This November, Sonoma County voters will decide on Measure J which, if passed, would impose caps on the number of dairy and poultry livestock that can be raised on each farm in Sonoma County. 

At CalCAN, we and hundreds of organic and sustainable agriculture, environmental and labor organizations and producers of all sizes oppose Measure J because it threatens Sonoma County’s farm economy, local food supply, and rural character. 

What Does Measure J Propose?

Measure J would ban all dairies with more than 700 mature cows, directly affecting an estimated two dozen multi-generational family dairies (about a third of Sonoma County’s dairy operations), most of which are organic and pasture-based. To put this into perspective, the average dairy size in California is 2,500 cows, whereas the largest dairy in Sonoma County has approximately 1,200 mature cows, and the next largest has 900. 

Additionally, the ban would also affect the six largest poultry operations in the county, drastically reducing the local supply of eggs, broiler chickens and ducks.

Measure J does not have any provisions that would improve animal welfare or regulate environmental quality. Also, passing Measure J would not prevent the importation of dairy and poultry products from outside of Sonoma County. In fact, the passage of Measure J could lead to the sale of products with lower animal welfare and environmental standards while increasing the distance food travels from farm to table.

Potential Consequences of Measure J’s Passage

There would be both near-term and longer-term impacts of this ban. An Impact Report commissioned by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors provides a worst-case scenario economic analysis that assumes all dairy and poultry farms would eventually close. It reported these impacts:

• $381 million loss to the local economy 
• Loss of 1,381 jobs and $80.4 million annually in wages
• Cost of $1.496 million to provide job retraining (as required in the measure) to just 110 workers 
• $1.6 million for enforcement 

Losing the county’s largest farms is expected to have a domino effect on other agriculture businesses such as feed and equipment businesses, trucking companies, and the hospitality and wine industries that proudly promote local food products. Any surviving farms would find it increasingly hard and expensive to operate. Local producers such as Straus Family Creamery and Clover Sonoma would lose their largest producers, creating uncertainty about their long-term viability. 

Approximately 84% of Sonoma County’s dairies are organic. All of them graze their cows on pastures for part of the year. They represent 41% of California’s organic dairies and they produce 13% of the nation’s organic milk supply. Measure J would destabilize some of the country’s most productive and sustainable organic dairy farms and would have ramifications for the organic milk supply that reaches far beyond the county borders. It could set a precedent, potentially spreading beyond Sonoma County.

Importantly, closing the largest farming businesses would have a devastating impact on the farmworker community who would not only lose their livelihoods but for some, their on-farm housing as well in a county that already lacks sufficient affordable housing options.

Why Measure J Matters to CalCAN

CalCAN and our coalition members understand that when farms go out of business, the land is either converted to more energy-intensive uses or left idle and untended, creating wildfire hazards and habitat for invasive plants.

All of CalCAN’s coalition members are on record opposing Measure J. We have firsthand knowledge of the organic and climate smart practices that many Sonoma County producers use and recognize that they are leaders in sustainability. 

Many of Sonoma County’s dairies compost their manure which reduces methane emissions and produces dry, healthy bedding for the animals or can be applied to pastures for fertility. Some dairies have received state and federal grants to support these climate-beneficial practices. Some use other techniques to improve soil health, store carbon, and improve water penetration to recharge groundwater. They provide beautiful open spaces and wildfire buffers around cities. Since most of them are organic, they use no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and they are all subject to existing animal welfare regulations. Some poultry farms produce high-value organic compost from chicken manure that is used by commercial growers and backyard gardens throughout California. 

Opposition to Measure J 

Led by CalCAN, an alliance of Sonoma County-based organic and sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and environmental stewardship organizations and businesses has organized in opposition to Measure J. Key supporters include the  Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), the Latino Caucus, Sonoma County Conservation Action, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Farm Trails, the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative, Carbon Cycle Institute, and many others.

We stand united for a farming system that is:

• Rooted in ecological principles
• Resilient to climate impacts and provides climate solutions
• Biologically diverse 
• A buffer for urban communities against wildfires
• An economic driver for local businesses and living-wage jobs for farmers and farmworkers

We believe that animals are an important part of a thriving agriculture landscape. Instead of bans and penalties, we believe in providing technical resources and financial incentives to support farmers to continue to improve on-farm animal welfare and the environment.

How You Can Help Protect Sonoma County Farms

Located in Sonoma County? If you are a farm or organization in Sonoma County and you would like to be added to the list of opponents or get engaged before November 5, please email renata@calclimateag.org. You can pick up a yard sign at the locations listed here.

Share this blog with Sonoma County residents: https://calclimateag.org/no-on-measure-j-sonoma-county/

Learn more about Measure J’s impact on Sonoma County by visiting www.SonomaFoodNoOnJ.org.​​​ 

 

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Statements from Those Who Oppose Measure J:

 

“This misconceived initiative creates too many questions about how to enforce it, who will be impacted, and what it will cost to implement. Yes, there are many ways that water quality, labor protections, and animal welfare can always be improved, but this measure isn’t the way to accomplish that. Measure J will cause more harm than good.”
— Olivia Rathbone, Communications Director with the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center

 

“The Latino PAC of Sonoma County opposes Measure J because it threatens the livelihoods of the farmworkers who are most often permanent, year-round residents as workers in key sectors including dairy and poultry farms, and without whom our quality of life would be changed forever.”
— Caroline Banuelos, on behalf of the Latino PAC of Sonoma County

 

“If this measure passes, individuals, restaurants, and school cafeterias won’t stop buying poultry and dairy products. And they shouldn’t. These are important parts of many people’s diets. They should have this choice as well as the choice to buy local, quality products from family-owned farms rather than imports from corporations outside Sonoma County.”
— Wendy Krupnick, President, Sonoma County chapter of Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF)

 

“Over the last 30 years we have built a sustainable and organic food system in our community. The generational family farms that exist at the heart of our farming system have always been at the center of this sustainable transformation. Today, our regional food community provides high quality food for local residents and organic consumers around the country while also serving as a global example of on-farm environmental stewardship and climate positive practices. Measure J threatens to completely undercut our decades of transformational work.”
— Albert Straus, Straus Family Creamery

 

“Livestock provide untold services in managing the landscape without the use of fossil fuels. Without them our fire risk would skyrocket as it is uneconomic to reduce fuels such as thatch and brush mechanically over the vast tracts of Sonoma County landscape. Livestock farming systems, while always in need of refinement and improvement, represent a holistic, value producing, rather than depleting, and sustainable system that should definitely be preserved… and celebrated.”
— Willow Summer, Three Springs Community Farm