Family Farms
We support the preservation of the family farm from an economic, an environmental, and a public health perspective. Vertical integration of farming (such as control of seeds and livestock) not only leads to more detrimental practices, but also undermines the rural economy. Alternative agriculture (integrated pest management and organic agriculture) can boost farm income and reduce toxic loading into the environment from pesticides. Alternative livestock production also envisions the avoidance of chemical, hormonal and antibiotic inputs. In addition, properly pricing farm products (parity pricing) would keep real farmers in business. Together these policies would provide us a healthy food supply, vastly improve environmental quality and farm income, reduce or eliminate farm subsidies, and set the stage for a strong rural economy. Below are the articles on this site related to family farms.
Factory Farm Resources
Petitions
Kosciusko County CAFO Petition Click here and print from your browser!
Factsheets
Tell Kroger to support family dairy farmers, not factory farms! Click here to read more!
June 27, 2012 Action Alert
Factory farms typically mix low doses of antibiotics into animal food and water to promote growth and prevent disease caused by overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 70% of all antibiotics used in the U.S. are fed to livestock. Livestock consumes 25 million pounds of antibiotics annually, more than 8 times the amount used to treat disease in human.
The Downstream Project
Indiana has become a magnet for factory farms. Despite the growing demand for food produced locally and in a sustainable way, the Indiana Department of Agriculture has embraced factory farming as the way of the future.
More than half of Indiana’s 92 counties are home to at least one factory farm. Concerned citizens in those communities have organized to protect their property values, public health, the environment, and quality of life, but face an uphill battle.
