By David Pitt | AP February 8 DES MOINES, Iowa — Former chicken farmers in five states have filed a federal lawsuit accusing a handful of giant poultry processing companies that dominate the industry of treating farmers who raise the chickens like indentured servants and colluding to fix prices paid to them. The farmers located in Alabama,…

by Jesse Newman and Patrick McGroarty RANSOM, Kan.—The Farm Belt is hurtling toward a milestone: Soon there will be fewer than two million farms in America for the first time since pioneers moved westward after the Louisiana Purchase. Across the heartland, a multiyear slump in prices for corn, wheat and other farm commodities brought on…

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Get your own copy by subscribing here. Forum Provides Sneak Peek at the Coming Farm Bill This piece was written in conjunction with Civil Eats. Like most things, food policy in our country is in flux. President Trump hasn’t said much about the topic directly, but he has taken…

Top U.S. chicken processors face lawsuit over farmer pay By Tom Polansek | CHICAGO A group of U.S. chicken farmers sued the country’s biggest poultry processors, including Tyson Foods Inc , for allegedly conspiring to depress their pay, the latest accusation of improper collusion in the sector. Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride Co, Sanderson Farms Inc and…

Group Launches "COOLin100" Campaign Billings, Mont. One of the staunchest supporters of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef, R-CALF USA, is launching a new campaign called "COOLin100." The campaign calls on the new Trump Administration and new Congress to reinstate COOL for beef and pork during the Trump Administration’s first 100 days in…

From R-CALF CEO, Bill Bullard: Hans Hunt, Wyoming legislator, is the son of Tracy Hunt who has made presentations at our convention regarding the dangers of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Hans Hunt also introduced a bill that removes the state penalty for failing to pay the checkoff that passed the Wyoming house today…

Wyo. House Committee approves bill requiring beef labeling By Matt Murphy, Wyoming Tribune Eagle CHEYENNE – A House committee has advanced a bill that would require retailers and wholesalers to mark beef with its country of origin if the beef is from the United States or more than one country. However, it’s unknown how the…

Playing chicken Photo by Marcello Cappellazzi Broiler chickens are raised indoors, and farmers are responsible for the cost of construction. Above, Craig Watts, a poultry industry whistleblower and a plaintiff in the case A new class-action lawsuit claims that poultry processors conspire to keep farmers trapped and dependent By Joe Fassler February 1, 2017 In…

Howdy, The agribusiness “Golden Parachute” is alive and well. We have Boehner to thank for the economic disaster in the dairy sector thanks to his insistence that all “supply management” provisions be removed if we were to have a Farm Bill at all. He referred to that standard business practice that all manufacturers use as…