AgNet Weekly: NCBA Opposition to PRIME Act

Sabrina Halvorson AgNet Weekly, Legislative

The PRIME Act has once again made its way into Congress. Current law exempts custom slaughter of animals from federal inspection regulations, only if the meat is for personal, household, guest, and employee use. So, to sell individual cuts of locally raised meats to consumers, farmers and ranchers must send their animals to a USDA-inspected slaughterhouse. Proponents of the bill like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) say it will make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. However, opponents like the NCBA say those USDA inspections are important for food safety and consumer trust.

In this week’s AgNet Weekly, Sabrina Halvorson talks with Todd Wilkinson, a cattle rancher from South Dakota and President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association on why the association is opposing the act.

Each week we highlight essential legislative and policy conversations affecting agriculture nationwide. Host Sabrina Halvorson is a 30-year media veteran known nationally for her award-winning, balanced, and accurate reporting. For more than 10 years, she has specialized in agriculture news focused on political issues. While most agriculture news podcasts focus primarily on Midwest crops, we uniquely understand specialty crops, their regions, and their related industries. AgNet Weekly also traverses the legislative issues of the livestock industry and other matters related to California and Southeast agriculture.

July 20, 2024: Author David Lipsky on Climate and the Science of Denial – AgNet Weekly with Sabrina Halvorson

Named a Best Book of the Year in The New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, Chicago Tribune, and EcoLit Books and a Must-Read Summer Book by USA Today, the book the Parrot and the Igloo, Climate and the Science of Denial by David Lipsky takes a deep look into the history of climate change and public views on the topic. Lipsky is a New York Times bestselling author and contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine. When his publicist emailed and asked about being on our show to talk about the book, we were happy to agree. David Lipsky tells us about his research and his new book on this edition of the AgNet Weekly. 
  1. July 20, 2024: Author David Lipsky on Climate and the Science of Denial
  2. June 15, 2024: IFPA Washington Conference, Ag Labor, Packaging
  3. June 8, 2024: Jacqui Fatka of CoBank on Trade Issues
  4. May 18, 2024: Anti Animal Ag Measure in Sonoma County
  5. May 11, 2024: Representative Mann on Canceled NASS Reports
  6. April 27, 2024: AFBF's Courtney Briggs on EPA PFAS Rule
  7. April 13, 2024: Representative Austin Scott on Farm Bill, Trade, Labor, and more
  8. April 6, 2024: Jacqueline Heard, Founder and CEO, Enko
  9. March 30, 2024: Policy for Prescribed Fires
  10. March 23, 2024: Policy Expert Fran Miller

Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.

Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.