Current:Home > Contact-usVoters in Northern California county to vote on whether to allow large-scale farms-LoTradeCoin
Voters in Northern California county to vote on whether to allow large-scale farms
View Date:2024-12-23 23:09:27
PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) — In a stretch of Northern California known for scenic shorelines and celebrated vineyards, hundreds of brown-bodied hens waddle around a large barn at Weber Family Farms.
“You provide them a stress-free environment with water, with food, with fresh air at all times, make them free of illness — and they’re going to reward you whether they’re going to give you milk, eggs or meat,” owner Mike Weber said, proudly showing off his business that has hundreds of thousands of chickens.
But some animal rights advocates say such large farms like Weber’s are a problem.
Kristina Garfinkel said she doesn’t believe in confining tens of thousands of chickens in facilities that provide no access to the outdoors, and she argues that these massive operations are actually crowding out small egg and dairy farms and making it hard for them to stay in business.
Garfinkel, lead organizer of the Coalition to End Factory Farming, has been campaigning for a ballot measure aimed at putting an end to large-scale confined animal agriculture in Sonoma County. Proponents say the move is about the humane treatment of animals. But critics contend it is a misguided effort that could harm local egg farming and dairies.
Residents in Sonoma County, which is home to half a million people north of San Francisco, will vote this fall on the measure. The proposal would require the county to phase out what federal authorities call concentrated animal feeding operations, or farms where large numbers of animals are kept in a confined setting.
The measure is supported by animal rights activists. But it has also stoked a tremendous backlash, with residents posting massive numbers of signs along roadways, in front yards and on farmland opposing Measure J.
Weber said California already has strict rules about how animals must be treated, with farmers required to keep records, have annual inspections and provide space for livestock. He believes the measure would put his family’s more than century-old farm — one of a series of county farms that were walloped last year by avian influenza — out of business. His commercial egg farm produces organic and conventional eggs as well as organic fertilizers.
“To come out with a blanket statement that all animal agriculture is bad, therefore it’s our mission to get rid of it, is absolutely unreasonable, and it’s not American at all,” he said.
Garfinkel said 21 large-scale farms would be affected by the measure and would be given time to downsize their operations.
“It just impacts the largest, most destructive farms,” she said of the measure.
In 2018, Californians overwhelmingly voted for a statewide ballot measure requiring that all eggs in the state come from cage-free hens. The nation’s most populous state had already previously voted for another measure to enhance the standards for raising such animals.
Kathy Cullen, who runs a farm animal sanctuary, said she opposes confining animals for any reason. But Cullen said proponents aren’t trying to shut down all farms, but rather asking them to change, and that the measure has helped create more awareness about farm animal welfare.
Farmers feel the measure has created awareness, too, about the challenges they face, said Dayna Ghirardelli, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Many local communities oppose the measure in a county that has a long agricultural history and had more than 3,000 farms in 2022, according to national agricultural statistics.
The county is especially known for wine-grape growing, but it also has dairies and poultry farms, as well as farms that grow vegetables and apples.
“If we can find a silver lining, to a certain degree, it’s bringing the community together,” Ghirardelli said.
veryGood! (44311)
Related
- Congress heard more testimony about UFOs: Here are the biggest revelations
- U.S. warship, commercial ships encounter drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea, officials say
- From 'The Bear' to 'Jury Duty', here's a ranking of 2023's best TV shows
- American tourist killed in shark attack in Bahamas, police say
- Taylor Swift drops Christmas merchandise collection, including for 'Tortured Poets' era
- World carbon dioxide emissions increase again, driven by China, India and aviation
- US unveils global strategy to commercialize fusion as source of clean energy during COP28
- Victim's father gives emotional testimony at trial of serial killer's widow: Trauma and sadness
- A wayward sea turtle wound up in the Netherlands. A rescue brought it thousands of miles back home
- ‘We are officially hostages.’ How the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz embodied Hamas hostage strategy
Ranking
- Taylor Swift drops Christmas merchandise collection, including for 'Tortured Poets' era
- Woman killed in shark attack while swimming with young daughter off Mexico's Pacific coast
- 76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. scoffs at questions about legitimacy of his injury, calls hit-and-run serious
- A small plane makes an emergency landing in the southern Paris suburbs
- The boy was found in a ditch in Wisconsin in 1959. He was identified 65 years later.
- Massachusetts lawmakers overcome efforts to block money for temporary shelters for migrant families
- 'How to Dance in Ohio' is a Broadway musical starring 7 autistic actors
- Thousands protest Indigenous policies of New Zealand government as lawmakers are sworn in
Recommendation
-
Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
-
Trevor Lawrence leaves Jacksonville Jaguars' MNF game with ankle injury
-
Derek Chauvin returned to prison following stabbing, lawyer says
-
Oil firms are out in force at the climate talks. Here's how to decode their language
-
UConn, Kansas State among five women's college basketball games to watch this weekend
-
76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. scoffs at questions about legitimacy of his injury, calls hit-and-run serious
-
Arizona replaces Purdue at No. 1 as USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll is shuffled
-
YouTuber who staged California airplane crash sentenced to 6 months in prison