Austin Frerick

Honored to have helped with this massive investigation by one of the largest newspapers in France. This is the first time I’ve ever seen an analysis that looks at concentration figures for individual farmers.

Results: More than two-thirds of French cattle farms are now located in what is considered a “highly concentrated market."

"According to Frerick, our findings show that the mergers were 'devastating for French farmers'. He said they provided 'a textbook example of what happens when competition authorities fail to do their jobs'... [Frerick] said the French Competition Authority should re-evaluate the mergers it approved and implement policy changes to ensure such purchases are not allowed in the future."

Here's a link to the English version co-published with Lighthouse Reports.

Cut to the Bone: Farmers at the mercy of the meat monopolists - Lighthouse Reports How state authorities put France’s farmers at the mercy of an industrial giant

Exciting news - The docuseries I’ve been helping with for the last few years, The Price of Milk, is now streaming. It’s about the untold story behind the ‘90s ‘Got Milk?’ campaign and leads a four-part investigative romp from the barnyard to the White House, diving into America’s love/hate relationship with milk — and the industrial dairy’s grip on pop culture, politics, and the food on our plate. The third episode pays particular attention to my Dairy Baron. Check it out and let me know what you think!

The Price of Milk The untold story behind the ‘90s ‘Got Milk’ campaign leads a 4-part investigative romp from the dairy farm to the White House, diving into Americans’ love/hate relationship with milk and the dairy industry’s impact on pop culture.

"Happy Holidays" -- I just filmed a segment for ABC News at my in-laws' house and signed off by saying "Happy Holidays" lol (I wasn't sure what to say with it being Easter and Passover).

Surreal -- when I wrote Barons, I never thought I'd present it in London. What an honor to do so last week at the "Ultra-Processed Food Policy Forum" at Imperial College.

Check out the alert Big Ag just put out about me (I'm testifying to the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee, presenting aspects of my book Barons).

Here's Part 2 -- some nuggets from it:

"The Land Report just came out with a Top 100 ranking of who owns the most land in America. The Walmart family now owns more land in America than all the farmland owned by black farmers combined."

"To me the single best thing you can do to make food more affordable in America right now is do away with the ethanol mandate. It’s been more than 20 some years. Ethanol should [survive] on its own. It should not have a government mandate."

What if Big Ag Didn’t Control Our Food? Austin Frerick shares big ideas for how to transform food in the United States. For Frerick, radical change starts with radical imagination

Check out my new interview:
"Last week, the NYT ran a story saying farmers are going to let their crops rot because the prices are so bad. At the same time, we’re having a food affordability crisis. That juxtaposition captures how broken our food system is"

Big Ag Has Corrupted Our Food System. Here’s How We Can Rebuild. Austin Frerick explains how corporate monopolies captured farm bill policy, and how farmers and eaters can unite to fix our food system.

What a year of putting on the miles - gave my final talk this year a few days ago in Great Falls, Montana. Thanks again to MOA for inviting me. 🥩🌾