{"id":1746,"date":"2025-09-15T08:56:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T08:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farmstand.chee.studio\/case\/deep-dive-checkoff\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T15:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T15:28:00","slug":"deep-dive-checkoff","status":"publish","type":"deep_dive","link":"https:\/\/farmstand.org\/es\/deep-dive\/deep-dive-checkoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep Dive: Checkoff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Farmers and ranchers have beef with the checkoff.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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At FarmSTAND, we\u2019re fighting in courtrooms and communities to dismantle the barriers to a better food system led by independent food producers \u2014 including by taking on USDA\u2019s unfair checkoff programs. Many Americans may have never heard the word \u201ccheckoff\u201d before, but these shadowy government programs are a major problem for farmers and ranchers. They stack the odds even more in favor of Big Ag by taxing farmers and then using the money collected to promote a corporate-controlled version of agriculture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Independent farmers are struggling. Every year, it gets harder and harder for small and mid-sized farmers to compete with the handful of enormous, consolidated corporations that dominate our current food system. If we want a fair food system, one that nourishes communities and protects our air, water, and land, we need to fight for a fair playing field so that independent farmers can survive and thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, checkoff programs are a mandatory tax on agricultural producers.<\/strong> That tax money is supposed to be spent to promote overall sales of a given agricultural product like beef, pork, or dairy. While you might not be familiar with the word checkoff, the promotions they pay for are probably a part of your everyday life. If you\u2019ve ever seen a commercial for \u201cBeef. It\u2019s what\u2019s for dinner,\u201d \u201cThe Incredible, Edible Egg,\u201d or \u201cPork. The other white meat,\u201d you\u2019ve seen a checkoff ad. Those \u201cGot Milk?\u201d posters of your favorite celebrities with a milk mustache? Paid for by the milk checkoff.  Those viral Grimace milkshake TikToks? The dairy checkoff has been using dairy farmers\u2019 money for years to boost McDonald\u2019s sales<\/a> of dairy products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proponents of checkoffs will say that the programs support all farmers, but FarmSTAND and our allies know the painful reality: Checkoffs mostly funnel money to the lobbying and trade organizations that primarily boost the largest corporate producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Proponents of checkoffs will say that the programs support all farmers, but FarmSTAND and our allies know the painful reality: Checkoffs mostly funnel money to the lobbying and trade organizations that primarily boost the largest corporate producers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Proponents of checkoffs will say that the programs support all farmers, but FarmSTAND and our allies know the painful reality: Checkoffs mostly funnel money to the lobbying and trade organizations that primarily boost the largest corporate producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checkoffs put independent farmers and ranchers at a double disadvantage. Not only are checkoffs another tax to pay when operating on razor-thin margins, but the money ends up supporting the Big Ag companies that threaten to put independent farmers and ranchers out of business \u2014 and damage our health and environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FarmSTAND and our allies are fighting to reform the checkoff system. We\u2019re proud to have represented independent cattle ranchers in court to root out corruption in the beef checkoff.  We\u2019ve already had some big wins<\/a> together, forcing USDA to take responsibility over state-level checkoff organizations that were spending ranchers\u2019 money on ads that hurt independent ranchers. We took USDA back to court to make sure that USDA actually listens to the voices of independent ranchers when it makes decisions about the checkoff, instead of making secretive deals to continue business as usual. In the course of our litigation, we commissioned groundbreaking research<\/a> that shows it\u2019s possible to have a checkoff that\u2019s fair for all farmers \u2014 simple changes to the way beef is advertised would level the playing field for independent producers selling specialized products.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not fair that independent producers are forced to pay millions of dollars to programs that make it harder for them to survive. At FarmSTAND, we\u2019ve joined arms with ranchers and allies across the food system to put pressure on USDA to do right by producers because we believe checkoff reform is a critical step towards building a food system that benefits everyone, not just the biggest corporations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the course of our litigation, we commissioned groundbreaking research that shows it\u2019s possible to have a checkoff that\u2019s fair for all farmers \u2014 simple changes to the way beef is advertised would level the playing field for independent producers selling specialized products.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We envision a future where the people who make our food can make an honest living and support sustainable, healthy communities. A fair food system is transparent and accountable to real people, not corporate profits. Checkoff programs should support these values instead of secretly funneling farmers\u2019 tax money to the mega-corporations who dominate our current system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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