Hi John,

Antonelle here. At DxE, I head up the Development Working Group. My team recruits activists and gives them opportunities to champion animal rights. When I was asked to step into a leadership role to coordinate the signature collection effort for Measure J, a ballot initiative to put an end to large factory farms in Sonoma County, I didn’t hesitate. 

But nothing prepared me for what was to come. 

My work was non-stop around the clock. A day on the campaign involved mobilizing volunteers (150+ in total) to pound the pavement to collect signatures in a sometimes hostile county. 
I knew the best signature collecting location and times, what zip codes were within the county and what weren’t, and which opening lines worked best. I printed and compiled 1,000 signature packets and kept track of where they were at all times. And I always knew where our signature tally was at - because we only had 180 days to collect 20,000 valid signatures! No small feat, especially considering we really needed way more to make up for those that would be discounted by the county. 
Doing the final count and organization of our 37,000 signatures

The pressure was intense to make our numbers. 

On March 4th, when we finally turned in all the signatures and I watched the office staff wheel the boxes away, I still didn’t know if it was enough. 

I found out on the morning of March 27th. With heart-pounding disbelief, the answer was YES. A flood of emotions overwhelmed me that day. First, it was a huge win: We got the first county-wide factory farm ban in the US on the ballot! I was overjoyed and walked on air for hours. Then fear set in. There is a long battle ahead. How would the opposition react?
First, Big Ag spent well over $2 million to defeat Measure J, outspending us close to 10-to-1. Second, they pressured every single city within the county to adopt a resolution against us. And third, they spread gross misinformation, pretending that animals are treated with compassion in large factory farms. So not true.

Unfortunately, Measure J was defeated. It was a disappointing loss, but we had so many wins:
  • Over 400 volunteers participated in the Measure J campaign, including 150+ people who took action for animals for the first time. 
  • Media coverage about factory farms exploded. Usually, it takes a massive push to get press attention. Not so with the Measure J campaign. Measure J catapulted us into mainstream state and local news with 130+ press hits including in-depth articles in major publications. The upshot? The harms of factory farming are finally being taken seriously and heard by the public.
  • Agricultural interests were forced to act. Big Ag was terrified of the precedent Measure J could set for the country. We had them on the run like never before, which is why they raised millions to defeat us. We are a force to be reckoned with and they know it. 
  • Litigation against factory farms are now in the works from environmental organizations due to the Measure J effort. Because we built many alliances during this time, more organizations are working together to take down factory farms.
Looking back I ask myself, Was it all worth it? I put my sweat, blood, and tears into this campaign - and we lost. But I know that so many landmark victories were preceded by numerous defeats. Getting Measure J on the ballot was the proudest moment of my life. It was absolutely worth it. The movement is stronger for it, and so am I.

Antonelle

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