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“The money and political power of Wall Street has stolen America’s food system, bankrupted our farmers and ranchers, mined our soils, polluted our environment, wasted our precious water, and left us with expensive industrially produced food that makes us sick.” – Occupy Wall Street Food Day, December 2011 -
Industrial Agriculture and Urban Sprawl – A model of growth that’s made to fail. -
Ranching Reboot Episode 4, Mike Callicrate “It’s time for a third revolution against monopolies”
Above: Ranching Reboot – Episode 4 – Mike Callicrate, owner of Ranch Foods Direct, sat down with us to talk about all manner of things from cattle markets, to public food spaces, the Bander, his feedlot and the pathway he built to market.
He shares valuable lessons learned from fighting against the commodity production system and how he’s built his own pathway to the consumer.
We talk about small community slaughter plants and public meat spaces and what that could look like going in to the future. We discuss environmental challenges, the food police and what it means when a Dollar General comes to town.
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- This Cattleman's Got A Beef
Photo: Sean Cayton - 2003People producing good food from happy animals, while improving the environment, shouldn’t have to fear the government.
Photo above featured in a 2003 article: This cattleman's got a beef, Mike Callicrate and Ranch Foods Direct take on the big meat packersby Kathryn Eastburn
Author Archives: Mike Callicrate
From Great American Prairie to Dried Up Industrial Wasteland
The first settlers came upon a vast grassland teaming with ruminant animals and wildlife. Rivers flowed from the mountain peaks to the west, bringing precious water and life to the prairie land, and filling one of the largest, and what … Continue reading
Only a livestock and soil centered farm bill can repair the damage
“A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself” – February 1937, President, Franklin D. Roosevelt In Pictures: The legacy’s of industrial ag advocates Earl Butz, and authors of the 1996 Freedom to Farm policy, Senator Pat Roberts, and Professor Barry … Continue reading
What does the biggest meatpacker in the world have over USDA?
Federal government purchasing shouldn’t discriminate against local/regional suppliers Politico bribery article So what does JBS, the biggest meatpacker in the world, have over USDA? In 2019, as Brazilian meatpacker JBS was proving itself as a leading global criminal, instead of … Continue reading
Twenty-One Years Later Food Fight Continues Over Labeling – How many cows are in one burger?
Video by Tiffany Schilling – April, 2023 Seattle Times Washington farmers have beef with imported meat: Food fight ensues over labeling Thursday, April 25, 2002, 12:00 a.m. Pacific By Lynda V. Mapes Seattle Times staff reporter OKANOGAN, Okanogan County — … Continue reading
Surviving in the land of the giants – A look back
Mike Callicrate says he was nearly driven out of business by a packing company that refused to buy cattle after he wrote an article criticizing the company. (Karen Krien/Special to The Wichita Eagle) Market dominance of huge agribusiness firms has … Continue reading
