In Nebraska, Blackshirt Feeders LP is building the country’s largest feedlot for 200,000 beef cattle on a square-mile slab of concrete. By Georgina Gustin August 9, 2026 HAIGLER, Neb.—The far southwestern corner of this state unfurls in a rolling sea of dusky-green prairie where cattle have outnumbered people for generations. A sign along U.S. Highway 34,…
The pandemic exposed the fragility of global supply chains, but killing food re-localization efforts is still strong. Small locally-owned and operated meat plants can help rebuild rural communities while providing safe and affordable food to consumers. The Weapon: A cheap by-product/imported beef trim/waste fat blend of ingredients that costs essentially half of U.S. domestically sourced…
R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America Fighting for the Independent U.S. Cattle Producer By: R-CALF USA Communications Director Jaiden Moreland Contact: R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa Senate Agriculture Committee Approves Bipartisan MCOOL Amendment for Beef WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 6, 2026 – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,…
There’s a powerful food cartel that doesn’t want you to know where your beef comes from August 4, 2026 In May of 2017, Brazilian authorities launched Operation Weak Flesh, a crackdown on food safety violations associated with the production and exportation of rotten meat. What they found was shocking, including rampant use of acid and…
MCOOL battle + consumers turn to local food A news briefing from Farm Action’s policy team August 3, 2026 MCOOL back in farm bill debate What happened: As the Senate Agriculture Committee prepares to begin markup of the farm bill this Thursday, debate over Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef has intensified. Rancher groups, including…
The United States Congress refuses to let consumers know the country of origin of their beef. Montana Cattlemen’s Association Press ReleaseRelease Date: July 24, 2026Despite a nationwide coordinated effort by livestock and farm organizations, the Farm Bill draft does not include restoring Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef. We were hopeful because Senate Majority…
Antitrust Enforcement Lags, As Foreign Control of Meat Sector Grows What happened to the Trump Administration’s promised investigation? July 27, 2026 In May, an announcement by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins of a criminal antitrust investigation into the “Big Four” meatpackers (JBS, Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef) over potential collusion and beef…
Congress probes Taylor Farms + Georgia expands interstate meat market access A news briefing from Farm Action’s policy team July 27, 2026 Lawmaker seeks answers on Taylor Farms’ cyclospora investigation What happened: Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, is seeking information from Taylor Farms over concerns that the company may…
R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America Fighting for the Independent U.S. Cattle Producer Contact: Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa View and share this news release on Facebook here and on X here, or view the web version here. Ranch Group Calls Packing Industry’s MCOOL Cost Paper Overtly Biased and…
July 23, 2026 By Lucy Sears When federal investigators initially identified Taylor Farms’ iceberg lettuce as the likely source of a multistate Cyclospora outbreak, the company quickly became the focus of national attention. Days later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a laboratory result on one lettuce sample was a false positive…