Posted on 08/28/2026 2:37:53 PM PDT by DFG
President Trump announced Friday he would move to allow American farmers and ranchers to process their own food, hitting back against what he called the “monopoly” created by large processors.
Trump noted in a post on Truth Social that farmers and ranchers “have always been a number one priority” for him, adding that he has heard they have had an issue with big processors.
The president wrote, “There are, essentially, 4 of them, a very non competitive number, and they make life miserable for our wonderful Farmers and Ranchers, and I can’t let that happen, can I?”
“So, in order to break this powerful monopoly, with much of its ownership based outside of the U.S., I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD. This should move quickly,” he continued.
The move comes as Trump has faced backlash from ranchers as well as a number of congressional Republicans after his administration rolled out a plan to import 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free foreign ground beef over 90 days.
The critics argue that selling beef at a 25 percent discount puts downward pressure on what domestic ranches are able to charge. Additionally, industry experts say that savings from the move may not reach shoppers because of large packers and retailers getting the margin.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
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I don’t know anyone who ever gave a fly fk about any law saying you can’t process your own food. I didn’t even know it was against the law.
I think that’s a great move. I know people that have to deal with the big 4 and it’s just not a competitive market anymore.
Yea!
I’ve been buying meat directly from farmers for three or four years.
You cannot slaughter on site without an FDA inspector, which is costly.
I am under the assumption, this is what he is referring to, as I did, in true Freeper fashion, did not read the article.
I remember as a child dad would “process” a dry cow, lamb or hog right off the farm. We also killed dozens of chickens till we wee sick of picking feathers.
He made a mistake of killing a cow that had fed on Wild Onions. To enjoy it we had to take a bite of raw onion to not notice the taste in the meat.
I need to get my act together to buy a 1/4 beef this winter. Maybe even a half.
The reason there are an “uncompetitive big four” is because the federal government (maybe not under Trump but under R and D alike) allowed those mega-mergers to go through.
If we’ve got to have an administrative state, then why isn’t SEC and DOJ doing their job?
Our entire economy is structured for corporate oligopoly.
I suppose, though, it’s too much to ask that this trend proceed all the way to overturning Wickard (1942).
The Feds have been trying to shut down the Amish for years. They’ve been doing the same for generations but the FDA acts like it’s working for the big 4 processors to shut them down.
I’d much rather buy meats from the Amish than I would the Chinese. Or toxic fish from Asia.
I still remember my first hog killing. Must have been in 1951. My cousin shot it in the head, dad jumped in and cut the throat.
Lots of neighbors in New Mexico came around to help scrape the hog. even I, at 4 years old got to “scrape” the hair off the scalded hog.
Still remember dad and mom taking the fat and extra meat into Farley NM to have it ground into sausage. Mom rendered the rest of the fat at home. Still remember other butchering of animals over the years. Last hogs I raised was in 1995.
Many states have whole legal codes devoted to taking away the right of the producer of slaughter animals for human consumption to proceed with the processing of these animals on their owned premises. The thought here was to take away the potential for disease or contaminated processed product. The codes were the result of commercial meat processors in years past lobbying the state legislatures, to reduce or stop the processing of slaughter animals outside the commercial channels.
This is one of the reasons that it is relatively more expensive to buy meat from local producers. The big guys can absorb the cost of FDA and USDA regulations, it takes a bigger bite out of the local guys.
I thought you couldn’t slaughter to sell processed meat with out an inspector. ya I didn’t read it either lol. just shooting from the hip. Anything thing to get the gov out is good by me.
I purchased half a beef from a local rancher in California in the 1970’s. They asked us to help in the wrapping of the meat for the freezer, and we did.
Got tired of eating steak. Made it a point to have more ground into hamburger next time.
Several farms were closed down a year or so ago, iirc; they weren’t allowed to sell any of there processed meats. I don’t recall if they couldn’t process for their own use.
The guy that cuts my hay gave me a quarter cow as partial payment for the hay.
It filled a very large upright freezer, and the hamburger portion filled a chest freezer. I want more brisket next time.
All his cows get processed locally.
“The Feds have been trying to shut down the Amish for years.
NY and PA seen to be urging the Amish to migrate out of their states. I read that they’re considering NJ. Probably not a good idea.
My brother and SIL buy a lot from the Amish in Western NYS. It would be sad to see them leave.
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