No on Measure J
Yes on Local Food
Sonoma County voters will have the chance in November to vote on Measure J. If passed, it would dramatically reduce the number of dairy and poultry livestock operations in the County by placing caps on how many animals can be raised on each farm. Many family farms would be banned, and those that remain would find it difficult or impossible to stay in business.
Join these lead endorsers to Oppose Measure J
We are organic and sustainable agriculture groups, small farms, and environmental organizations united in our opposition to Measure J, which is a threat to our local economy, food system and family farmers.
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.
.png)
Small family farmers and local food businesses opposed to Measure J
Bernier Farms
Pink Barn Farm
Honey Oak Farm
SingleThread Farm
Red H Farm
Yagi Sisters Farm
Paul’s Produce
Olympia’s Valley Farmstead
Tresch Family Dairy
Fern Homestead
Here's what's at stake:
Organic Local Food
-
Measure J would ban all dairies with more than 700 mature cows. The largest dairy in the County has approximately 1,200 mature cows, and the next largest has 900.
​
-
According to an Impact Report commissioned by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, 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. ​​​
​​
-
There are also 17 commercial-scale poultry operations in the County. The largest six would be banned immediately plus an unknown number of smaller farms. drastically reducing our local supply of eggs, broiler chickens and ducks.
​​
-
Measure J would not prevent the importation of dairy and poultry products from outside of Sonoma County. We would have no ability to regulate or guarantee the animal welfare or environmental integrity of those products.
​​
Environment & Climate Change
-
Importing food from outside Sonoma County would increase transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and would end up supporting larger farms outside our county.
-
If we lose our farms, we likely also lose thousands of acres of pasture and farmland to development or other more energy-intensive uses. Urban areas have a carbon footprint that is at least 70 times higher than farmland and rangeland.
-
Farms and ranches provide many ecosystem services such as open space and habitat for wildlife, wildfire fuel breaks around urban areas, and land where water can penetrate and recharge groundwater. Grazing cows on pasture has also been shown to improve soil health and soil carbon sequestration. Some of our dairies have received state and federal grants to install equipment that converts liquid manure to compost and reduces methane emissions.
-
Our livestock operations produce poultry and cow manure-based composts for vegetable farms and backyard gardens in Sonoma County and throughout California. If they go out of business, we would have to import organic compost from elsewhere.
Local Economy
-
In the County's Impact Report, it is estimated that 60 farming operations would likely be banned under Measure J. Losing these farms would have a domino effect on other sectors 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.
-
The Impact Report includes a worst-case scenario economic analysis that assumes all dairy and poultry farms would eventually close. It found these impacts:
-
$381 million loss to the local economy 259+122 (according to the Chico State University Agribusiness Institute)
-
Loss of 1,381 jobs and $80.4 million annually in wages (according to the Chico State University Agribusiness Institute)
-
Cost of $1.496 million to provide job retraining (as required in the measure) to just 110 workers (according to the Sonoma County Human Services Department)
-
$1.6 million for enforcement (according to the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner)
-
Learn more about Measure J
Community Alliance for Family Farms statement:
CAFF Sonoma Opposes Misguided Anti-CAFO Initiative
​
Sonoma County Farm Trails Statement
​
Agriculture Institute of Marin Statement
Sonoma County Family Farmers Alliance PAC.
You can add your endorsements here, and get yard signs:
Communities for Food & Family Farms
Clover Sonoma Statement
​
