Secretary Tom Vilsack – Organization for Competitive Markets

Ban On Meat Packer Ownership: Too Little, Too Late

Mike Callicrate — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:10:52 +0000

By Mike Callicrate Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a longtime advocate for fair markets, is once again reintroducing a bill that would make it unlawful for meat packers to own livestock more than seven days prior to slaughter. Similar legislation has been introduced before, but the powerful packer lobby has always succeeded in killing it. Aside from whether the bill actually has a chance this time, there’s another question to consider. If Congress bans meat packers from owing livestock, Read More ...

Vilsack Drops Huge Bomb: Approving Beef Imports from FMD-Infected Brazil & Agentina

Mike Callicrate — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 13:33:32 +0000

USDA Approval of Brazilian Beef Imports Coming Soon?? by Jim Eichstadt | The Milkweed – Dairy’s best information and insights | Issue No. 431 • June 2015 Foot & Mouth Disease Threat Alert! USDA appears to be gearing up to do the unthinkable: allowing fresh beef imports from Brazil, a country contaminated with highly contagious Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). No sane person would dare risk this “nuclear option.” Exposing U.S. livestock herds to an FMD outbreak could devastate millions Read More ...

A Big Controversy is Brewing

Mike Callicrate — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 16:00:02 +0000

October 8, 2014 For Immediate Release A Big Controversy is Brewing Secretary Vilsack has announced that he will take summary action to reform the Beef Checkoff. NCBA has dubbed the initiative “train wrecking the Checkoff”. Not surprising since the change may threaten their gravy train. The Checkoff represents more than 80% of their total revenue. The Checkoff program is a dismal failure which has been made into an NCBA slush fund. Until Vilsack’s proposal is more clearly defined, Read More ...

The Obama I used to know

Mike Callicrate — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 23:23:52 +0000

“There is nothing I care about more than farmers” – Dave Murphy, Food Democracy Now Murphy worked for President Obama during this first term and at that time was a supporter of Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack.