Ban “factory farms” in Sonoma County, CA?
In the animal activist and animal rights communities, there is discussion and debate about use of the term — and even the definition of the term — “factory farm.”
Let’s address the contentious issue of whether or not to “ban factory farms” this way: below is copied, in full, a May 23, 2024 CBS news article, Anti-pollution Measure J sees backlash from Sonoma farmers, by reporter Brian Hackney: https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/anti-pollution-measure-j-sees-backlash-from-sonoma-farmers/ )
Proponents of the Sonoma County, CA ballot Measure J which, through hard work from animal rights advocates, is on the Nov. 2024 ballot in this northern California county with lots of animal farms. If passed, it would shut down Sonoma County’s largest animal “farms” or factories, technically called “CAFOs” (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) because they supposedly pollute more than “small” farms and are treat animals more cruelly than “small” farms do.
Trouble is, how to define “large” and “small” is a topic of debate. And whether they pollute more or reduce suffering by much is also not so clear. “Large” so-called “factory farm” owners cry foul, of course, saying they are targeted unfairly and will be put out of business.
And then on the fringes are those — including TreeSpirit Project — who argue that the distinction between “large” and “small” is mostly irrelevant. That ALL animals in ALL “farms” inevitably suffer abuse. And that ALL animals on farms of ANY size are killed at an unnaturally early age. Some go so far — including TreeSpirit Project — as to consider humanity’s treatment of domesticated animals for consumption and use an “Animal Holocaust.” READ ALL ABOUT IT.
Hackney’s entire CBS News article is copied below WITH TreeSpirit’s COMMENTS INSERTED, IN UPPER CASE:
A summer of discontent is looming in Sonoma County, as Measure J sets the stage for an increasingly familiar story: animal activists vs. large-scale poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys) and cattle ranching.
Measure ‘J’ would outlaw larger animal farms and those defined as polluting the water in Sonoma County. Such farms are called CAFOs, short for ‘Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations’- or euphemistically, ‘factory farms’.
Kristina Garfinkel of the Coalition to End Factory Farming says “CAFOs are major polluters. They pollute groundwater, surface water. And they’re cruel to animals.”
[TSP COMMENT: ALL DAIRY & BEEF “FARMS” ARE CRUEL TO COWS – – BECAUSE MOTHERS ARE FORCIBLY IMPREGNATED, AND CALVES ARE TAKEN FROM THEIR MOTHERS WITHIN 48 HRS. AFTER BIRTH. AND ALL DAIRY COWS ARE KILLED WHILE YOUNG; LESS THAN 1/3RD OF THEIR NATURAL LIFESPAN. AND MANY BOYS ARE KILLED JUST DAYS AFTER BIRTH.]“Lies, lies, lies, and more lies,” according to Kathy Tresch, whose farm – targeted for closure under the measure – has been in the family since 1905.
The measure collected enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot in Sonoma by, opponents argue, brandishing shocking photos of dead animals. More photos, obtained by “entering (poultry farm) facilities without the owner’s knowledge”, were presented at a coalition press conference on Tuesday morning.
[TSP: OF COURSE, THE ONLY WAY TO GET PHOTOS DOCUMENTING THE HORRIFIC CONDITIONS AT ANY FARM IS TO SNEAK IN WITHOUT PERMISSION. DUH.]“I’ve seen these horrific conditions firsthand, and I’ve reported them to law enforcement repeatedly, but nothing has been done. They’re estimated to confine over 230,000 chickens inside these industrial sheds,” said Lewis Bernier, a factory farm investigator.
[TSP: PROVING THE POINT THAT THERE IS NO REGULATORY OVERSIGHT — AND NO ENFORCEMENT — OF ABUSIVE, FILTHY CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE INEVITABLE INSIDE GIANT, WINDOWLESS SHEDS PACKED WITH THOUSANDS OF BIRDS. THIS IS NEITHER NATURAL NOR HEALTHY. AND THE PUBLIC MUST RELY ON FARMERS, UNDER FINANCIAL PRESSURE TO TURN A PROFIT, TO POLICE THEMSELVES.]In response to the photos, which show dead or diseased chickens and ducks, the Sonoma County Farm bureau bristled.
“Isolated incidences of mortality occur on any farm despite the best animal care practices, and it is grossly misleading to portray these photos as representative of conditions at family farms,” explained the bureau’s official response.
The Tresch family farm has 750 cows on 2000 certified organic acres- more than an acre per cow, Kathy’s daughter, Lydia, points out- and they’re offended by the suggestion that they mistreat their animals.
[TSP: ORGANIC CERTIFICATION, AND ACREAGE, HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH CRUELTY. THIS IS MISDIRECTION; APPLES & BLOODY ORANGES, RANCHER TRESCH.]“We were the environmentalists of the year in Sonoma County one year. We’ve had stewards of the land award,” Kathy said. The family is worried about their future if the measure passes. “Our farm would be gone.” said Kathy. “Yeah. It would. We would be shut down,” her daughter Lydia agreed.
[TSP: WHO GIVES OUT THE AWARDS? INDEPENDENT REGULATORS? OR CATTLE INDUSTRY GROUPS THAT EXIST TO INVENT & HAND OUT AWARDS. THIS IS ‘HUMANE-WASHING” ANIMAL ABUSE: FORCED IMPREGNATION, TAKING BABIES FROM MOTHERS DAYS AFTER BIRTH… AND AN EARLY DEATH-BY-SLIT-THROAT FOR EVERY COW.]“If I was drafting something based on animal welfare alone, it might be a different limitation,” said Bernier when speaking on the threat of family farm closures.
County Supervisors are unanimously opposed to the measure. “Everything is wrong with measure J,” says supervisor David Rabbitt. “It is a disaster for Sonoma County.” He claims an annual half-billion dollar hit to the economy. But since a measure like this has never been passed anywhere in the country, its effects are almost incalculable.
[TSP: NO SURPRISE THAT SUPERVISORS FOCUS ON ECONOMICS, NOT THE FACTS OF WATER POLLUTION, METHANE EMISSIONS, SOIL DEGRADATION, NOR ANIMAL CRUELTY. MONEY & CAMPAIGN DONATIONS OVER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.]“We think that starting at the local level in a place where there is a high amount of public opinion against factory farming is a good way to start that ball rolling,” Bernier said. The idea, as he expressed it, is that if it wins here in Sonoma, other areas could do the same.
Of course, the huge debate is over what constitutes a ‘factory farm’. As Measure J supporters see it, about 2 dozen large facilities in Sonoma qualify for closure.
“One would be too many,” says supervisor David Rabbit.
As for mistreating her animals, Kathy Tresch said the claim is “completely false.”
“For one thing, being certified organic, the national organic program has stringent requirements of how our animals are to be treated,” she explained.
[TSP: GREENWASH RINSE & REPEAT: STANDARD LEGAL DAIRY PRACTICES INCLUDE FORCED IMPREGNATION, TAKING BABY COWS AT BIRTH, AND KILLING BABY BOYS FOR VEAL — OR JUST DISPOSAL SINCE BOYS DON’T PRODUCE MILK.]“The people who started this measure know nothing about farmers. They’re not farmers. They’re not from Sonoma County. They’re from Berkeley and wherever else,” said Lydia Tresch.
[TSP: CLEVER AD HOMINEN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE, BUT DOESN’T REFUTE THE FACTS ABOUT WATER POLLUTION AND THE CRUELTY OF KILLING ALL COWS WHILE YOUNG.]So as animal activists fight for animal welfare and lives, large farmers like the Tresch family will fight this summer for their livelihoods.
[TSP: YES, THIS IS ACCURATE: ENDING ANIMAL OPERATIONS WHICH TORTURE ANIMALS DOES INDEED MEAN THOSE WHO PROFIT FROM SYSTEMATIZED, NORMALIZED ANIMAL CRUELTY AND SLAUGHTER WILL INDEED NOT BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS. AND SHOULD BE. JUST AS HUMAN SLAVE TRADERS WERE FINALLY PUT OUT OF THEIR “HISTORIC” BUSINESS.]
READ ABOUT “Regenerative Ranching” – the best of the best is just as bad if not worse: https://www.TreeSpiritProject.com/regnerativeBS