Chicago newsman and crime-documentary narrator Bill Kurtis has been a big advocate for grassfed beef, which he’s marketed under the Tallgrass Beef label and much of which has come from his own ranch near Sedan, Kansas. But even with the help of a stentorian voice and TV fame, it can be tough being a small producer in the big business of meat, and the company has fallen behind on its payments to some of the livestock producers it has bought from. Now the government is adding to his woes; the USDA has hit Tallgrass with a $403,000 fine for not paying its suppliers properly. (Which should really help him pay those suppliers.) This was a negotiated settlement with the USDA, and Kurtis expresses optimism that he’s getting his suppliers paid and can keep Tallgrass afloat. [Crain’s]
