Tag: Vilsack

The End of the Trail for Family Ranchers: Lunch with Louden 7/31/2014

Mike Callicrate

New Politics Podcasts with Coffee Party USA on BlogTalkRadio Do you ever feel like you are not getting the whole story? If you are like me, you can look to your own life situation and know that “the news” often omits important elements that might well change how others perceive the situation. Whether the information is incomplete by oversight or design, it is time for our media to raise the bar. Today on Lunch with Louden I’ll be Read More …

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 …

The Progressive Farmer | Checkoff Spat Sparks Pushback: OCM Director May Lose Seat on State Farm Bureau Board

Mike Callicrate

Chris Clayton, DTN Ag Policy Editor | Mon Oct 8, 2012 12:54 PM CDT OMAHA (DTN) — The Mississippi Farm Bureau\board of directors may vote to boot a director off its board because of his role in litigation involving the beef checkoff. Fred Stokes, a 77-year-old retired Army veteran who has run a small cattle operation in Mississippi, has spent much of his time over the past several years raising Cain against large market forces in agriculture such Read More …

GRAVY

Mike Callicrate

By Richard Oswald Simple things–like the first meal of the day–are always best. Bacon and eggs, pancakes and sausage, biscuits, or plain old grits, you just can’t beat a country breakfast. When it gets right down to it, the flavor of the whole day is topped off with one thing; Good or bad, for better or worse, it’s all about gravy. A few years ago, hotels started offering customers breakfast at free buffets. First it was  cereal, yogurt, Read More …

Antitrust efforts have gone in dustbin of history

Mike Callicrate

Christine Varney of the Justice Department and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack listen during a workshop with poultry farmers in Normal, Ala., May 21, 2010. (USDA photo) The food we eat is increasingly part of a globalized and industrialized concentrated system. Researchers point to a growing consolidation in food production, processing and distribution. Four or five companies control thousands of brands. Poultry growers have one-sided contracts, pig and beef producers increasingly are forced to give up independence for contracts Read More …