Voters in Northern California county to vote on whether to allow large-scale farms
PETALUMA, California — In a part of Northern California known for its scenic coastlines and famous vineyards, hundreds of brown-colored chickens waddle around a large barn at Weber Family Farms.
“You provide them with a stress-free environment with water, food and fresh air at all times, make them disease-free – and they’re going to reward you, whether they give you milk, eggs or meat,” said owner Mike Weber, proudly describing his business with hundreds of thousands of chickens.
But some animal rights activists say farms as large as Weber’s pose a problem.
Kristina Garfinkel said she doesn’t believe in confining tens of thousands of chickens in facilities that don’t provide access to the outdoors, arguing that these large-scale operations actually crowd out small egg and dairy farms and make it difficult for them to stay indoors. company.
Garfinkel, lead organizer of the Coalition to End Factory Farming, has campaigned for a ballot measure aimed at ending large-scale confined livestock farming in Sonoma County. Supporters say the move is about the humane treatment of animals. But critics say it’s a misguided effort that could hurt local egg farming and dairies.
Residents of Sonoma County, where half a million people live north of San Francisco, will vote on the measure this fall. The proposal would require the province to phase out what federal authorities call concentrated animal feeding operations, or farms where large numbers of animals are kept in a confined environment.
The measure is supported by animal rights activists. But it has also sparked a huge backlash, with residents posting huge numbers of signs along roads, in front yards and on farmland opposing Measure J.
Weber said California already has strict rules on how animals should be treated, requiring farmers to keep records, undergo annual inspections and provide space for livestock. He believes the measure would put his family’s more than century-old farm – one of a string of provincial farms hit by bird flu last year – out of business. His commercial egg farm produces organic and conventional eggs, as well as organic fertilizers.
“It is absolutely unreasonable to make a blanket statement that all livestock farming is bad and therefore our mission is to get rid of it,” he said.
Garfinkel said 21 large-scale farms would be affected by the measure and given time to scale back their operations.
“It only affects the largest, most destructive farms,” she said of the measure.
In 2018, Californians voted overwhelmingly for one statewide ballot measure requiring all eggs in the state to come from cage-free chickens. The country’s most populous state had already voted for a new measure improve standards for breeding such animals.
Kathy Cullen, who runs a shelter for farm animals, said she is against confining animals for any reason. But Cullen said advocates are not trying to close all farms, but rather asking them to change, and that the measure has helped create more awareness about farm animal welfare.
Farmers believe the measure has also raised awareness about the challenges they face, said Dayna Ghirardelli, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Many local communities oppose the measure in a province that has a long agricultural history and had more than 3,000 farms in 2022, according to national agricultural statistics.
The province is best known for wine grape growing, but also has dairy and poultry farms, as well as farms growing vegetables and apples.
“If we can find a silver lining, it brings the community together to some extent,” Ghirardelli said.