Animal activists are up to no good once again in California. That’s why ag leaders there are warning farmers across the rest of the U.S how activists are using their state to impose bad policy—like Prop 12—to cause harm to the country’s livestock industry.
“For them, this is a steppingstone—that they are seeking out to throw something against the wall and see what sticks. Because if they can make it happen here, it’s going to take off,” says Dayna Ghirardelli, Executive Director of Sonoma County Farm Bureau in California.
She’s talking about animal activists who have selected Sonoma County as their target for the state’s next anti-animal ag law. The group says it’s targeting big factory farms, but Ghirardelli says that’s simply not the case.
“The majority are family farms. There may be one group of farms that might fall under our corporate structure, but for the most part they are locally owned or locally operated,” Ghirardelli said. “Absolutely our food shed here in Sonoma County is very much family farming.”
Farm Bureau and other ag organizations are pulling together to educate voters about their local family farms and what the measure would do to them, but Ghirardelli says it’s a costly campaign and they could use some help.
“Support us in whatever way you can,” she said. “Not just by endorsing, but if there’s any financial contributions that can be offered because we know that this is going to be in at least $1.65 million effort to combat as a fully waged campaign.”
You can get more information on the Sonoma County Family Farmers Alliance website.
