Foreign Beef being Masked as American Beef

 

When I picture America today, I picture hard working families coming home to grill some American raised burgers in their backyard. Instead that American Dream is a lie. There isn’t anything American about eating a burger imported to this country, and sold with the false impression that it was raised right here in America. When the federal government is allowing imports to put the American producer out of a job, I have an issue. As an American producer its not that I don't want the job, but cheap imports are making it harder.

 

The more I thought about the government regulation allowing imported beef to be labeled American Beef, the more upset I became. Is the imported beef safe, of course. But it’s a lie to sell you more imported beef, and it’s a kick to the American producer.

 

When I can’t go to the grocery store and know for certain that the meat I am buying was raised, harvested and produced % with American beef, I question who our government is actually supporting. Is it Mexico where we don’t limit the amount of beef we can import or Argentina? Or the countless other countries we don’t mind allowing their meat to be sold in the place of American beef.

 

I know for a fact that the beef that I raised like so many ranchers in this great nation, is American beef, and as a producer it’s frustrating to see the American Beef Producer under attack. Some may say it’s temporary, but for the producer raising beef for a living it’s not. It’s a precedent for the future of American agriculture and our food system.

 

As a whole, we need to speak out against imported beef, advocate for CLEAR labeling, and above all find a farmer or rancher to support. Because you don’t need a label when you know the farmer.

 

Right now, many cattle producers are reducing herd size, not keeping back replacement female calves (heifers) and they cannot cost effectively buy more back.

 

So today I encourage you to find a producer and support them in anyway you can.