As Congress works to avoid government shutdowns, and appropriate funding to the Rural Development budget, which includes SNAP, WIC, EBT and agricultural-related agencies that serve an integral role in the U.S. food chain, the USDA is discussing a herd-share ban that would limit consumer access to nutrient-dense locally grown meat — harming family-owned farms.

As a result, the Beef Initiative, representing small to mid-sized family-owned cattle ranches across the country, is calling upon members of Congress to support an amendment to H.R 4368 brought forward by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie.

"Herd-share is the last legal means for consumers to buy locally raised grass-fed beef, directly from their nearest farm," Beef Initiative Founder Texas Slim said. "This is the last line of defense for decentralized cattle, farm-to-table, and we have the science to prove the closer our food is grown to our kitchen tables, the healthier it is for our bodies and our environment."

"A USDA ban would not only jeopardize our supply chain, but it would also signal the end of rural America and the beginning of a centralized meat industry similar to the monopolistic circumstances prompting the Packers and Stockyard Act of 1921[,]" Slim said.

"We fully support Congressman Massie's amendment, preemptively securing America's farm-to-table supply chain, and we urgently call upon members of Congress to do the same," Slim said.

The Beef Initiative is a collaborative co-op, uniting savvy consumers with environmentally conscious farmers to complete the farm-to-table cycle and keep rural communities thriving. To learn more, visit here.

Source: The Beef Initiative