What a month! Since the last time we talked, a ton has gone on. A confirmed case of BSE was
detected in a native cow, the supreme court came out with its eminent domain ruling (I know I didn’t capitalize supreme court, its not a typo), CAFTA was pushed through the senate (again), and CCMP unveiled its USA RAISED BEEF logo in Washington D.C. just to name a few of the interesting events that have transpired.

Depending on how you look at it, this could have been a devastating month, or one that is not as bad as it first appears. Take the BSE cow in Texas for example. Will this lead to voluntary testing by certain plants? If so, which I think it will, will there be any need for our biggest export markets to stay closed? This will lead the USDA, which is under the microscope anyway, to beef up the testing procedures and protocols, and while they might not require 100% testing by everyone, they should have no choice but to allow packers such as Creekstone to voluntarily test all the cattle they receive. This is a step in the right direction for consumer confidence and the reopening of export markets. I also feel that the sole reason the beef market was not down the limit after the announcement was because of the work that OCM and R-CALF USA have done to educate those that eat beef, and that in itself is a victory.

It is really hard to find something good to say about the passage of CAFTA through the Senate, but what we have to understand is that the agriculture sector was one of the only reasons the vote was the closest ever on an FTA. Listening to the deliberations on C-SPAN, almost all that were opposed to the agreement mentioned two industries, one being sugar, and the other being the live cattle industry. I was in D.C. the day before the vote took place and spent a good part of it visiting with different Senators on the issue. They had all heard of us and that alone is a sign that OCM is progressing and gaining national notoriety. Lastly, the bill still has to pass the House, and those in Washington don’t think it has a chance to do that. If it did, don’t you think it would have been voted on already? It’s time to get on the phone to your representatives and let them know how you feel.

On June 28 we held a press conference in the National Press Club in downtown Washington D.C. There were media outlets from all over the world that came to listen to what we are doing. We passed out USA RAISED beef jerky courtesy of Jeff Christensen of St. Paul, NE and had a great meeting. The conference and interviews lasted over two hours. People were genuinely interested in our logo and the possibilities that it presented.

These are all signs that we are achieving what we envisioned when we began, raising consumer awareness and maintaining a lifestyle. Between the time you read this and the next newsletter a lot will have gone on. The ruling on the Pickett vs. Tyson case may have come down, the Canadian Border suit will have been heard, and CAFTA will likely go before the house. We have gotten our foot in the door, and now we have to kick it down. It’s easy to get a little discouraged when it seems like all we hear is bad news, but trust me when I say, its all how you look at it. CC