Hi John,
Measure J is the first county-wide ballot measure to ban factory farms in the US. And the campaign is living up to the hype! With just 95 days until the vote, I wanted to give you a status update on Measure J and let you know how you can help this historic initiative.
Why Measure J?
For a decade, DxE investigators have documented systematic animal abuse at Sonoma County factory farms. Legislators and law enforcement have failed to act to protect these animals. Through a ballot initiative, we are able to place this issue in front of voters ourselves and start the process of banning these facilities everywhere.
Every idea needs people to bravely step up and test it out. Measure J is doing just that.
What are we up against?
Big Ag is taking this campaign seriously, with Western United Dairies calling it “one of the biggest threats to animal ag that we have ever seen.” Industry groups are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and undertaking a massive outreach campaign to defend industrial animal agriculture, and they seem to have no qualms misleading people by using stock images of happy animals on their website.
Unfortunately, we have seen some of their efforts succeed. They’ve been able to gain important endorsements, even from organizations that should be on our side, and managed to pressure the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to rewrite the ballot question drafted by County Counsel, removing critical language about animal welfare and water quality.
But here’s the upside. This campaign is going to be a win.
Regardless of the outcome at the ballot, the campaign is poised to be a success. Here’s why:
- Volunteers have already personally contacted over 20,000 Sonoma County voters at public events or through phones, doors, and text messages. This means thousands of conversations with ordinary people about the devastating impacts of factory farming.
- Tens of thousands more have seen our banners and signs and our first billboard, which just went up this week. Another one is coming soon. Yard signs are popping up around the county, too, and we’re about to launch our first round of digital ads featuring a veterinarian and community leader.
- Over 200 people have stepped up to volunteer for the campaign, including brand new activists who are now fully part of the movement. Long-term organizers have massively leveled up in skill and experience by running a political campaign for the first time.
- We’ve forged connections with local organizations including the Green Party of Sonoma County and Californians for the Alternatives to Toxics, which has successfully sued Reichardt Duck CAFO in Sonoma County for violating the Clean Water Act.
- Press coverage has been constant throughout the campaign, from the LA Times to Politico and Common Dreams, plus many positive Letters to the Editor in the county’s main newspaper -- from supporters we know and others we’ve never met!
The bottomline is that hundreds of thousands of people in this county -- and more around the world -- are being exposed to factory farming that has hidden behind the “humane” myth, and they are being asked to take a stance. We have put the issue in a spotlight where it cannot be ignored. With the knowledge out there and the public spurred to action, we will only move forward.
All eyes are on Measure J as we get closer and closer to November. Please join us and be a part of this historic campaign.
If you can't make it to convergence, but want to help in other ways, please fill out our volunteer form. Let's make factory farming history!
Almira
