership with World Wildlife Fund and Humane Society of the U.S.

October 31, 2020 TAMPA, FL – Today the Organization for Competitive Markets issued the following statement after a series of cattlemen’s meetings held in Florida regarding the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Beef Checkoff Program, a quasi-governmental agency known as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The statement follows a campaign of misinformation by NCBA president Marty Smith who attacked OCM, it’s board members, and cowardly deflected open conversations related to NCBA’s consistent pattern of spending hard-earned farmer dollars Read More …