In a major move for the Obama administration, the US Department of Justice (Antitrust Division) and the US Department of Agriculture have opened an investigation into whether any illegal monopolies exist among the dominant agricultural companies. The focus is primarily on three sectors: seed companies, beef packing and dairy.

With a history of exemption from antitrust regulation the industry as a whole has become extremely concentrated. For instance, the the top four beefpacking companies currently control 83.5% of the market. As part of this investigation, a series of public workshops will be held across the country. Read on for dates and locations, as well as information about submitting comments online or by mail.

Franks Farm in Coushatta, Louisiana is home to Animal Welfare Approved Hereford and Shorthorn beef cattle and Silver Laced Wyandotte, Red Rock, and Plymouth Rock laying hens. Russell Franks is the farmer.

Farmers Jim Talvy and Jane Carbone raise North Devon/Angus cattle crosses on Double J Farm in West Brookfield, Massachusetts.

Delmar Farm is home to Angus cattle raised by Tony Francis in Enfield, North Carolina.

Guille Yearwood and his family know quality grassfed beef inside and out. They have been raising cattle continuously since 1975, and put it to the test at their own dinner table regularly. In fact, only producing beef that they themselves would eat is the top priority on the farm. This means that no artificial growth hormones or antibiotics are used, and that the cattle have access to fresh pasture daily. Rotational grazing not only keeps the cattle happy, but supports a renewable landscape and the herd’s health.

Jerry Fields raises Pygmy and Boer cross goats on his farm in Rowland, North Carolina.

We at Animal Welfare Approved are privileged to work with some of the most amazing farmers in the world. They are leading the transition back to pasture-based farming, and pioneering a new agriculture that seeks to heal our planet while providing healthy, nutritious food to all.

This year, as you prepare for a holiday that celebrates the bountiful harvest farmers have provided, we ask you to take a moment to thank a family farmer for the good food that nourishes you. Join us in celebrating National Farm-City Week by using the comments section of this blog to tell us about the farms that will fill your Thanksgiving table this holiday season and throughout the year, and why they matter to you.

Take a moment to write a few words of thanks to your neighbor farmers, farmers from your farmer’s market, your CSA provider, and any family farmer you appreciate.

In a recent post we discussed the ruling currently under construction at the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) which would allow certain state-inspected slaughter plants to perform federal inspections on meat and poultry. The comment period has been extended, and we invite anyone who has an interest in this to add your two cents to the discussion (read full post for instructions). This ruling could have tremendous implications for livestock farmers using independent, state-inspected plants who are now limited to selling product within state lines, and could dramatically expand their marketing capabilities. Cooperative inspection has the potential not only to benefit independent farmers and slaughter plants, but could have positive animal welfare implications through reduced transport time.

On November 5, a “news article” appeared word-for-word across countless livestock-related websites – including Drovers, Dairy Herd, Cattle Network, AgWired, DairyLine, Beef Magazine, and so on. No journalist is cited as the author on any of the sites where it is published, an indication that the piece was not a ”news article” at all but a press release issued by an unidentified source.

Entitled “Environmentally Friendly Food Myths Debunked,” the news article provided coverage of a presentation given by Dr. Jude Capper at the 71st Cornell Nutrition Conference in October 2009. Her presentation reported findings from a recent paper co-authored with R.A. Cady and D.E. Bauman, entitled, “Demystifying the Environmental Sustainability of Food Production.”

Farmers Alan and Susan Fox raise Nubian, Saanen, and Boer cross goats on Fox Farms in Burnsville, North Carolina.