published Iowa City Press Citizen 2-24-21
Time to cut loose from Big Ag’s factory farm stranglehold
Despite powerful evidence and years of opposition from many citizens, numerous county boards, small nonprofits and leading environmental groups, “factory farms” continue to proliferate across the state. Calling these operations “farms” is a misnomer. “Industrial Animal Factories” is more accurate. They are destroying our rural communities, displacing traditional family farms, defiling our land, air and water, and putting us all at risk. Iowa’s landscape is riddled with more than 13,000 of these installations with rows of long, narrow sheds containing thousands of abused animals packed in together in toxic, cruel conditions. And they just keep coming.
Just a few of the many reasons to support a moratorium:
- Widespread noxious, harmful odors.
- Drastic reduction in nearby property values.
- Harmful health impacts — breathing problems (especially in children and the elderly), risk of antibiotic-resistant infections, depression and more.
- Poisoning of wells and groundwater.
- Potential hotbed for the emergence of another devastating pandemic.
- Manure spills and runoff contributed to over 750 polluted waterways.
This movement is NOT anti-farmer. Rather, it seeks to support traditional, independent farmers who care for their land and our environment, reflecting values of responsibility, respect and regeneration. The unsustainable factory farm model is quite the opposite, placing corporate profits above all else. As Iowans, we must find our way back from this destructive, polluting precipice and lend our voices to demand a moratorium on new or expanded factory farms.
— Miriam Kashia, North Liberty