Media

The Hill | The death of the American dream for family farmers

OCM Staff

The Hill By Joe Maxwell On Oct. 17, 2017, the American dream, the hope of every American for a fair share of America’s prosperity, died for America’s family farmers and rural farming communities, when USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced he would withdraw the Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration’s Interim Final Rule (known as the GIPSA rule). Except for the lone voices of Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jon Tester(D-Mont.), few in Washington even took notice. At issue is whether or not independent family farmers have a Read More …

Farm Groups Urge President Trump to Implement GIPSA Protections

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 7, 2017 Media Contact: Angela Huffman, 614-390-7552 ahuffman@competitivemarkets.com Farm Groups Urge President Trump to Implement GIPSA Protections WASHINGTON, D.C. – In denouncing Secretary Perdue’s withdrawal of the two Farmer Fair Practices Rules on October 17, 2017, Organization for Competitive Markets stated it would call on President Trump to do by executive order what the Secretary was unwilling to do: implement the proposed GIPSA rules. Today, a coalition of more than 80 agricultural organizations including Read More …

10 reasons to vote “No” on the Oklahoma beef checkoff increase

OCM Staff

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association is holding a referendum to double the beef checkoff tax assessed on cattle producers. In-person voting takes place on November 1, 2017 at Oklahoma County Extension Offices. The election process has been controversial, with many constitutional and illegal irregularities. On behalf of our Oklahoma membership, the Organization for Competitive Markets urges a “No” vote for the following reasons: It’s throwing good money after bad. The fee increase would raise an additional $3 million to Read More …

Enid News & Eagle | Oklahoma Ranchers seeking Supreme Court intervention in State Checkoff Referendum

OCM Staff

Enid News & Eagle By Ryan Miller Staff Writer Two organizations are seeking state Supreme Court intervention to prohibit the certification of the beef checkoff referendum. Last week, members of the Organization for Competitive Markets and R-CALF USA joined to file with the Oklahoma Supreme Court, requesting the court enter declaratory judgement and prohibit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry from certifying the Oklahoma beef checkoff program referendum. “The legal application is in response to the Read More …

Who cares about the future of real dairy farmers and our captive consumers?

OCM Staff

By Brenda Cochran Tioga County, Pennsylvania The latest from the “Dairy Industry” is another outrage that is hard to imagine is even happening. As outlined in Jim Dickerell’s article in Farm Journal’s Milk, “Industry Proposes Changing How Fluid Milk is Priced,” the “Dairy Industry” is going to make a move in the upcoming Farm Bill to change how fluid milk is calculated, abandoning the “high of” calculation. Where do dairy farmers or consumers fit in with these globalized Read More …

Oklahoma Ranchers Seek Supreme Court Intervention in State Checkoff Referendum

OCM Staff

              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2017 Media Contacts: Bill Bullard, 406-252-2516, billbullard@r-calfusa.com Angela Huffman, 614-390-7552, ahuffman@competitivemarkets.com Oklahoma Ranchers Seek Supreme Court Intervention in State Checkoff Referendum OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Today, Oklahoma members of the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and R-CALF USA joined together to file with the Oklahoma Supreme Court an application for original jurisdiction requesting the court enter a declaratory judgement and prohibit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Read More …

U.S. News & World Report | Kansas Agriculture Community Divided Over Livestock Rules

OCM Staff

U.S. News & World Report TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas agriculture community has been divided over a decision by the Trump administration to block new livestock rules from taking effect. A division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture called the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration had proposed the rules that were scheduled to go into effect Thursday, the Lawrence Journal-World reported . The new rules were intended to protect poultry producers from unfair commercial practices by food processing Read More …

Capital Press | USDA releases delayed dairy checkoff reports

OCM Staff

Capital Press By Carol Ryan Dumas The USDA last week published annual reports for on the dairy checkoff program for 2013, 2014 and 2015. It provided no explanation why the mandatory reports to Congress were not completed as required. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service last week published three annual reports on the dairy checkoff program but gave no public explanation as to why it failed to submit those mandatory reports to Congress since 2012. A month earlier, the Organization for Competitive Read More …