Nobody's COOL

[Faster horses]

As cattlemen continue to wrestle over mandatory country of origin labeling, an end might be in sight

If country-of-origin labeling (COOL) was as simple as slapping a stamp on a package of meat to inform consumers where their meat came from it would be easy to support.

There is nothing simple about COOL, however, which is why the beef industry has been on an odyssey since the announcement of the program in 2002 and the implementation in 2008. During the past six years COOL has been a hot topic in U.S. courtrooms and legislatures and around the globe.

The latest developments in 2014 have been confusing, to say the least, but might spell a resolution to the maligned program.

Click on the link for the whole article:


http://www.agweb.com/article/nobodys_cool_NAA_Wyatt_Bechtel/

 

[Soapweed]

Some of the best cattle in the world are raised in the upper Midwest states and on into Canada. There are a lot of cattle in other parts of the United States of America that don't hold a candle to those of high quality. By having mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), the high quality cattle don't have any premium over those of low quality. In other words, the high quality bovines become less valuable and the ones of low quality increase in value. It makes a level playing field for all cattle.

Oldtimer has always been a proponent of COOL. By the pictures he posts, he raises pretty darned nice cattle. All of us have seen the Nevada desert cattle that have made the news lately. I think we could all agree that those cattle don't have the same consistent quality that Oldtimer's cattle have. Why would Oldtimer want to sacrifice value in his cattle, so that those rough looking desert cattle could have more value? Why would a student having grades in the A category want to settle for a C grade, so that his classmates who deserve an F could also have a C grade?

This is why I am against COOL. I am all for branded beef with a label of origin. This label would mean something, because certain hoops must be jumped through to qualify. Plain old commodity beef doesn't need to have COOL, especially since it will cost the packers to provide this information, giving them less money with which to pay for the cattle that we sell.

 

[Faster horses]

Some of the best cattle in the world are raised in the upper Midwest states and on into Canada. There are a lot of cattle in other parts of the United States of America that don't hold a candle to those of high quality. By having mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), the high quality cattle don't have any premium over those of low quality. In other words, the high quality bovines become less valuable and the ones of low quality increase in value. It makes a level playing field for all cattle.

Oldtimer has always been a proponent of COOL. By the pictures he posts, he raises pretty darned nice cattle. All of us have seen the Nevada desert cattle that have made the news lately. I think we could all agree that those cattle don't have the same consistent quality that Oldtimer's cattle have. Why would Oldtimer want to sacrifice value in his cattle, so that those rough looking desert cattle could have more value? Why would a student having grades in the A category want to settle for a C grade, so that his classmates who deserve an F could also have a C grade?

This is why I am against COOL. I am all for branded beef with a label of origin. This label would mean something, because certain hoops must be jumped through to qualify. Plain old commodity beef doesn't need to have COOL, especially since it will cost the packers to provide this information, giving them less money with which to pay for the cattle that we sell.

Well said, Soapweed!

 

[gcreekrch]

SOAPWEED FOR PRESIDENT!

 

[mrj]

I've been really concerned over what consumers who purchase that proudly labeled 'USA bred, born, raised, slaughtered Beef" are going to do when they get a product that is definitely from a lower quality carcass after being sold the bill of goods that ALL cattle raised in the USA are of the highest quality!

Surely any cattle producer with an ounce of common sense knows that there is some excellent quality beef produced in BOTH Canada and Mexico, especially when considering for how long we have been selling breeding stock back and forth between all three countries.

Just driving down most any state hiway for some distance will show up some pretty low quality looking cattle grazing or in some little feedlot that I sure wouldn't want to find on my plate in a little café someplace we made a quick stop and make the mistake of ordering their 'specialty truckers' steak', which often is the only beef meal on the menu. It usually is cut pretty thin, but that isn't all bad, because at least you can cut it.

COOL is simply the R-CALF attempt to get government to do their work for them instead of developing their own branded beef like many producers and groups of producers already have done on their own dime! Harris Ranch, Laura's Lean, CAB and others come to mind as people who have don't their own work.

The costs of following the rules as well as the actual costs of the label will add even more to the problem of beef competing with lower cost proteins.

mrj

 

[Soapweed]

SOAPWEED FOR PRESIDENT!

Nobody would even vote for me for dog catcher, and that is fine with me.

Jimmy Carter told his mother that he was going to run for president. Her response was, "Of what?"

 

[Anonymous]

Some of the best cattle in the world are raised in the upper Midwest states and on into Canada. There are a lot of cattle in other parts of the United States of America that don't hold a candle to those of high quality. By having mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), the high quality cattle don't have any premium over those of low quality. In other words, the high quality bovines become less valuable and the ones of low quality increase in value. It makes a level playing field for all cattle.

Oldtimer has always been a proponent of COOL. By the pictures he posts, he raises pretty darned nice cattle. All of us have seen the Nevada desert cattle that have made the news lately. I think we could all agree that those cattle don't have the same consistent quality that Oldtimer's cattle have. Why would Oldtimer want to sacrifice value in his cattle, so that those rough looking desert cattle could have more value? Why would a student having grades in the A category want to settle for a C grade, so that his classmates who deserve an F could also have a C grade?

This is why I am against COOL. I am all for branded beef with a label of origin. This label would mean something, because certain hoops must be jumped through to qualify. Plain old commodity beef doesn't need to have COOL, especially since it will cost the packers to provide this information, giving them less money with which to pay for the cattle that we sell.

You are going to run into good and bad cattle/beef with any country you deal with- be it Australia, Mexico or Brazil.... And you are going to deal with greatly varying laws, regulations and oversight on feeding and drug issues along with environmental and sanitary living conditions and slaughter concerns from one country to another... Many folks would choose to not have their families well being put to stake because of some of these other countries failure to enforce health conditions- or their use of drugs/additives we long ago found dangerous to humans... Remember the Melamine issue....

I first became aware of the COOL issue back when NCBA first proposed the idea and was promoting it.... I was still in law enforcement and at that time several cattlemen had approached a couple of local Sheriff's and County Attorney's about the fraud of putting a USDA inspected stamp on foreign/imported beef and passing it off as domestic with the US stamp... When we looked into the issue further we found that in almost every state of the union the packers/retailers would be in violation of their State labeling laws the way they were selling meat products - BUT do to the commerce clause and the supremacy clause in the U.S Constitution- the federal law/rule set up by USDA overrode any/all the violations of the State Law...
Ever since it has burned my craw that the U.S. government facilitates such a fraud upon the U.S consumer....

But the major reason I am supporting M-COOL is that it gives folks that choose to BUY a USA product an easier way to do so... We in this country bench and moan about all the jobs going overseas - and all the products being imported- BUT we don't want to identify and label our own product to allow folks an informed choice... :???:

 

[Faster horses]

Those that want 'branded beef' specifically can find it.

There are stores here in SD that sell StarX Ranch
(or something like that) brand of beef and they have their ranch information on the label. I've bought it, it's good meat.

Lynn's Supermarket has gone to CHOICE meat and it's not labeled other
than what the store put on it to sell the product. I visited with the manager
of the meat department and he told me that he was against it when CHOICE
was being implemented, but has since changed his mind. The meat
is consistently good and their meat sales have risen as a result. They have
a very low incident of problem meat. It's made his job much easier and
he has very satisfied customers. I buy that meat and it's really good.
That's most peoples concern.......getting good meat.......not everyone is
interested enough to care where it comes from. If they do, they have
the option of buying the StarX Ranch meat.

Most people I know like Safeway meat and it's Rancher Reserve brand, but
doesn't say where it originated.

I agree with mrj's comment: "COOL is simply the R-CALF attempt to get government to do their work for them instead of developing their own branded beef like many producers and groups of producers already have done on their own dime! Harris Ranch, Laura's Lean, CAB and others come to mind as people who have don't their own work. "

I think M COOL is a waste of time and money.

 

[Anonymous]

Those that want 'branded beef' specifically can find it.
There are stores here in SD that sale StarX (or something like that) brand
of beef and they have their ranch information on the label.
Lynn's Supermarket has gone to CHOICE meat and it's not labeled other
than what the store put on it to sell the product. I visited with the manager
of the meat department and he told me that he was against it when CHOICE
was being implemented, but has since changed his mind. The meat
is consistently good and their meat sales have risen as a result. They have
a very low incident of problem meat. It's made his job much easier and
he has very satisfied customers. I buy that meat and it's really good.
That's most peoples concern.......getting good meat.......not everyone is
interested enough to care where it comes from. If they do, they have
the option of buying the StarX Ranch meat.

I think M COOL is a waste of time and money.

Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

 

[Silver]

Those that want 'branded beef' specifically can find it.
There are stores here in SD that sale StarX (or something like that) brand
of beef and they have their ranch information on the label.
Lynn's Supermarket has gone to CHOICE meat and it's not labeled other
than what the store put on it to sell the product. I visited with the manager
of the meat department and he told me that he was against it when CHOICE
was being implemented, but has since changed his mind. The meat
is consistently good and their meat sales have risen as a result. They have
a very low incident of problem meat. It's made his job much easier and
he has very satisfied customers. I buy that meat and it's really good.
That's most peoples concern.......getting good meat.......not everyone is
interested enough to care where it comes from. If they do, they have
the option of buying the StarX Ranch meat.

I think M COOL is a waste of time and money.

Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

In a free market economy if there is a demand there will be a supply.

 

[Faster horses]

Those that want 'branded beef' specifically can find it.
There are stores here in SD that sale StarX (or something like that) brand
of beef and they have their ranch information on the label.
Lynn's Supermarket has gone to CHOICE meat and it's not labeled other
than what the store put on it to sell the product. I visited with the manager
of the meat department and he told me that he was against it when CHOICE
was being implemented, but has since changed his mind. The meat
is consistently good and their meat sales have risen as a result. They have
a very low incident of problem meat. It's made his job much easier and
he has very satisfied customers. I buy that meat and it's really good.
That's most peoples concern.......getting good meat.......not everyone is
interested enough to care where it comes from. If they do, they have
the option of buying the StarX Ranch meat.

I think M COOL is a waste of time and money.

Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

Sure consumers LIKE made in America but will they pay more for it? Herein lies a problem.

There is a Made-in-America store in Gillette. Jeans there are $47/pr.
(It's really kind of cute; Prison Jeans made INSIDE for people to wear OUTSIDE is their logo on the jeans. They are heavy denim, but too expensive for a working person. Nice for those who can afford them.)
Apply that to COOL. If COOL makes the price rise on meat, we lose more customers because of price. Who is that going to help?

BTW, I don't know anything about grocery stores in Terry. Never been in
one. But in SD where there are more people, branded beef is easy to find.

 

[Anonymous]

Those that want 'branded beef' specifically can find it.
There are stores here in SD that sale StarX (or something like that) brand
of beef and they have their ranch information on the label.
Lynn's Supermarket has gone to CHOICE meat and it's not labeled other
than what the store put on it to sell the product. I visited with the manager
of the meat department and he told me that he was against it when CHOICE
was being implemented, but has since changed his mind. The meat
is consistently good and their meat sales have risen as a result. They have
a very low incident of problem meat. It's made his job much easier and
he has very satisfied customers. I buy that meat and it's really good.
That's most peoples concern.......getting good meat.......not everyone is
interested enough to care where it comes from. If they do, they have
the option of buying the StarX Ranch meat.

I think M COOL is a waste of time and money.

Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

Sure consumers LIKE made in America but will they pay more for it? Herein lies a problem.

If we don't give them the option we will never know... Right now with meat products- many think they are already getting domestic- when in truth it was imported...
From what I've read- people will pay more for domestic produced food products to feed their family with than they will for items (like clothes )... Many feel that imported food products (from countries like Mexico and Asia) are a health threat ...

I remember posting that undercover video a few years ago of that Mexican slaughterhouse-- and I know I wouldn't even feed my dogs something killed/drug in dead to that place- and I doubt many would...
Since then I prefer to have a choice to never purchase Mexican meat...

 

[Mike]

Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

Sure consumers LIKE made in America but will they pay more for it? Herein lies a problem.

If we don't give them the option we will never know... Right now with meat products- many think they are already getting domestic- when in truth it was imported...
From what I've read- people will pay more for domestic produced food products to feed their family with than they will for items (like clothes )... Many feel that imported food products (from countries like Mexico and Asia) are a health threat ...

I remember posting that undercover video a few years ago of that Mexican slaughterhouse-- and I know I wouldn't even feed my dogs something killed/drug in dead to that place- and I doubt many would...
Since then I prefer to have a choice to never purchase Mexican meat...

Think about what you're saying, Einstein. There are many beef labels on the market now with voluntary COOL & even down to the Ranch labels.

If people were clamoring for Country Of Origin Labels, that would be the only beef that sells.

There IS a choice. You can either buy it or not. When people quit buying unlabeled beef, a change will be made. That is a given.

 

[Anonymous]

Sure consumers LIKE made in America but will they pay more for it? Herein lies a problem.

If we don't give them the option we will never know... Right now with meat products- many think they are already getting domestic- when in truth it was imported...
From what I've read- people will pay more for domestic produced food products to feed their family with than they will for items (like clothes )... Many feel that imported food products (from countries like Mexico and Asia) are a health threat ...

I remember posting that undercover video a few years ago of that Mexican slaughterhouse-- and I know I wouldn't even feed my dogs something killed/drug in dead to that place- and I doubt many would...
Since then I prefer to have a choice to never purchase Mexican meat...

Think about what you're saying, Einstein. There are many beef labels on the market now with voluntary COOL & even down to the Ranch labels.

If people were clamoring for Country Of Origin Labels, that would be the only beef that sells.

There IS a choice. You can either buy it or not. When people quit buying unlabeled beef, a change will be made. That is a given.

Problem is- for the past 20 years the consumers have not even known they were buying imported meat- since the government allowed it all to be fraudulently passed off as U.S. product by the slapping on of a USDA inspected label...

We won't know who would buy what until everyone is honestly informed and given the choice....

 

[Mike]

They are given a choice. And they have decided to buy chicken instead. :roll:

But it's not from anything else but price. When you start identifying, segregating, and tracking beef to assure the COOL label is correct the price will even go higher...therefore moving more people towards more chicken.

You're pricing yourself out of the market. No, I take that back. You have ALREADY PRICED YOURSELF OUT OF THE U.S. MARKET. Most of the better beef goes for export.

 

[mrj]

I wonder how much of the Canadian beef is processed in the USA? Wasn't that what was keeping some of the northern USA packing plants going? And how much beef from the USA, and maybe including that from Canada processed here, is going back into Canada, maybe in the more populous eastern areas?

I'm guessing quite a bit of lean trim from AUS. may be imported into the USA because that is one thing we are short of here. But does anyone know how much and what cuts are imported now? It was very low for a few years, but am guessing more might be imported recently. We still export quite a bit, but I've not seen numbers for some time. wonder if it still is mostly the 'offal' stuff we don't eat much in the USA, and the very high end for some markets such as Japan, SK, and others wanting the best quality high end cuts.

mrj

 

[S.S.A.P.]

....... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

.......If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled ......


Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

You obviously have the desire to sell "US product" but do you have the work ethic? Here's a list of 6 butcher shops within driving distance of you.
http://www.yellowpages.com/glasgow-mt/butcher-shops
You have the cattle, feed, truck, trailer, thousands of 'contacts' .... and from what you have posted here, one helluva 'resume" that will attract beef consumers by the hundreds ... after all, who else can they trust if not someone who continually states " after 40 + years in law enforcement". You could also partner with some of those 'bigger, better, faster; commotion, emotion and promotion' breeders and share overhead and supply ---- just throwing some ideas your way so you don't have to mingle with the foreign and domestic commodity beef ever again.

... and if you aren't willing/don't want to identify and label your own product to allow folks an informed choice [unquote :wink: ] then

then [you] darn sure shouldn't/can't complain ...[/b] :roll:

Soap really did say it best !

 

[Anonymous]

....... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

.......If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled ......


Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

You obviously have the desire to sell "US product" but do you have the work ethic? Here's a list of 6 butcher shops within driving distance of you.
http://www.yellowpages.com/glasgow-mt/butcher-shops
You have the cattle, feed, truck, trailer, thousands of 'contacts' .... and from what you have posted here, one helluva 'resume" that will attract beef consumers by the hundreds ... after all, who else can they trust if not someone who continually states " after 40 + years in law enforcement". You could also partner with some of those 'bigger, better, faster; commotion, emotion and promotion' breeders and share overhead and supply ---- just throwing some ideas your way so you don't have to mingle with the foreign and domestic commodity beef ever again.

... and if you aren't willing/don't want to identify and label your own product to allow folks an informed choice [unquote :wink: ] then

then [you] darn sure shouldn't/can't complain ...[/b] :roll:

Soap really did say it best !

I hate to blow your google bubble-- but as far as I know most of those butcher shops only process wild game during hunting season.... Never heard of Dublin Jerky - but it again is not a carrier of a full line of branded beef... The only site you mentioned that exists and is open year around and that does process beef is Treasure Trail Processing- where I get my beef/hogs processed BUT it is not licensed for resale... They can only slaughter/process for the owner...
Used to be quite a few that would buy a butcher steer directly from the farm or go halves with someone and then have Treasure Trail process it...
Many of these were older folks on fixed incomes-- but now with the price of beef so high they (and many working folks) can't come up with the one time purchase of a whole or half a beef... But they still like to buy beef now and then as they can afford it- and darn sure don't want Mexican/imported...

 

[Faster horses]

....... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

.......If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled ......


Do any stores in Terry carry a full line of branded beef? They sure don't here... I have never heard of StarX... In fact the closest stores I believe for sure that carry a branded name would be Billings or Great Falls...

I'm aware you can order/ship it in or go out of the way to specialty stores to get it-- but I believe if a choice was easily available to the consumer, they would choose the option to purchase USA product a lot more often...And without labeling- the consumer believes when they buy a product with the USDA inspected label- they are getting a US product- which is often false...

Maybe I have too much faith in the US consumer- but you hear so many anymore complaining about not being able to find US made products...
If we the manufacturers/producers don't even think highly enough of our products to want it identified/labeled to separate it from the imported product- then we darn sure shouldn't/can't complain if the consumers choose not to buy it and keeping building the economies of these foreign competitors....

You obviously have the desire to sell "US product" but do you have the work ethic? Here's a list of 6 butcher shops within driving distance of you.
http://www.yellowpages.com/glasgow-mt/butcher-shops
You have the cattle, feed, truck, trailer, thousands of 'contacts' .... and from what you have posted here, one helluva 'resume" that will attract beef consumers by the hundreds ... after all, who else can they trust if not someone who continually states " after 40 + years in law enforcement". You could also partner with some of those 'bigger, better, faster; commotion, emotion and promotion' breeders and share overhead and supply ---- just throwing some ideas your way so you don't have to mingle with the foreign and domestic commodity beef ever again.

... and if you aren't willing/don't want to identify and label your own product to allow folks an informed choice [unquote :wink: ] then

then [you] darn sure shouldn't/can't complain ...[/b] :roll:

Soap really did say it best !

I hate to blow your google bubble-- but as far as I know most of those butcher shops only process wild game during hunting season.... Never heard of Dublin Jerky - but it again is not a carrier of a full line of branded beef... The only site you mentioned that exists and is open year around and that does process beef is Treasure Trail Processing- where I get my beef/hogs processed BUT it is not licensed for resale... They can only slaughter/process for the owner...
Used to be quite a few that would buy a butcher steer directly from the farm or go halves with someone and then have Treasure Trail process it...
Many of these were older folks on fixed incomes-- but now with the price of beef so high they (and many working folks) can't come up with the one time purchase of a whole or half a beef... But they still like to buy beef now and then as they can afford it- and darn sure don't want Mexican/imported...

(using your word)~Comical how many times you contradicted yourself with that post.

 

[gcreekrch]

If you are incapable of dazzling with brilliance you have to baffle with BS. :wink: