What’s Really in Your Burger? Mike Callicrate Exposes the “Food Cartel”

What’s Really in Your Burger?

Rancher Mike Callicrate on Food Cartels, Fake Labels, and the Path Back to Real Food

Are we actually saving money at the grocery store—or just outsourcing the true costs to our health, our towns, and our soil?

In this conversation, rancher and food-system reformer Mike Callicrate pulls back the curtain on how a handful of multinational middlemen have captured our meat supply. He explains why ground beef can be sold so cheaply, how labels mislead, and—most importantly—how communities can rebuild direct, local markets for real food.

“We’ve trained consumers to be price shoppers—and it’s a fool’s game.”

The “Food Cartel” Problem

Callicrate argues that market concentration lets a few giants dictate prices up and down the chain. When packers control the kill floor, the fabrication, and the distribution, they can squeeze ranchers on one end and undercut local processors and retailers on the other. The result? Vanishing independent plants, shuttered butcher counters, and hollowed-out rural economies.

“A handful of packers control most of the beef market. That’s not a market—that’s a choke point.”

What’s Really in Cheap Ground Beef

Ultra-low prices often rely on imported trim, waste fat, and so-called “pink slime” (lean finely textured beef treated to suppress bacteria). These inputs help manufacturers hit a price point—but they also widen the gap between what consumers think they’re buying and what’s actually in the package.

“Ultra-cheap ground beef blends imported trim, waste fat—and ‘pink slime.’”

Labels That Don’t Tell the Truth

Consumers want to buy American-raised meat, but labeling rules can muddy the waters. Callicrate highlights how meat processed in the U.S. from overseas animals can still be presented in ways that imply it’s domestic. The point isn’t to scare—it's to demand transparency so families can make informed decisions.

“‘Product of USA’ can be slapped on meat processed here from overseas.”

COVID Was the Warning Shot

When the big plants faltered during the pandemic, many small, regional processors kept meat on local shelves. But once the shock passed, those same independents were often priced out again by predatory tactics and volume discounts that only global players can sustain.

“Small plants kept shelves full during COVID—then got priced out.”

What a Better System Looks Like

Callicrate champions a regenerative, regional model:

• Local slaughter and fabrication to shorten the chain and keep dollars circulating in town

• Multi-species, soil-building farms that prioritize animal welfare and land health

• Fewer miles from pasture to plate—more flavor, less waste

• Radical transparency so you know the breed, the feed, and the butcher

Schools, Kids, and the Cost of “Cheap”

If we want healthy meals for children, funding and standards must align with reality. Rock-bottom bids often mean highly processed inputs and long supply chains. Callicrate argues that true “healthy meals for all” requires investing in nutrient-dense ingredients and regional kitchens that can handle real food—not just heat-and-serve.

“What We Support Prospers”

The core takeaway is both practical and hopeful: households, restaurants, and institutions can choose supply chains that respect animals, workers, land, and eaters. When we do, we grow a parallel economy—one that tastes better and treats people better.

How to Vote With Your Fork (Without Going Broke)

1. Buy from a butcher you can talk to. Ask where the animal was raised and processed.

2. Choose cuts over claims. Fancy labels don’t equal quality; relationship and freshness often do.

3. Embrace the whole animal. Ground, roasts, shanks, and stew meat stretch budgets and deepen flavor.

4. Plan a freezer strategy. Half/quarter beef shares or monthly boxes can beat per-pound retail pricing.

5. Support regional processing. Your dollars help small plants survive the next shock.

6. Talk to your school board. Advocate for procurement that prioritizes local, minimally processed ingredients.

7. Cook simply, season well. Good salt, cast iron, and patience turn honest meat into unforgettable meals.

   
   

About Mike Callicrate & Ranch Foods Direct

Mike Callicrate is a longtime family-farm advocate and the founder of Ranch Foods Direct, a ranch-to-retail model designed to bypass middlemen and deliver transparent, high-quality meats.

If you’re near Colorado Springs, visit:

• 4635 Town Center Dr — fabrication/retail & kitchen (broth, chili, tallow)

• 1228 E. Fillmore — retail + El Chapín + smash burger concept (fries cooked in beef tallow)

Key Takeaways

• Cheap meat isn’t cheap—it’s subsidized by opacity.

• Concentration lets a few packers set prices and policy by default.

• Labels can mislead; relationships rarely do.

• Regional processing is a public good, not a niche luxury.

• The fix is local, transparent, and absolutely possible.

“What we support prospers. What we feed grows.”