Pennsylvania Farmers Union

08/26/2026

You’ve probably heard it all over social media and in national media the last few days: “We can’t rebuild the American cattle herd by importing more beef.”

But why?

A cattle producer deciding to expand doesn’t make more beef tomorrow. We retain heifers, breed them, wait for them to calve, and then raise those calves. That means years of investment before more beef reaches consumers.

So what makes a producer willing to take that risk? Confidence in future cattle prices.

Today’s stronger cattle prices should be sending producers a signal: We need more cattle. Expand.

But when tight domestic supplies are answered with more lower-cost imported beef, that signal can change.

Our beef supply chain is multisegmented and highly concentrated. More lower-cost imported beef gives multinational packers another source of supply and can reduce demand for beef produced from domestic cattle. That pressure works its way back to the cow-calf producer, the very person deciding whether to rebuild the herd.

If producers believe imports will continue increasing whenever domestic supplies tighten and cattle prices rise, they have less confidence that today’s market opportunity will still exist when their investment reaches the market.

Meanwhile, cheaper inputs for packers do not necessarily translate into cheaper beef at the grocery store. Packers can have access to a cheaper source of beef while the consumer continues paying what the market will bear.

And without mandatory country-of-origin labeling, consumers generally can’t distinguish cheaper imported beef from beef produced from American cattle at the grocery store. American cattle producers are expected to compete against lower-cost foreign production without even having the ability to differentiate their product in their own domestic market.

That’s how record imports can fail to solve either problem: Consumers can continue paying record beef prices while cattle producers lack the market signal needed to rebuild.

So what do we do?
1. Restore transparency.
Bring back mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef. If imported beef is cheaper, label it. Let consumers decide what they want to buy.

2. Restore producer confidence.
Implement tariff-rate quotas that give American producers the opportunity to rebuild without fearing that their years-long investment will be undercut by excessive imports.

3. Restore competition.
Address unpriced forward-type contracts that allow multinational packers to acquire cattle without establishing a negotiated base price, further reducing competition for cattle.

American ranchers are not begging to be saved. We’re begging to be let into the fight.

Read R-CALF USA’s full analysis:https://www.r-calfusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/260821-Revised-Response-to-Increased-Imports.pdf

08/23/2026

How can consumers choose American-raised beef if we can’t even look on the label to see where it came from? Also: is importing a whole lot of Argentinian slaughterhouse scraps to prop up the big packers’ grind tonnage really putting “America First”? Best policy for consumers: KNOW YOUR FARMER. Or, at LEAST: INSIST on TRUTH IN LABELING! Kneecapping American Family Farmers within 48 hours of slapping another 50% tariff on our closest neighbor, and largest trade partner is short-sighted, at best. Keeping the tools that would allow consumers to drive domestic markets is downright GRIFT.

Consumers deserve to know where their beef comes from. American ranchers deserve credit for raising it. Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling makes that happen — holding packers accountable and letting markets work honestly. Congress should finish what the Senate Ag Committee started and pass COOL.

08/20/2026

Board member intro:
Armen Caravantes is a Pennsylvania-based farmer, entrepreneur, and writer working at the intersection of agriculture, food, and design. He began farming at 14 and, at 21, joined the board of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union, where he advocates for the future of American agriculture.

Through Armen’s Farm LLC, he creates distinctive seasonal installations and spaces that reconnect people with the land. His experience spans livestock production, farm management, agricultural advocacy, and entrepreneurship, with a particular interest in regenerative agriculture and building businesses that create greater opportunities for farmers.

Armen is also writing a book exploring the mindset shaped by a life in farming—the resilience, resourcefulness, patience, and adaptability required to navigate uncertainty, solve problems, and build something that lasts.

Across his work, Armen is focused on carrying the enduring values of farming forward while helping shape a more resilient, entrepreneurial future for Pennsylvania agriculture.

08/18/2026

Board members highlight

Michael Kovach serves as President of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union, where he is a leading advocate for family farmers, rural communities, and a stronger, more resilient food system. A longtime agricultural leader, Michael works with farmers, policymakers, and agricultural organizations at the local, state, regional, and national levels to advance policies that support family farms, strengthen rural economies, and expand opportunities for the next generation of producers.

A U.S. Army veteran, Michael has dedicated decades to championing regenerative agriculture, conservation, and farmer-led solutions that improve both the economic viability of farms and the long-term health of the land. He has served on numerous agricultural boards and organizations and is widely recognized for his work in agricultural policy, grazing systems, direct marketing, and sustainable livestock production.

Michael and his wife, Karen, own and operate Walnut Hill Farm in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, where they raise 100% grass-fed and grass-finished Angus beef, silvopastured pigs and poultry using regenerative farming practices that prioritize animal welfare, soil health, and environmental stewardship.

Whether speaking with legislators, collaborating with fellow producers, or educating consumers, Michael is committed to ensuring family farmers have the tools, resources, and voice they need to thrive for generations to come.

08/06/2026

Pennsylvania Farmers need it, Pennsylvania consumers want it, and Congress can pass it. Join us by going to nfu.org/take-action and tell your representatives to pass COOL now.

Mandatory country-of-origin labeling will support
Pennsylvania beef farmers and give consumers clarity and confidence at the grocery store. We should all know where our meat comes from.

08/06/2026

The time has never been better for mCOOL to (once again) be the law of the land.

For nearly two decades, mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef has been clouded by misinformation and corporate influence.

With Senate Farm Bill markup beginning TOMORROW, Aug. 6, let's separate fact from fiction. The facts show MCOOL works, consumers want it, and only a handful of multinational packers benefit from its absence.

❌ MYTH:
Voluntary labeling is enough.
✅ FACT:
Voluntary labeling has already been tried. When labeling was optional before, packers simply refused to do it. Why would they? They can import cheaper foreign beef, sell it alongside domestic beef without an origin label, and consumers have no idea what they're really buying. The new Product of USA rule is an improvement, but it's still voluntary and doesn't require imported beef to carry an origin label. Only MCOOL ensures all beef is truthfully labeled.

❌ MYTH:
MCOOL requires mandatory EID.
✅ FACT:
MCOOL was law from 2009-2015 without mandatory electronic identification. Cattle born and raised entirely in the United States have no foreign markings and can be labeled: “Born, Raised, and Slaughtered in the USA.” This method, known as the “presumption of domestic origin,” was already recognized in the original COOL regulations and eliminates the need for mandatory EID. No new traceability system or mandatory EID was required for cow-calf producers.

❌ MYTH:
The WTO makes MCOOL impossible.
✅ FACT:
Congress answers to the American people, not the WTO. Both S.421 and H.R.5818 were drafted with prior WTO concerns in mind. The WTO’s own appeals body hasn’t even functioned in years. The U.S. has refused to reappoint members across the last three administrations because the body overreached its authority. The U.S. Trade Representative found that the WTO Appellate Body “invented” standards and violated its own rules in rulings against the U.S., including on COOL. Why should Congress bow to a broken system?

❌ MYTH:
"MCOOL is too expensive."
✅ FACT:
That claim comes most recently from a 2026 analysis commissioned by the Meat Institute, not from what actually happened when MCOOL was law. The analysis relied on outdated implementation assumptions, acknowledged those assumptions were outdated, and used unsupported assumptions to estimate costs. Just as producers did not bear new compliance costs when MCOOL was law from 2009-2015, they would not be expected to bear new compliance costs if MCOOL is reinstated. Any compliance costs occurred at the packer level, not the cow-calf producer level. Congress has real-world experience, not just economic projections commissioned by organizations that have long opposed MCOOL.

❌ MYTH:
MCOOL will raise beef prices.
✅ FACT:
MCOOL empowers consumers to choose American beef if they want to or cheaper imported beef if they prefer. MCOOL allows price differences to exist. Consumers who want a lower-priced imported option remain free to buy it. Consumers who want to support American cattle producers can do that, too.

❌ MYTH:
"MCOOL is anti-trade."
✅ FACT:
MCOOL doesn't ban imports, impose quotas, or restrict trade. It simply requires imported and domestic beef to be truthfully labeled so consumers know where their beef was born, raised, and harvested. MCOOL doesn’t reduce import volumes by force. What changes is that U.S. cattle can earn proper value in the marketplace because their origin is disclosed to consumers.

❌ MYTH:
MCOOL is government overreach.
✅ FACT:
Nutrition labels, ingredient labels, and country-of-origin labels already exist across the grocery store. MCOOL doesn't tell consumers what to buy, it gives Americans the freedom to decide for themselves whether they want to support American cattle producers or purchase imported beef.

❌ MYTH:
MCOOL doesn't work.
✅ FACT:
It worked exactly as intended. Consumers could identify American beef. American cattle producers could differentiate their product and compete based on origin instead of having it blended together with imported beef. That's why the packer lobby fought so hard to repeal it.

❌ MYTH:
Consumers don't care where their beef comes from.
✅ FACT:
The data says otherwise.
• 86% support restoring MCOOL.
• 77% say it's important the beef they buy was born, raised, and harvested in the United States.
Consumers deserve the opportunity to choose American beef.

📞Call your senators at 202-224-3121 and urge them to support including mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef in the Senate Farm Bill.

07/23/2026

Board member intro:

Lee Rinehart is a gardener and educator working with NCAT’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a Master of Education in Agricultural Education, both from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. Lee’s fiction and non-fiction writing focuses on organic farming and the intersection between land use and societal and ecological well-being.

Lee has published articles and podcasts on agroecological topics ranging from reducing fertilizer use to improving profitability on livestock operations, including many how-to articles, podcasts, and educational videos on pasture and cover crops. He is a sought-after speaker at agricultural conferences where he presents educational sessions on such topics as multispecies grazing, grazing planning, and the implementation of soil health practices on the land.

Lee’s wide-ranging career experiences over forty-five years include serving in the US Navy, working as a wrangler, a ranch worker, a dairy farm worker, a shipyard mechanic, a metal fabricator, an airplane builder, a ranch manager, a county Extension agent, an organic farm educator, and a writer. A father and a grandfather, he lives in Northeast Pennsylvania where he spends his time gardening and walking in the woods.

07/21/2026

BOARD MEMBER HIGHLIGHT 🌱

Today we’re proud to recognize Lindsey Shapiro, one of the incredible leaders serving on the Pennsylvania Farmers Union Board.

As our Board member focused on legislative affairs, Lindsey works tirelessly to advocate for Pennsylvania farmers and strengthen the future of agriculture across the Commonwealth. Her leadership, dedication, and passion have made a lasting impact on our organization and the farming community.

Beyond her work with Pennsylvania Farmers Union, Lindsey is a full-time vegetable farmer, and a member of the team at Pasa Sustainable Agriculture. She brings firsthand farming experience, thoughtful leadership, and an unwavering commitment to supporting family farmers every single day.

We are incredibly grateful for everything Lindsey does. Thank you for your leadership, your service, and your continued dedication to Pennsylvania agriculture! 💚

07/18/2026

Three of our incredible Board Members had the opportunity to attend one of Pennsylvania’s favorite agricultural events of the year—the Rodale Institute Field Day at the Rodale institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

Each attended for a different reason: as farmers, agricultural enthusiasts, and advocates. But they all shared one common goal—supporting Pennsylvania agriculture and learning alongside others who are working to help farmers succeed.

Across the Commonwealth, we’re proud to show up for the events, conversations, and collaborations that strengthen our farming communities and build a brighter future for agriculture.

07/15/2026

🍦 July is National Ice Cream Month!

Every scoop of ice cream starts with the dedication of a dairy farmer. From caring for their cows to producing high-quality milk, Pennsylvania’s dairy farm families work every day to bring one of America’s favorite treats to our tables.

This month, celebrate by visiting your local creamery, trying a new flavor, and supporting the farmers who make it all possible.

Thank you to Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers for nourishing our communities and strengthening our local food system—one scoop at a time.

❤️ If you enjoy ice cream, don’t forget to thank a dairy farmer.