Walmart has spent over $660 million building its own beef empire—from processor to packaging plant to retail shelf. That makes them more than just a grocer; it makes them the fifth major packer, joining Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef. The press calls it “resilience,” but ranchers know what it really is: vertical consolidation dressed in feel-good PR.
R-CALF USA just told the U.S. Senate what ranchers have known for years: the Big Four meatpackers control 80% of the fed cattle market, and they’ve turned it into a bottleneck. Family-scale producers are being driven out while consumers pay more for beef that’s often imported and deceptively labeled. R-CALF’s message is clear—this isn’t a functioning market, it’s a cartel.
A lab study injected bird flu into raw milk—then media headlines made it sound like your fridge was the problem. AgDaily ran with it, and now North Carolina is moving to shut down herdshares and “pet milk” sales. Fear theater, not field data, is driving raw milk policy.
The U.S. imported over 4.6 billion pounds of beef in 2024—while exports fell and domestic infrastructure crumbled. Trent Loos warns this isn’t just a market shift; it’s a calculated erosion of America’s food independence. With Australia and Brazil flooding the supply chain, the real question is: who’s still raising your beef?
The Senate’s new reconciliation bill isn’t just about selling public land—it’s about stripping local communities of control. A little-known provision bans states and counties from regulating “AI Systems” for a full decade, opening the door to opaque development far beyond housing. From data centers to deed-restricted zones, this bill rewrites who gets a say in the future of American land.
The Senate’s version of H.R.1 proposes selling up to 3.3 million acres of public land across 11 Western states, while quietly making over 250 million acres eligible for nomination by private interests—with no requirement for public input or affordable housing. Data shows that less than 2% of these lands are suitable for development, and the bill includes no safeguards to ensure public benefit. Though pitched as a housing solution, the bill aligns with a long-standing agenda to privatize federal lands.
A June 5 cyberattack on United Natural Foods forced major supply disruptions across Whole Foods and 30,000 other retailers. Shoppers from Texas to Canada found frozen foods and staples missing—while the WEF’s warnings of a “cyber pandemic” suddenly looked less like theory. This wasn’t just a breach—it was a systems test, and the shelves failed.
ICE raids on farms, hotels, and meatpacking plants are back—just days after they were paused under pressure from Big Ag and hospitality lobbyists. The Trump administration reversed course after internal backlash, but the policy flip-flopping has left everyone guessing: who’s really calling the shots? For now, the cartel’s labor pipeline is back in the crosshairs—but don’t be surprised if the exemptions sneak back in.
Agridime promised investors a stake in real American cattle. What they got instead was a $191 million Ponzi scheme—complete with fake livestock contracts, undisclosed commissions, and a federal court order for $102.9 million in restitution. Regulators admit most victims may never see their money again.
