Booker pushes for poultry industry oversight By Leah Douglas, March 15, 2018 FacebookTwitterEmail Sen. Cory Booker introduced legislation yesterday that would require more transparency and oversight of how poultry loans are allocated by the Small Business Administration. The proposal comes just a week after a report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) questioned…

Media Contact: R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa www.r-calfusa.com Aidan O’Shea, Public Justice : 202-861-5240 aoshea, Ranch Groups Make Claim for Summary Judgment in Suit to Return USDA Country-of-Origin Labeling Spokane, WA: On Tuesday, independent, domestic rancher groups R-CALF USA and the Cattle Producers of Washington (CPoW) made arguments in a pivotal hearing…

By Alan Bjerga | March 16, 2018 In a town where deregulation is king, Sonny Perdue rules. Rather quietly. Perdue is the U.S. secretary of agriculture, running an agency with a $140 billion budget and a low profile. His traveling press corps, when there is one, can squeeze into the back of a van. He…

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Get your own copy by subscribing here. New Iowa Egg Bill Would Block Grocers from Selling Only Cage-Free​ Eggs Kroger, Albertson’s and Walmart are just a few of the big U.S. grocers that have committed to transitioning to sell only cage-free eggs over the next decade. But a bill…

By Jasper Craven | March 13, 2018 Big Ag’s increasing influence has some farmers wondering whether it’s time to abandon the organic label altogether. The US government’s organic-agriculture program isn’t exactly where you’d expect to find a nest of corporate lackeys and anti-environmental actors. And yet, at a recent meeting of the National Organic Standards…

Opinion Spotlight: Don’t let Uncle Sam violate states’ rights on farm bill By Cindy Arnett Posted Mar 10, 2018 at 6:32 PM While Congress prepares to debate the farm bill, an amendment is already being drafted that takes federal overreach to a dangerous new level. The measure, H.R. 4879/H.R. 4879/H.R. 3599, is being proposed by…

For Immediate Release: Contact: Lori Wallach 202-454-5107 lwallach March 15, 2018 Ufuoma Otu 202-454-5108; uotu; Canada Trade Deficit: Trump Actually Was Right When He Thought He Was Wrong WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States does have a trade deficit with Canada: We import between $21-$34 billion more in goods and services from Canada than we…

When did it become so wrong to protect something of value? Now that everyone is talking about the tariffs President Trump ordered on imported steel and aluminum earlier this month, we must also question why the United States continues to allow the importation of cheap meat that is produced below the cost of production. Allowing…

Groups’ beef breaks into public view amid checkoff allegations By KEVIN WALKER Michigan Correspondent BILLINGS, Mont. — A feud between two rancher groups broke out into the open last month, with one of them accusing the other of a smear campaign. The Billings, Mont.-based Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) accused…

POLITICO’s Morning Agriculture By Sabrina Rodriguez | 03/09/2018 10:00 AM EDT Contract poultry farmers may not qualify for small business loans: Large poultry companies like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride exert so much control over their contract farmers’ operations that these growers don’t appear to meet the regulatory definition of a small business required to…