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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
Local Catholic rancher sues USDA, others over alleged favoritism to large cattle producers
By VERONICA AMBUUL 9/7/2012 COLORADO SPRINGS. Catholic rancher Mike Callicrate, a St. Mary Cathedral parishioner, is the plaintiff in a lawsuit in federal district court in Kansas City against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Cattlemens’ Beef Board (CBB) … Continue reading
Attorney Daniel D. Owen Explains Checkoff Lawsuit
Excuse me … your Mr. Dittmer? (Meat packer and NCBA defender, Steve Dittmer was in attendance. He misrepresented the facts in a news piece he authored from the news conference the day before.). “Dittmer? Excuse me. Here’s a copy for … Continue reading
What Hasn’t the HSUS Done Lately?
Ag and Trade | Food | By Ben Gotschall | 09/04/2012 The U.S. didn’t lose 91% of its pork producers, 82% of its dairy producers, 42% of its beef producers and 33% of its sheep producers overnight. It has happened … Continue reading
R-CALF USA Demands Suspension of Contracts Between NCBA and Beef Checkoff
August 28, 2012 The Honorable Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20250 Sent via facsimile and U.S. Mail: 202-720-6314 Re: R-CALF USA’s Demand for the Immediate and Permanent Suspension of all … Continue reading
R-CALF USA Summary of Beef Checkoff Lawsuit
Summary of Beef Checkoff Lawsuit Mike Callicrate v. USDA et al. Prepared by R-CALF USA Revised August 23, 2012 THE PARTIES: Mike Callicrate is the only Plaintiff in the complaint. Named Defendants in the complaint include: U.S. Department of Agriculture … Continue reading
