Category: Antitrust

Special Report: The End of the Trail – How Government Destroyed Free Markets for Family Ranchers

Mike Callicrate

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s inaction has led to the near-destruction of American family ranchers. Over 17,000 family ranches will disappear this year. Over 100,000 family ranchers have left the profession since 2009. It’s a tragedy as world-renowned American beef experiences record-high prices, grocery retailers seize increasing shares of beef dollars, meat packers manipulate the beef market and prices paid to ranchers, and the ranchers are denied the rewards resulting from raising the best cattle in the world. Read More …

Confronting The Lie: Open Letter to Steve Dittmer

Mike Callicrate

June 24, 2014 Dear Mr. Dittmer, After reading Mike Callicrate’s article about you in the OCM newsletter, I feel compelled to respond to your recent blog about me and the good hardworking employees at GIPSA that I was honored to lead. Two old sayings come to mind when dealing with you. First is “a wise man has something to say and a fool just has to say something”. The other is that “some people would rather climb a Read More …

Farmers in America have a saying: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu”.

Richard Oswald

Mid-sized farmers are stuck in the middle – too conventional and “toxic” for the foodies, too small to matter to Big Ag corporations. How do you participate in the food debate without becoming part of the menu? Or, with friends like these, who needs aliens? By Richard Oswald Farmers in America have a saying. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” This reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode where extraterrestrials visiting from outer space Read More …

Chipotle: Selling Idealism – Delivering the opposite

Mike Callicrate

The May 13th article, Soaring Earnings of Chipotle’s 2 Bosses Raise Investor Unease, inspired the following story of my experience with Chipotle: Years ago, when I first saw the Chipotle big burrito, “Food with integrity” bill board, I thought what a great marketing campaign. But was it true? I was part of an effort at Colorado College to replace Sodexo with Bon Appetit. Sara, a young student activist was leading the charge. We were successful. Bon Appetite is Read More …

The Politics & Economics of Food – A presentation at Lamar Community College March 2014

Mike Callicrate

click to enlarge I studied Animal Science at Lamar Community College in 1972 and 1973 prior to completing my Animal Science degree at Colorado State University. A lot has changed in agriculture as Land Grant institutions have taught students that agriculture is a business, not a way of life, steering us well off the path of a sustainable food system. Hopefully we can see a shift back from the destructive industrial model to an agriculture that includes good Read More …

Ruling Upholding Meat Labeling Rule Vacated to Consider First Amendment Issue

Mike Callicrate

Reproduced with permission from The United States Law Week, 82 U.S.L.W. 1479 (Apr. 8, 2014). Copyright 2014 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit April 4 agreed to rehear en banc a March 28 panel ruling that a group of meat industry representatives was unlikely to succeed in their challenge to a rule revising meat labeling requirements and therefore were not entitled to a preliminary injunction against Read More …

The New Meat Monopoly: The Humane Society’s New Alliance with Family Farmers

Mike Callicrate

A generation ago, the business of raising animals for food in America looked much like it had at the Founding – family farms, open and competitive markets, high standards, and a self sustaining national economy. Today, vast corporations rule almost every corner of the animal agriculture landscape, and these giants are increasingly controlled from foreign capitals. Some economists argue in favor of this new order of things, mainly claiming it is more “efficient.” But there’s also growing evidence Read More …