Other Farm Issues | Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

Coalition Letter to Agriculture Committees on Livestock Competition Issues in 2013 Farm Bill

The Honorable Debbie Stabenow
Chairwoman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition

The Honorable Thad Cochran
Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition

The Honorable Frank Lucas
Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture

The Honorable Collin Peterson
Ranking Member, House Committee on Agriculture

May 2, 2013

Dear Chairwoman Stabenow, Chairman Lucas and Ranking Members Cochran and Peterson:

The 2013 Farm Bill represents an opportunity to take powerful steps to protect independent livestock and poultry producers from unfair and deceptive contract and marketing practices. In the few years since enactment of the 2008 Farm Bill, the United States has lost 4 percent of its beef cattle operations and 7 percent of its hog operations.

Today, there are only a handful of beef packers, hog processors and poultry integrators. Farmers and ranchers often have little alternative but to accept the terms and prices offered by the few, large firms that dominate the industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should police the marketplace to protect livestock and poultry producers from the unfair, abusive and deceptive marketing and contracting practices that are routine in these markets.…

Information on the 2012 Census of Agriculture

Several people have contacted us with concerns about the census they have received from the USDA, specifically the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) division of the agency. Given the instances of government harassment of small farmers, any request by the USDA for people’s information understandably causes concern.…

Action Alert: USDA Proposes Changes to Animal Welfare Act Regulations

Under current law, most small-scale animal breeders are exempt from the Animal Welfare Act because they sell their animals directly to individual purchasers and are therefore classified as “retail pet stores.” The USDA has proposed a rule, however, that would narrow the definition of retail pet store so that it only applies to places where the buyer physically comes to the property for each and every pet sold, such as a traditional brick-and-mortar pet store.…

Farm Bill 2012 Alerts

The Senate is debating the Farm Bill right now, and there are several amendments that need your calls!

Please call your U.S. Senators as soon as possible about the amendments listed below. If you don’t know who represents you, you can find out at www.senate.gov or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.…

HR 3798: Eggs

Several farmers have received an email asking that they endorse HR 3798. This bill was developed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers (UEP). HR 3798 requires larger cages for laying hens and so-called “enriched” environments, limits the amount of ammonia in the hen houses, and prohibits forced moulting through starvation. The provisions would be phased in over a 15-year period.…

New Rule on Nutritional Labeling for Meat

On March 1, 2012, a federal rule requiring nutrition labeling of meat went into effect. The rule was originally proposed back in 2001. The final rule requires sellers to provide consumers with nutrition information for the “major cuts” of single-ingredient raw meat and poultry products, unless an exemption applies. Nutrition information for these products will be required either on their label or at their point-of-purchase (such as by a flyer or a sign). The final rule also requires nutrition labels on all ground or chopped meat and poultry products, with or without added seasonings, unless an exemption applies.…