Small farmers in Oregon are facing a dire assault on their livelihoods, with the state launching a ruthless campaign to shutter family farms under the pretext of environmental conservation and groundwater protection.
Yanasa TV, a project of Yanasa Ama Ranch, has unveiled shocking revelations in a 20-minute video, exposing the systematic targeting of small-scale family farms across Oregon. Bureaucrats are erroneously labeling these farms as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and issuing cease-and-desist letters based on satellite surveillance.
The state’s overly broad definition of a CAFO is weaponized to ensnare even modest homesteads with a handful of livestock and chickens. Any property with gravel pathways is branded a CAFO, irrespective of the size or scale of operations.
A lawsuit filed earlier this year on behalf of Oregon’s small family farms highlights the oppressive nature of this definition, illustrating how backyard chicken egg producers are unfairly targeted.
Oregon’s collaboration with the dairy industry to stifle small-scale farmers has attracted national attention, with reports detailing the plight of farms like Godspeed Hollow Farm in Newburg, subjected to CAFO classification over trivial infractions.
Adding to the onslaught is Oregon’s stringent water regulations, prohibiting farmers from accessing anything but rainwater for irrigation. This rule, coupled with the CAFO classification, cripples farmers’ ability to sustain their operations.
The timing of these regulations, coinciding with the distractions of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests a calculated effort to consolidate control over the food market, depriving small farmers of their inherent right to produce and sell their goods.
This encroachment on food freedom in Oregon serves as a warning to all Americans. If unchecked, such tyranny could spread nationwide, threatening the fundamental rights of individuals to grow, produce, and consume food as they see fit. It is imperative for citizens to defend their constitutional right to food freedom, regardless of the state they reside in.
