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How American Farms Were Destroyed And What We're Doing About It
Saturday, February 01, 2025
Saturday, February 01, 2025
How American Farms Were Destroyed And What We're Doing About It
Over 50 years ago, the farming and ranching industries were changed forever. One man waved his "magic wand" and he erased decades of work that was done by the previous administrations attempts to heal American farmland from the devastating impacts of the Dust Bowl.
This man was Secretary of Agriculture Early Butz.
He was famous for saying "Get Big or Get Out" and "Plant Fence Row To Fence Row."
Nearly every policy encouraging soil health improvements was torn up and replaced with his approach on maximizing yields and farm capacity.
His policies completely changed the landscape of America and destroyed millions of acres of farm land.
President Nixon's Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, likely telling small farmers to "Get Big or Get Out."
So what does this have to do with the beef you're buying today? Everything...
Confined Animal Feed Lot Operations (CAFOs) now produce 95% of the beef America consumes.
Today, thanks to Butz's legacy, almost all of the beef Americans eat comes from Confined Animal Feed Lot Operations (CAFOs).
These aren't farms. They're factories. And the beef they produce is fundamentally different from what your grandparents ate.
With no grasses and forbs to graze on these cattle must eat rations of food, which are mostly Genetically Modified Corn and Soy.
These grains are not a part of their traditional diet, this impacts the health of the cattle, American farmland as well as the quality of the meat we consume.
This is not how cattle were meant to spend their lives and cattle rations often include antibiotics and growth hormones to stay healthy and grow in these environments.
The meat packing industry was ready for this consolidation as well.
They lobbied to rescind anti trust laws that were written to protect the American public from monopolies that actually started in the meat packing industry.
Secretary Butz's polices helped them put thousands of small meat packers out of business.
This approach has led to 4 major meat packers controlling the beef industry.
Many states require USDA processing to sell packaged meat, yet the rules for USDA require significant investment and oversight.
This is a major roadblock for farmers and ranchers.
Confined Animal Feed Lot Operations (CAFOs) now produce 95% of the beef America consumes.
These 4 companies control 85% of the beef processing in the US and #% in Canada.
- Tyson: The biggest US meat company by sales. (Annual Revenue $53 Billion & 138,000 employees)
- Cargill: The largest privately-held corporation in the US. (Annual Revenue $165 Billion & 160,000 employees)
- JBS: Change the icons in the settings (Annual Revenue $77B & 270,000 employees)
- National Beef: Controlled by the Brazilian company Marfrig Global Foods SA ($24.5 Billion & 40,200 employees)
These Meat Packers Are Currently Under Investigation by the Department of Justice for collusion, price fixing and manipulation.
Then to make life even harder for the American farmers and ranchers...
In 2015 Country of Origin labeling requirements were repealed.
This means that any beef imported to the US can be stamped with Product of the USA as long as it's packaged in the US.
The countries providing the most beef to the US are Canada and Mexico (both providing nearly 1 Billion Pounds per year), next Brazil at nearly 500 Million per year.
When we consider grass-fed beef, nearly 90% of it is imported from Australia or New Zealand (which combined import nearly 1 Billion pounds of beef per year)
Let me be clear: There's nothing wrong with Australian or Brazilian farmers and ranchers. They're working hard just like American farmers and ranchers.
But when TOOTHPICKS have more restrictions on Country of Origin labeling than beef
something's broken.
These are all reasons why I started The Local Beef Club
The answer is right in front of us.
Let's stop treating beef like a commodity and start treating it like the cornerstone of our communities that it is.
When communities work together amazing things can happen.
I'm so excited to be on this journey and to have you along for the ride with me.
Ready to join the movement?
Check if Local Beef Club serves your area.
If we do, you can order local beef today.
If we don't yet, join the waitlist and lock in your Founding Member status.
Nate Campbell ~ Founder of The Local Beef Club
P.S. Local Beef Club Founding Members Get FREE Ground Beef For Life!
Hi, I'm Nate Campbell
Founder of The Local Beef Club
Beef shouldn't be a commodity. It should build communities.
I'm a 4th generation cattle rancher on a mission to fix the broken beef industry.
One community at a time.
[Read My Full Story →]
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