July 9, 2021 – OCM Vice-President Stokes quoted in Bloomberg

OCM Staff

By Deena Shanker, Bloomberg/Newsroom <dshanker@bloomberg.net> Currently, if a farmer wants to sue a company for anti-competitive behavior under the act, the farmer would need to show the company’s actions hurt not only him, but the entire industry. That creates a very high bar that the Obama rules would have lowered. But the Trump administration withdrew the rules, leaving groups like the Organization for Competitive Markets disappointed. Fred Stokes, the founder of OCM, and a cattle rancher in Porterville, Read More …

OCM OPEN Annual Membership Meeting

Pat Craycraft

August 21, 2021 Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza 505 N. 5th Street Rapid City, SD Hotel Reservations:  Holiday Inn (605) 348-4000 or Howard Johnson (605) 737-4656 Ask for the ‘R-CALF USA’ Rate ($119.00) We will be forgoing our usual Convention this year, but in compliance with our bylaws, will have an Open Annual Membership Meeting in Rapid City, SD on June 21st.  This will follow R-CALF USA’s annual convention which many of our board directors and members will be Read More …

OCM’s Press Conference of OFF ACT to reform USDA’s Runaway Checkoff Program, Washington, D.C. – June 30, 2021

Pat Craycraft

OCM’s Press Conference of OFF ACT to reform USDA’s Runaway Checkoff Program, Washington, D.C. – June 30, 2021 The Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act will bring much-needed accountability and transparency to USDA’s checkoff programs which have operated without sufficient oversight for far too long,” said Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev. “Family farmers should not be forced to pay into organizations that sometimes lobby against their interests and threaten animal welfare.”  “The USDA’s Checkoff Program was supposed to ensure American Read More …

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

Mike Eby

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

Mike Eby

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

Mike Eby

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?

Mike Eby

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 …