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1489764
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Ford, Betty - Food - Beef Prices
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1489764
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Ford, Betty - Food - Beef Prices
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Sheila R. Weidenfeld Files (Ford Administration)
Sheila Weidenfeld's General Subject Files
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President (1974-1977 : Ford). Office of the First Lady. 1974-1977
Food
Inflation (Finance)
Meat
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1489764
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1974-11-30
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11
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1974
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1974-11-01
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11
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1974
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The original documents are located in Box 38, folder "Ford, Betty - Food - Beef Prices" of
the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 38 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
felowa
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Press Conf. in Sept.
*
we don't eat as much
Buy's eehing less beeffeel
or some of those things that me boys like
as the wd like to have 5 roant beef
&
Consummers luncheon
Shopping bargains -
Mail from everyone in
Mid-west- (Saly Quinville)
What did Min. Ford
say, (Reported m Network)
" Wire buying less pitiene beef it not
and more fish & casserde,
are no shaneen to the
WH "have them more
popular in the WH", FORD
THE LIBRARY
X
11 It was neel nice
of mem to do it
but iti a shame
they didn't send it
to someone who
could needs it."
su/ 1st ful not
al lowed to receive
food from any one
For security reasons
no. of hands it goes Me
when transported
Calf
arrived 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, 1974
packed in five cardboard boxes in dry ice
weighed 334 lbs.
( in boxed that were 23 1/2" X 16" wide and 10 1/2" deep)
sent air freight
cost them $65.95 to send; $18 to deliver; $3 other charges.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
FORD STATE LIBRARY
PaHi-
Here is acopy of the
offer of assistance from
the American Catthemen's
Association for your
reference. The surveys have
been filed in our staff
room.
Mary
ANNE BANVILLE
1000 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D. C.20036
202-296-9190
October 25, 1974
Ms. Mary Owens
Mrs. Ford's Staff
Room 204, East Wing
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Ms. Owens:
Per our conversation, I am happy to send along a set of the
beef price surveys that ANCA has conducted over the past
months.
The newspaper write-up you saw locally most likely referred to the
latest survey which was taken on October 10 and released
October 17. The survey of nineteen cities for that date showed
that beef prices were lower across the nation -- but not in
Washington, DC, which was why the local media reported the
results of the survey so extensively.
Once you've looked over the surveys, if you or any member of
Mrs. Ford's staff would like to discuss the surveys or the beef
price situation in general, C.W. McMillan of the ANCA Washington
office would be pleased to talk with you. Mr. McMillan can be
reached at 347-0228.
Sincerely,
anne Banerlle
Anne Banville
Washington News Bureau Director
American National Cattlemen's Association
Encl: (1)
AB/pah
LIBRARY
P.O. Box 1249
Seguin, Texas
November 5, 1974
Mrs. Gerald Ford
White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mrs. Ford:
A group of local ranchers has gotten together and
have decided that we would like for you to have a sample
of the good grass-fed Texas beef that we produce. We
are sending you a calf that was purchased through one of
our local auction rings, processed by a local packer, and
packaged into cuts of beef ready to be prepared for the
table. Since you are First Lady of the United States, we
must assume also that you are the First Housewife, and
we would like to begin by selling you on the fact that
our beef is a real bargain.
For this reason we would like to tell you just exactly
how little this meat cost us. This calf weighed 465 pounds
and cost 27½ cents per pound, for a total cost of $126.71.
The processing of this calf cost $38.28 and the carcass
weighed 261 pounds. Adding these expenses together, this
meat cost 63.2 cents per pound after it had been packed
and ready for your freezer. We realize that this is a great
deal cheaper than offered in the super markets in this area
and, we are sure, in your area as well.
The ranchers who grew this beef are rapidly going broke.
They work long and hard hours, use tremendous amounts of
capital and not only are they not making a profit, but they
are losing money every day. These are the facts that we
would like to convey to every housewife in the United States.
Their families deserve good beef and we like to produce it
for them, but if something is not done soon, we will be out
of business.
This meat was packed under the supervision of a Federal
FORD LIBRARY 19.19.19
Mrs. Ford
Nov. 5, 1974
Meat Inspector so that your Secret Service people would
feel confident in the security of this gift. We hope
you enjoy this meat and if we can sell you on our product,
then we may have a chance with the other housewives of
the United States.
Yours very truly,
June Diet
Tuesdietz Skippy mathines
Bb Bilcher
Don Caldweey
Frankschrielt
P.S. If for any reason you feel that you cannot accept
this gift, would you please have this meat forwarded to
an orphanage in your area. If you will let us know, we
will be glad to pay any expenses incurred in this transfer.
GER
AMOUNT
Maria received
MEMORANDUM
less Man 200
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
puces of mail
TO:
SHEILA WEDIENFELD
FROM:
PATTI MATSON
RE:
RANCHERS SENDING CALF TO MRS. FORD
I think we have a couple of choices:
a) to see if we can downplay the story. The advantage of this is to
avoid the controversy between the ranchers and butcher/grocers
regarding who really is to blame for the higher prices, and also
might enable us not to have to say what is going to happen to the
calf.
b) to have a brief quote from Mrs. Ford to try to regain some of the
ground we lost with the ranchers following our "eating more fish
and casseroles" comment. 11 Anything she says needs to show great
sympathy for the ranchers plight and needs to endorse beef, or
we are better off not saying anything, as it will fan and rekindle
the ranchers' just-under-surface ire.
Something like this might work: "The ranchers seem to have a legitimate
gripe. My friends in the Midwest tell me the ranchers are getting a bum
rap on beef prices, and the figures tend to back that up. I don't know
who's to blame for the higher cost, but I do know there's nothing my
family looks forward to like a good steak."
(FYI: Justice and the FTC are investigating food prices, and maybe
their study will yield some answers.)
JUIT GENALD ₹ FORD
re: Receiving Food
Answer: On background, food cant
8 to 1st family for security reasons
12:30 pm
Thurs, NOV 7.
Sheila (alias Shelia)
Bob Pierpoint called.
There is a group of cattlemen in Guadelupe County, Texas
who have gotten together and slaughtered, dressed and frozen
a fatted calf and sent it to Mrs. Ford.
This is in semi-protest to her statements about beef prices
being so high that she and her family are eating less beef
and more fish and casseroles, Irdah etc.
The cattlemen say that the cost to them to raise, feed, slaughter,
dress and freeze this animal is 62. 3 Their point is that it's
the middleman who is making all the profit --not them.
Bob's question: when and where is this thing arriving and
what will Mrs. Ford do with it.
Answer: On Background
path
food can't so to 15ʳ
family for security
Veasons.
FORD LIBRARY
11/7/74
Calf for Mrs. Ford
Seguin, Tex. (UPI) --- First Lady Betty Ford is going to
receive a fatted calf from Texas ranchers who want her to know
that beef is a bargain when middlemen costs are eliminated.
"Since you are First Lady of the United States, we must
assume also that you are the First Housewife," a letter accompany-
ing the processed meat said.
"For this reason, we would like to tell you just exactly how
little this meat cost us. This calf weighed 465 pounds and cost FORD
27-1/4 cents per pound for a total of $126.71.
"The processing of this calf cost $38.28 and the carcass
weighed 261 pounds. Adding these expenses together, this meat
cost 63.2 cents per pound after it had been packed and ready for
your freezer.
"We realize that this is a great deal cheaper than offered
in the super markets in this area, and we are sure in your area
as well," the ranchers told Mrs. Ford to emphasize how much
profit middlemen make from ranch to market counter.
UP-055
(CALF FOR MRS 104.
SECUIN, TEX. (UPI) "", FIRST LADY BMTTY FORD IS GOING re RECEIVE
FAITED CALE FROM TEXAS RANCHERS WHO WANT HER TO KNOW THAI BEEF IS A
BARGAIN WHEN MIDDLEMEN COSIS ARE ELIMINATED.
"SINCE YOU ARE FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES, WE MUST ASSUME
ALSO THAT YOU ARE THE FIRSI HOUSEWIFE," A LITTER ACCOMPANYING THE
PROCESSED MEAT SAID.
"FOR THIS REASON, WE WOULD LIKE 10 TELL YOU JUST EXACTLY HOW
LITTLE THIS MEAT COST US. THIS CALF VEIGHED 465 POUNDS AND COST 27
1/4 CENTS PER POUND FOR is TOTAL OF $126.71.
"THE PROCESSING OF THIS CALF COST $38.28 AND THE CARCASS WEIGHED
261 POUNDS. ADDING THESE EXPENSES TOGETHER, THIS MEAI COST 63.2 CENTS
PER POUND AFTER IT HAD BEEN PACKED AND READY FOR YOUR FREEZER.
"WE REALIZE THAT THIS IS A GREAT DEAL CHEAPER THAN OFFERED IN THE
SUPER MARKETS IN THIS AREA, and ARE SURE IN YOUR AREA AS WELL,"
THE RANCHERS TOLD MRS. FORD 10 EMPHASIZE HOW MUCH PROFIT MIDDLEMEN
MAKE FROM RANCH TO MARKET COUNTER.
"TRE RANCHERS WHO GREW THIS BELF ARE RAPIDLY GOING BROKE. THEY
WORK LONG AND HARD HOURS, USE TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF CAPITAL AND NOT
ONLY ARE THEY NOT MAKING F. PROFIT, BUT THEY ARE LOSINS MONEY EVERY
DAY," THE LETTER SAID.
"THESE ARE THE FACTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE 10 CONVEY 10 EVERY
HOUSEWIFE IN THE U. S. THEIR FAMILIES DESERVE 0000 BEEF, AND WE LIKE
TO PRODUCE IT FOR THEM, BUT IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE SOON, WE WILL BE
R.FORD
OUT OF BUSINESS."
TIBRARY
UPI 11-07 11:28 AES
BERALD
UP-056