EPA declares hay a pollutant in effort to drive small, mid-sized family cattle ranchers out of business

Friday, September 09, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

http://www.naturalnews.com/033537_hay_pollutant.html

(NaturalNews) The assault against American industry and individual livelihood continues -- and no, it is not coming from Al-Qaeda or other foreign terrorists. A recent report from R-CALF USA, an advocacy group for American cattle producers, says the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared harmless cattle hay a "pollutant," which is part of the agency's agenda to squelch family-scale cattle ranches in favor of corporately-owned, mega-sized feedlot operations.

At the recent 12th Annual R-CALF USA Convention in Rapid City, SD, an audience member asked Mike Callicrate, a Kansas cattle feeder, if the EPA had, indeed, declared hay a pollutant. His affirmative answer was startling to many, but not necessarily surprising in light of the US government's apparent agenda to destroy every single producing sector in the nation and to reduce the country to a poverty-stricken, corporately-dominated wasteland.

"Now that EPA has declared hay a pollutant, every farmer and rancher that stores hay, or that leaves a broken hay bale in the field, is potentially violating EPA rules and subject to an EPA enforcement action," responded Callicrate. "How far are we going to let this agency go before we stand up and do something about it?"

Callicrate currently operates what is considered a mid-sized cattle ranch, and was ostracized by some of the nation's largest beef packers back in 1998 for exposing their illegitimate buying practices. Callicrate ended up having to cease operations for two years, but later reopened as a direct marketer of meat to consumers.

"I believe the EPA's enforcement action is a premeditated effort by EPA to partner with the beef packers to finish the job the beef packers couldn't do alone," added Callicrate, referring to EPA's failure to enforce the same rules for large meat packers like JBS-Brazil and Cargill (the two largest beef packing operations in the country).

Between 2008 and 2010, 45 small to mid-sized family cattle operations were forced out of business, according to R-CALF USA. During the same time, the nation's largest feedlots expanded their operations, and now own and feed roughly 25 percent of the nation's cattle.

"EPA is turning a blind eye toward the mega-feedlots that are a real risk for pollution and, instead, is antagonizing small to mid-sized family operations in an effort to help their packer-partners capture the entire live cattle supply chain away from family farm and ranch operations."

Sources for this story include:

http://r-calfusa.com/news_releases/...
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Comments

  • Luckily our local market carries beef from local farmers.  And there is one farmer that butchers and sells his beef right on the farm.  :)
  • I so agree Cheryl.
  • Well, that's just plain rude.  I'd suspend them from the gov't in a heartbeat.  DHS too.
  • Sweet, now its illegal to feed livestock....guess my bunny needs to starve for change to come .... ohhh wait, change will never come its an illusion that perpetuates the balance of power......
  • The EPA has been purchased by big Agra. The real pollution comes from the cigar smoke in closed door meetings that pass cash and further agenda 21. Hi DR stay safe in Texas while its burning.
  • Do they count hay feeders that are up off the ground?  If it's not on the ground, then the farmer should be able to feed in a hay feeder that is off the ground.  Of course then the farmer has to hire hands to keep the spilt hay off the ground.  And what are they going to do about those millions of equine owners that also feed hay ON THE GROUND.   EPA is full of crap.
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