This unwarranted action comes against, Mike Callicrate and A.J. Jones, two of the nation’s leading advocates of sustainable family farm agriculture. Mike and A.J. produce good food from their environmentally beneficial, humane, and sustainable farming and ranching operation. Mike is also a long-time outspoken critic of the industrial, big food cartel that continues to drive family farmers and ranchers off the land as they take more and more control of our government and our food supply.
Ruleton, Kansas, Spring 2011 - What has the EPA done here? Nothing.
Hay stock for winter feeding at Callicrate Cattle Co. that the EPA contends is in violation and pollutant as the runoff needs to be contained.
Why have we allowed the federal government to circumvent our local and state agencies in attacking the best examples of sustainable farming and ranching while ignoring the pollution and other extremely bad actions of big industrial operations? The federal government gives permission to the blatant and massive pollution of companies like BP, Exxon Mobile, Tyson, Cargill, JBS and Smithfield, and instead, without due process, goes after environmentally friendly family farms and ranches, producing healthy local foods, like Callicrate.
Click on image to read EPA Order Summary
ORDER: “The inspector also noted that your operation included swine and poultry and that these activities may be deemed a significant operational change requiring Kansas Department of Health and Environment approval.”
NOTE: We are checking with KDHE about the addition of swine and poultry to the operation.
8.) Production area means that part of an AFO that includes the animal confinement area, the manure storage area, the raw materials storage area, and the waste containment areas. The animal confinement area includes but is not limited to open lots, housed lots, feedlots, confinement houses, stall barns, free stall barns, milkrooms, milking centers, cowyards, barnyards, medication pens, walkers, animal walkways, and stables. The manure storage area includes but is not limited to lagoons, runoff ponds, storage sheds, stockpiles, under house or pit storages, liquid impoundments, static piles, and composting piles. The raw materials storage area includes but is not limited to feed silos, silage bunkers, and bedding materials. The waste containment area includes but is not limited to settling basins, and areas within berms and diversions which separate uncontaminated storm water. Also included in the definition of production area is any egg washing or egg processing facility, and any area used in the storage, handling, treatment, or disposal of moralities.
Mike Callicrate at Farm Aid 2011 (far left Willie Nelson)
Important Related Information:
- 05/08/2014 – One Wyomingite KOs The EPA; Another Enters The Ring (PDF)
- EPA Complaint against Callicrate Cattle Co. (PDF)
- EPA Letter of Rights Reserved to take Enforcement Action (PDF)
- Response from Callicrate Cattle Co. receiving orders from agency
- Satellite Photos of JBS & Cargill Feedyards vs Callicrate Cattle Co.
- Obama’s campaign promises vs. results
- Chipotle debuts short film on sustainable farming – “BIG FOOD” does not want to allow.
- Robbers and Thieves by Richard Oswald – Succinct Truth about “BIG FOOD”
- EPA Declares Hay a Pollutant in Effort to Antagonize Small and Mid-Sized U.S. Cattle Feeders – R-CALF Article (PDF)
- 2003 Article: This cattleman’s got a beef …
- Iowa environmentalists threaten EPA (PDF)
- Immediate Release: “Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer” News Conference at Callicrate Cattle Co 09/20/2011
- Immediate Release: News Conference at Callicrate Cattle Co 09/20/2011 “…in Heartland to Highlight Injustices Against Family Farmers and Ranchers”
Your thoughts, comments and suggestions are welcome.
Thank you for your attention and support.
We Celebrate Life & Land Everyday! Watch more Celebration Videos YouTube.com/MikeCallicrate
Callicrate Cattle Co. Photo Galleries
- 2011 Tour of Callicrate Cattle Co.
- Cattle – Winter/Spring 2011
- Chickens – Late Spring / Early Summer 2011
- General Callicrate Cattle Co. Photos
- Fuel Cafe Denver visits Callicrate Cattle Co. in support of “Know Your Rancher, Support Stewards of the Land”
“I can not believe the care in which Callicrate Cattle Co. provides the animals and the land … Thank You on behalf of my Patrons, Family and Friends” – Bob Blair, FuelCafeDenver.com
Solutions
Reach out to everyone from your local sheriff, county commissioners, state and national legislators, to persons of influence. Ask them to stop this overreach and abuse of federal power that could be headed your way.
Dad-
I read the email you sent me today. As I have gotten older and realized what it was exactly you have been trying to do all of these years with the food industry, I have to say that I am incredibly proud of you. I worry about you and Mike’s battle because although you are on the just side the unjust side has all the money and all of the politicians. Everyday people need to care more about where their food comes from. I find it up here all of the time that people just don’t give a damn. Their food comes from Wal-Mart and that is okay with them. People need to become more educated. I gave Samantha a couple ears of corn last night while I was shucking ours she noticed that the boys kept finding worms and were keeping them in a jar. She was horrified that there were worms in the corn. She had never seen that. I tried to explain that the pesticides the put on the corn she buys at the store kill bugs so she would only get worms if she had home grown corn like yours. I told her Pesticides are poison, if a worm can’t survive near it, what makes you think you should eat something toxic like that? I think she understood. It was just shocking to me that she didn’t know that. There needs to be a website that you can go to with local listings for homegrown foods in your given area. Does Mike know of any such website out there? I have searched several times to see if I could find something along those lines but there isn’t a good search engine for it. I am going to do some research and see what a website like that would all entail. It could range from local produce to local meats and diaries. I really think education, and access to the information on where to go to get good food would help?
I lived in the St. Francis area for 6 years til Dec ’10. During that time I learned of Callicrate Cattle and Ranch Foods Direct. Purchased beef at a sale in St. Francis at the corner of Benton & 36; it was absolutely the best beef I have ever eaten. I am spoiled – can’t stomach the junk from the grocery store. Now I have to order and have it air shipped to me but it is well worth the cost. I am partial to the rump roasts, they just melt in your mouth. I pray that I will be able to continue to purchase the excellent quality beef from Ranch Foods Direct. There is none other to compare with it.
Hi, Amanda,
There are lots of websites trying to get the word out on the smaller organic farms across the US…here is one: http://www.localharvest.org/ and here is another: http://farmingaroundthecountry.info/ and another: http://www.dwell.com/maps/small-farms-across-the-united-states.html…..there are more just search for organic farms across the US….for example.
Also, a VERY good book to buy which is so important to read so that you can ALL really understand exactly how the food production system in this country has been manipulated, taken over and sold out to the highest bidder…and to see Exactly what we are ALL up against is this book: “Seeds of Destruction”, The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation by F. William Engdahl. This is WHY there is a DIRECT CONCERTED ATTACK on the small farmer in the United States….Once you understand why then you can figure out what to do about it.
Sincerely,
Zellie in Texas
Do you work with Ann Barnhardt. She has a good little following may help your cause. I think back to the early 70s and the shoot outs we had with the feds in NEBR. I see this happening again. All over the country.