Letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

Beef born, bred, fed and processed in the US is considered the best in the world. Married to a Rosebud County rancher for the past 40 years, I know we take pride in raising a first class fine and healthy herd of cow/calf pairs. You can taste the difference between beef raised and butchered right here in America (especially Montana!) from meat processed and shipped from 3000-plus miles away coming from foreign countries--who knows where and what kind of safety standards are in place.

As cattle producers you would think that we offer our calves for sale in a fair market. Not so! In 2008 that right was taken away from us. Foreign corporations sued the US for labeling beef and pork as a Product of the USA. They prevailed and legislation that guaranteed mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) was no longer the law. Consumers no longer have the opportunity to choose to purchase beef from US producers. Cattle prices plummeted.

Our rural way of life in Montana hinges on the health of our Number One industry: Agriculture. When cattle prices dip, so do our county budgets. If that dip in price continues, our rural counties lose population and our schools suffer. For all these reasons we need to re-instate COOL--first on the state level and, ultimately, on the federal level. We are good stewards of the land, raising our cattle with integrity. We certainly have the right to sell our product in an honest market. Restoring mandatory COOL will give consumers information and choices. It will create a level playing field for our best local natural resource: beef.

If you agree and are concerned, please talk to your local legislators and get them on board by asking them to support mandatory COOL.

Sincerely,

Jean Lemire Dahlman

Forsyth, Montana