Tyson – 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 ...

LB176 Letter to Senators – February 1, 2016

Mike Callicrate — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 17:33:07 +0000

February 1, 2016 Dear Senator: As president of the Organization for Competitive Markets, I sent the Agriculture Committee a strong letter of opposition to LB176 last year. On February 2, 1999, I testified before the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee in favor of LB832, LB833, LB834, and LB835 which were later merged into the Competitive Livestock Markets Act. I testified as the owner and manager of a large beef feedlot in Kansas, and on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Legal Fund, Read More ...

America Returns to the Jungle

Mike Callicrate — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 17:41:07 +0000

A safe and secure food supply is essential to a free society The United States was always able to feed itself. Except for a few non-essentials like coffee, tea and bananas, we were self-sufficient. The British government, along with their corporate partner, the East India Company, saw unlimited potential to extract wealth through the American colonies. Our Founding Fathers, willing to fight for our freedom and sovereignty, risked their lives and the lives of many citizens, to save Read More ...

Eleven years ago a few good cattlemen stood up for justice in an Alabama courtroom.

Mike Callicrate — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 15:13:19 +0000

Eleven years ago a few cattlemen stood up for justice in an Alabama courtroom. The jury awarded the cattlemen $1.28 billion in damages for Tyson/IBP’s manipulation of the cattle market. Before the court could consider injunctive relief, Judge Lyle B. Strom reversed the jury verdict and ordered the cattlemen to pay Tyson/IBP’s court costs of $80,000. The Supreme Court refused to hear the cattlemen’s case for fair markets in favor of the Anna Nicole Smith family feud case. Read More ...

Merchants of Doubt Exposes the Bull

Mike Callicrate — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 15:18:37 +0000

Not believing doesn’t make it untrue In last week’s Atlantic article, Farmland Without Farmers, Wendell Berry describes how industrial agriculture has replaced men with machines, depriving the American landscape of its stewards and the culture they built. He discusses the value of living in a place for a long time and observing, in that place, what’s missing. Over the last 35 years, as Wendell Berry describes, corporations have assumed near total control of agriculture while family farmers have Read More ...

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

Richard Oswald — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 14:43:06 +0000

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 ...

Important anniversary coincides with compelling new book

Mike Callicrate — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 22:32:18 +0000

By Mike Callicrate | February 20, 2014 This week I’m taking a moment to observe the 10-year anniversary of the most important court case in the history of the U.S. cattle industry, while turning the last page on a powerful new book that tells in precise and riveting detail the sad story of why the lawsuit was so critically needed. Christopher Leonard’s new book, The Meat Racket – The Secret Takeover of America’s Food Business, which hits book Read More ...

Zilmax is particularly offensive in a lot of ways to eaters and producers

Mike Callicrate — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 18:38:42 +0000

Mike Callicrate, President of Organization for Competitive Markets speaks out about Zilmax in front of Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the HSUS, Joe Maxwell, Vice President of Outreach and Engagement of The HSUS and Matthew Penzer, Special Counsel of the HSUS. More Zilmax Related Articles & Audio Interviews with Mike Callicrate

Tyson Foods bans using cattle with Zilmax growth hormone

Mike Callicrate — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 01:35:11 +0000

AirTalk with Larry Mantle for August 12, 2013 Listen to interview: [audio:http://media.scpr.org/audio/upload/2013/08/12/beef.mp3] Tyson foods said it will no longer buy cattle fed Zilmax, a growth-inducing drug. What was the company’s motivation for the decision? Last Thursday market traders noticed cattle prices rise sharply. It was in response to news that Tyson Foods – a major meatpacker – quietly had sent letters to cattle feedlots indicating Tyson would no longer buy cows fed Zilmax. That’s a supplement designed to Read More ...

It’s Still Called Stealing

Mike Callicrate — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:53:48 +0000

Grade and yield buying used to be called “Grade and Steal” by most cattlemen. Today, it’s called Value-Based Marketing by the big packers and their cheerleaders, like Certified Angus Beef’s (CAB) Miranda Reiman. In her March 4th article, “Value-based cattle marketing dominates”, Reiman attempts to mentally condition Angus breeders and other cattlemen to accept their fate in Big Food’s supply chain where performance enhancing drugs, added flavorings, Pink Slime, various pre-digestion methods, and meat recalls, do more to Read More ...