When I lived in California, I voted for Proposition 12, The Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, along with 7,551,434 other people in the state, almost 63% of voters. Now the debate over Prop 12 is headed to the United States Supreme Court. Should millions of voters in California have the right to tell Iowa farmers how to raise hogs?
Beth, While I applaud your ideals, I am quite skeptical that local meat production will ever economically feed the urban masses.I say this as a huge supporter of raising all livestock outdoors to the degree it is safe and humane for people and animals . I assume you saw the recent NYT article about Chinese high-rise hogs? Sometime I would enjoy chewing these issues over with you.
P.S. We don’t want any smelly confinement buildings near us either, of course. But where and how do we raise or import enough farmers to get from this juncture to that of disbursed livestock spreading the manure themselves throughout the Midwest??
Thanks Julie. And thanks for creating the Iowa Writers Collaborative! Such an important undertaking.
Beth, While I applaud your ideals, I am quite skeptical that local meat production will ever economically feed the urban masses.I say this as a huge supporter of raising all livestock outdoors to the degree it is safe and humane for people and animals . I assume you saw the recent NYT article about Chinese high-rise hogs? Sometime I would enjoy chewing these issues over with you.
P.S. We don’t want any smelly confinement buildings near us either, of course. But where and how do we raise or import enough farmers to get from this juncture to that of disbursed livestock spreading the manure themselves throughout the Midwest??
Beth, your column is offering an important perspective. Thank you,