A Ban on Large Modern Farms Was Stopped in Sonoma County, California
In November 2024, Sonoma County residents voted against a proposed ban on large modern farms. Created by Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), an anti-animal agriculture group known for trespassing on private agribusinesses and stealing livestock and poultry, Measure J threatened to permanently ban most modern farms and animal husbandry practices in Sonoma County.
Local farmers came together with early voting on the ban, showing an 85% “no” vote on Measure J, according to Dayna Ghirardelli, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, in a KQED press release. Support also came from outside the local farming community, with campaign spending on Measure J reaching $2 million.
At AGPROfessionals, we also stepped up to advocate for our animal agriculture clients in response to the Measure J ban as well as the proposed bans in Denver, Colorado. Our communications team produced original articles and boosted them on our social media outlets. We also shared articles and notices produced by livestock association groups and other partners. Over the last number of months, our efforts reached tens of thousands of voters in each demographic area.
Measure J Would Have Impacted All of Animal Agriculture in the County
According to the Sonoma County Voter Information Guide, animals included in the Measure J ballot initiative were cattle, mature dairy cattle, veal calves, swine, horses, sheep, laying hens, broilers, and ducks, making it clear that no animal agribusiness in Sonoma County would have been exempt. If Measure J were to have passed, all large modern farms in Sonoma County would need to be “phased out,” and future developments of large modern farms would be “prohibited.” Current operations would have had three years to “phase-out” or meet Best Management Practices set by the county Agricultural Commissioner. Failure to cease or comply within the three years would have resulted in fines starting at $1,000 for the first day, $5,000 for the second day, and $10,000 every day in “violation” thereafter. In addition to fines, non-complying large modern farms would have also faced other enforcement available by law and at the discretion of the Agricultural Commissioner.
Family Farms Would Have Been Impacted
Opponents of the ban pointed out that the bill targeted multi-generational farming families in Sonoma County. According to an American Farm Bureau fact sheet about agriculture and food, in 2022, 95% of all United States farms are family owned.
If it passed, Measure J would have shut down large modern farms housing 89,000 cattle, 13,508 sheep, 2,935 hogs, 4,362 goats, and 225,496 laying hens, pullets, and broilers, according to the 2023 Sonoma County Crop Report.
Measure J Proponents Used Disinformation to Sway Voters
The verbiage on the ordinance claimed only “industrialized factory farms” would be prohibited and not “family farms.” This claim by the writers of Measure J was wholly disingenuous and misleading. Measure J proponents also claimed large modern farms were “major polluters and the breeding ground for diseases.” This statement was also false, as Sonoma County farmers are held to high animal welfare standards and environmental regulatory compliance. Family farms in Sonoma County use best practices to protect water quality and other environmental impacts. The coalition opposing Measure J ensured voters were aware that “Sonoma County’s farms are among the most progressive in the nation, setting high standards in sustainability and animal welfare. Our farmers are leaders in animal care, carbon sequestration, and environmental stewardship, practices that will be undermined by Measure J.”
The Group Behind Measure J – Was Also Behind the Slaughterhouse and Fur Bans in Denver
Founded in 2013 by Wayne Hsuing, a lawyer who subscribes to animal rights and environmental extremist ideology, Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) engages in extreme tactics to attack animal agriculture. An article by Protect The Harvest outlined some of the tactics used by DxE, including committing crimes such as theft of animals, which they call “open rescue,” and focusing on small organic farms that do not have the resources to fight back against DxE activities. DxE’s “open rescue” policy includes breaking into and stealing animals from farms and ranches, which risks the health and welfare of the livestock they steal and the livestock on the premises. According to the same article, the organization also targets small organic farms to further its “all animal agriculture is abuse” narrative.
Pro-Animal Future (PAF) is an anti-animal agriculture group connected with DxE. Based out of Denver, Colorado, PAF is a sub-group of the Phauna Foundation, a 501 c (3). Its website states that the organization is “known in the animal rights community for its studies on public attitudes regarding the use of animals for food.” According to an article by Protect The Harvest, PAF used its influence to further its vegan agenda in the Denver area to get similar initiatives to Measure J on the ballot. The ballot initiatives targeted animal processing facilities and the sale of fur products in Denver city and county.
The Ultimate in Sustainability and Animal Welfare
Today’s farmers and ranchers operate on very thin margins. Animals that are stressed or unhealthy do not produce well. Therefore, animal welfare and efficiency are top priorities for producers. With this in mind, university researchers and livestock veterinarians have developed modern farming practices in conjunction with producers who have generations of practical knowledge and experience. The practices employed by large modern farms help ensure the animals' health and well-being, reduce inputs, and make the most of land, water, and other resources.
Not only are large modern farms, primarily owned by families, feeding the country, but more and more are doing so utilizing sustainable energy. Some examples of the use of renewable energy on farms and ranches include geothermal, solar panels, windmills, hydro systems, and methane digesters. In 2022, 153,101 farms and ranches used renewable energy. This is a 167% increase from 2012 when only 57,299 farms used on-farm renewable energy practices.
Large Modern Farms Support Local Economies
The latest statistics from the American Farm Bureau Federation show that there are 1.9 million farms and ranches in the US, comprising less than 2% of the population. Family-run operations account for more than 95% of total agricultural production value. One large modern farm, on average, feeds 169 people in the U.S. and abroad annually.
In Sonoma County, large modern farms support the local, state, and national economy by adding tens of millions of dollars in revenue each year. According to the 2023 Sonoma County Crop Report, the livestock industry in Sonoma County contributed $39,489,100 to the local economy in 2023.
Looking Toward the Future
In her article about the recent ballot initiative in Sonoma County, Hannah Weeman Thompson from Animal Agriculture Alliance emphasized the importance of staying abreast of threats to animal agriculture and turning out to vote “no” when these initiatives appear on the ballot. We must stand up against groups like DxE and PAF and stop bans on large modern farms and slaughterhouses from gaining traction. “Losses today are unlikely to deter activists,” Weeman said, “as they believe ‘even if none of them pass, it’s going to set a precedent, we’ve already won by getting these on the ballot.’”
Thankfully, Measure J did not pass, and neither did the bans in Denver. However, despite this defeat at the polls, the threat to large modern farms is far from over. The groups vying to end animal agriculture are motivated by their ideology and they have a long game.
Links:
Sonoma County on Measure J HERE
KQED on Rejecting Measure J HERE
2023 Sonoma County Crop Report HERE
AGPROfessionals article about the Denver Slaughterhouse Ban HERE
American Farm Bureau Federation Facts on Large Modern Farms HERE
USDA Agriculture, Food Sector and Economy Report HERE
US Davis 2024 California Farm Labor Report HERE
Protect The Harvest on Measure J HERE
Protect The Harvest on Direct Action Everywhere HERE
Protect The Harvest on Pro-Animal Future HERE