that would ensure at least one percent, 0.1…1 of New Mexico’s laws regarding consumer percent, is devoted exclusively to the ag rural protection. The labels had, after all, been market. approved by USDA before they could be used, Like ag publications and ag radio, ag tele- and so already have been determined lawful by Baxter Black, vision is part of what holds all of our ag com- at the federal level. BaxterBlack.com munity together. To those of us in ag media, The cases were dismissed with prejudice it’s not just a job. I think it has something to — meaning they can’t be refiled — prior to do with our souls. their being appealed. The plaintiffs sought compensatory and If you want to help, contact your Representative punitive damages treble the compensatory or Senator about passing HR 2682. damages, and an injunction barring packers HR 2682: Agricultural News and Rural Content from continuing the alleged consumer decepAct of 2020. This bill requires certain video “The farmer has always been a peasant.” programming distributors, such as cable providers, tion and requiring them to disclose the origin – Richard Blinco, Idaho to use at least 1 percent of their channel capacity of products from foreign cattle. to transmit channels of programming that serve The litigation reflects the heart of the the needs and interests of rural areas.. hen the market crashed in 1975, mandatory country-of-origin-labeling debate. Richard had a ranch, feedlot, Proponents say consumers should know what dairy, potatoes, alfalfa and a packthey’re paying for and independent U.S. cating house. tlemen deserve fair prices for their U.S.-born Here we sit 45 years later and not much animals. Opponents say, and the World Trade has changed. Today less than 1.3 percent of Organization has agreed, that it’s a protecthe American population, (and 7 percent in by Lisa M. Keefe, meatingplace.com tionist measure that discriminates against Canada), is involved in production agriculforeign-born livestock.. wo lawsuits brought against National ture. We, who are left with the responsibility Beef, Tyson, Cargill and JBS USA over of feeding the ever-growing population that packages of their beef labeled “Product now stands at 331 million people. We do it. It of the U.S.” — which is an issue in counis lots of work. We have an enormous amount try-of-origin labeling — have been appealed of scientific, technical, medical, and mechanto Settle Allegations it to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th ical research and dedication looking over our Overcharged for Meat shoulder as we break the ground, plant the Circuit, according to court documents. The separate lawsuits, filed in February by Lisa M. Keefe, meatingplace.com wheat, brand the calf or drive the truck. Imagine a ‘Nóngmín’ bent over in a rice in U.S. District Court in New Mexico, were almart Inc. has agreed to pay up field a thousand years before Christ came, brought by a cattle producer in the one case, to $9.5 million to settle a putative not much different than a farmer bent over and by a consumer in the other, and subseclass action lawsuit filed in Florida a furrow, feeling the soil today. What is quently consolidated. Both parties alleged that accused the retail of systematically overour motive…inspiration? Do we say, “We’re that labeling beef products “Product of the charging for certain weighted retail meat prodfeeding the world”? “I’ll get famous!” “The USA” misleads consumers, because the label ucts, according to documents filed in the case. can be applied even if the animal itself was big money”? In the case, filed in U.S. District Court for raised and harvested in another country. The No. It is as simple as “It’s what I do.” the Southern District of Florida in February meat needs simply to be further processed in There are people who have a deep heart, 2019, a consumer, Vassilios Kukorinis, alleged the U.S. for the label to apply. have a conscience, are dedicated to those we that Walmart advertised deceptive unit prices Recently, the District Court judge agreed work for, are close to God, maybe have guilt, for weighted goods that were placed on sale as with the defendants that the federal law that or just kindness and care. They don’t think ‘money first’. Occasionally, the consumer has allows such labeling supersedes the state they neared their respective expiration dates. Beginning in 2015, the case documents said, a chance to make farmers’ lives easier, nicer, the transaction amount ultimately charged for more satisfying. the beef, pork, poultry, fish and other types of Let me suggest…their own television weighted, packaged goods did not match the channels. Television waves are controlled by sale price advertised on the label. a handful of global companies. They have Walmart had moved to dismiss the case, brought wonderful communication worlda motion that was denied in June 2020. wide with hundreds of channels. 99.9 percent Although the Kukorinis case was based on are dedicated to the majority polled, which examples of overcharging at stores in southare suburban folks. ern and central Florida, the retailer ultimately The ag rural television, which is not ‘about agreed on a settlement that would cover conus’ but ‘for us’, are limited to pillars like US DAVID AND sumers nationwide. FARM REPORT and Orion Samuelson and AVANELL SILER some local weeklies that are an hour long. P.O. Box 3 The amount of the settlement in the class action Doole, Texas 76836 RFDTV Channel is the only exception; suit is estimated to be between $4.5 million and $9.5 million, depending on the number of 325/483-5449 RFDTV contents are exclusively rural and consumers who come forward with appropriate agriculture, 24 hours a day. They are leading dsiler@simtex.net documentation. Walmart also has promised to the effort to have Congress vote on HR 2682 change its pricing practices.. THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE
David & Goliath of Television
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COOL Case vs. Big packers Appealed
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Walmart to Pay Millions
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2020 Fall Marketing Edition
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