MCOOL?

[cowman]

Willowcreek: Am very interested in this "Montana MCOOL"? Is this just for beef in the supermarket or is it for pork, vegetables, fruit etc.? And how do you get the meat case full of "product of Montana" when you don't have any slaughter capacity? And is it mandatory for beef from out of state being labelled "product of Nebraska" or is it just "product of Canada? Or is it just another marketing scheme and not really MCOOL at all?
The other thing about how Canada was subsidized to plant grain land into grass is completely wrong. The reason so much land was planted down to hay and grass was because the "CROW freight rate" was abandoned by the federal government? This freight rate was like an Indian treaty...for as long as the grass grows and the rivers flow! The US made such a stink over it as being a subsidy to Canadian grain farmers that the federal government cancelled it...while getting absolutely no action from the American government on their subsidies? The result was we saw American corn move into our country...corn landed in Lethbridge for half the price the American farmer got for it!
Between Europe and the USA, they have pretty well bought up the world grain trade through subsidies. Almost impossible for non subsidizing countries to compete? So what do you think a Canadian farmer should do? What they did was go into cattle and hogs.
Bottom line: If you Americans are pissed off that the Canadian livestock producer is out competing you...you should look in the mirror because it was your own government and farmers who created this situation? And on top of that no one held a gun to your head and made you sign NAFTA! Your country has benifitted from NAFTA in a big way?
Now you try to play these little games with a signed trade deal, because you can't compete with the monster YOU created!
I will also note during 2002(bad drought up here) Americans came up here and bought up a lot of feed...because the American government was paying the freight bill! It was so ridiculous they were hauling silage from central Alberta to Montana! While in Alberta we were paying our total freight on feed coming in from Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan! You really have nothing to tell us when it comes to subsidies? You are so far on the government tit it should make you blush to even mention that word?

[Willowcreek]

cowman--The main thing the Montana M-COOL law is outlaw the FRAUD of Packers/Retailers removing the Canadian labels and stamps and relabeling with US stamps and passing off as a US Product..

It ALLOWS a way for all meat, grain products made in Montana to be labeled as a product of Montana...It REQUIRES all imported meat be labeleled with Country of Origin or placarded Origin Unknown if it is mixed-- which will not be an additional hardship since the new Homeland Security laws require all retailers to maintain complete origin records on all imported products...

[cowman]

So when you go down to the local grocery store is the meat labelled "product of Montana"? And if all the meat in the meatcase is labelled that way...where is it coming from? Is it all from Montana?
Now when you take the wife out for a tasty steak dinner...do you know where that steak comes from...because there is a very good chance it came from...yep, you guessed it...Alberta!
I find it very interesting you also label your grain products "product of Montana"! Do you have anything on the shelf in the bakery that even can qualify for the label? And for that matter do you have any meat in the meat case that can qualify? You know born raised slaughtered and processed...right here in the good old state of Montana? Or is this thing sort of a farce? A PR thing put out by your goofy governor?
And by the way, how do you track all those Montana calves through the feedlot/packing/retailing system with out a national ID...so they can qualify for "product of Montana"?
I suspect this is just another gong show meant to impress the rednecks in the back forty...or is this how you see your dreamed of national MCOOL program working?

[Willowcreek]

cowman- Most of this labeling law will not go into effect until Oct. 1, 2006- Not sure if their are too many beef plants left that can qualify under the Made in Montana- the plant in Malta would have when it was operating... Also some talk of hog plants hooking up with the hutterite production and opening- producing made in Montana pork....

As far as grains, there are quite a few taking advantage of locally produced products already- this just gives them an added boost..

This is a link to local neighbors that are expanding now nationwide...
http://www.grainsofmontana.com/

[cowman]

So I wonder if all other beef would have to be labelled? Like "Product of Alberta" or "product of Nebraska"?
And I also wonder how much of the product coming out of the Cargill plant at High River and the Tyson plant at Brooks finds its way into the meat shelf at a Montana grocery store? And for that matter fat live cattle coming from Alberta to the plants in Washington?
We do know that practically all the beef coming out of western feedlots(High River) goes to a chain of steakhouses in California. And we do know before BSE the Alberta cattle slaughtered at Pasqual, Washington got stamped USDA and shipped immediately to Japan? So I wonder was there ever any Alberta beef in the Montana supermarkets, anyway? And isn't that the only area where MCOOL applies?

[Willowcreek]

cowman- prior to May 2003- actually a great deal of the beef coming into Montana stores was from Canada...Most of Montana gets its beef from a warehouse in Idaho- which had been getting it from Canada, because it was cheaper...They then took it to the retailer who removed the CFIA markings and put on the USDA inspected stamp and passed it off at the grocery counter as US beef....Most consumers had no knowledge of this until the BSE case was found in Canada and they began asking questions...Then they were more than a little peeved to find they had been deceived..That is one reason the Montana M-COOL law passed the Legislature with so much support of both parties..

[InAHurry]

Quote willowcreek
"the retailer who removed the CFIA markings and put on the USDA inspected stamp and passed it off at the grocery counter as US beef..."

Question. By retailers I assume you mean the local grocery stores and meat shops? Are there USDA employees/inspectors in these places or do they have an "inspected stamp" in the cupboard?

[InAHurry]

willowcreek the only thing I want to know is if you have statistics on how many people in Montana have dropped dead from eating Alberta beef ????

[ProFarmer]

Maybe Willowcreek can soon realize that the reason the beef coming from Canada and being relabeled is doing so because it is far better quality than beef raised in the US. Is it nice we can ship to the Japan market and they can not. Maybe now they can get rid of their protectionist rules and join the rest of this world. The US product isn't any better than other products it's just their fear mongering that lets them think they are better than any body else.It is to bad that Rcalf veiws have caused so much hardship both in Canada and the US.

[Willowcreek]

InaHurry- Actually its kind of like the grocer does have a USDA stamp in his drawer...

After he removes the beef from a box labeled "Product of Canada" and/or cuts the CFIA inked stamp off the beef- he repackages in a package with a USDA inspected sticker on it...Then he pass's it off to unknowing consumers as US beef and a US product...

In any other business- with any other product- this would be FRAUD...Thankfully Montana will end it...

[ProFarmer]

I have tried those Montana grass fed steaks a restaurant in Billings. I think shoe leather tastes better. I hope you label your meat product of USA so when I am down there again I can look for a quality Canadain Steak. Much as I know you bragg about using Canadian Bacon.

[cowman]

One time I bought some really good looking steaks at a grocery store in Washington labelled "Corn fed USA beef". Other than the yellowish tint to the fat this baby looked good...cut real thick, marbled etc.? We barbequed them back at the motorhome...and it was not what I would call "a good eating experience"! They were tender but very bland...not very flavorful at all!
Now that doesn't mean I haven't had some very good steaks in the USA...and even during the BSE border closure days...so some of these were definitely American beef(no switching here). There is a little bar/grill in Great Falls that has some of the best steaks I've ever had...and they advertize it as USA beef!