According to the latest election results on November 13, voters in Sonoma County, California overwhelmingly rejected a proposal initiated by an animal rights group aimed at shutting down large-scale agriculture. In the 2024 national election, Proposal J was rejected by over 85% of voters in Sonoma County. Although there are still approximately 66,000 votes yet to be counted, the proposal is certain to be rejected as nearly 158,000 votes are against it, with only 27,200 votes in support.
Sonoma County is the first in the U.S. to attempt to ban so-called “factory farming” or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). If passed, Proposal J would require all large farms in the county to gradually close within three years. This would force nearly twenty organic and traditional dairy, meat, and egg producers to downsize their operations, with fines of up to $10,000 for each violation or facing closure.
The proposal also demands the county’s agricultural commissioner to create a vocational training program for farm workers. Dayna Ghirardelli, Executive Director of Sonoma County Agriculture Department, stated that the idea of closing large animal farming operations faced widespread opposition throughout the county, including from various organizations and officials. “This would truly change the local landscape,” she told Epoch Times, emphasizing that agricultural production is a part of the county’s history and a main reason for Sonoma County’s present appearance.
Sonoma County, with approximately 489,000 residents, is a key producer of wine grapes, fruits, nuts, livestock, poultry, dairy, and other agricultural products. In 2023, the value of these products amounted to nearly $950 million, representing a nearly 20% increase from the previous year.
The group behind Proposal J – the animal rights activist organization Direct Action Everywhere, headquartered in Berkeley, California, and the Coalition to End Factory Farming – after collecting around 20,000 signatures, placed the proposal on the election ballot in Sonoma County.
According to the organization, if approved, Proposal J would force twenty-one farms or CAFO facilities to close or downsize, including those housing over 37,500 meat chickens, over 25,000 egg-laying hens, or over 200 mature dairy cows.
The Coalition to End Factory Farming responded to the rejection of Proposal J, alleging that opponents resorted to intimidation tactics. The group plans to continue pushing for an end to animal farming on a nationwide scale, aiming to alleviate animal suffering.
Ghirardelli remarked that the Coalition chose Sonoma County, located approximately 80 miles north of San Francisco, because the county tends to lean towards the Democratic Party. She said, “We are in the Bay Area, which is a major ‘blue’ county, and I think they thought they could establish a foothold here.”
Based on their “Animal Rights Act Roadmap”, the animal rights organization aims to end animal farming in the U.S. through large-scale protests and political organizing by 2040.
Farmers and the Agricultural Department opposing Proposal J formed the “No on Measure J” political action committee, sponsored by the Sonoma County Agriculture Department, California Farm Bureau Federation, Clover Sonoma, and Western United Dairies.
Direct Action Everywhere also supported a similar ban, known as Ballot Measure DD, which appeared on the ballot in Berkeley and passed in the general election. According to Alameda County Election Office data, Berkeley voters passed the ban on factory farming with a 60% approval rate, making it the first city in the U.S. to approve such a measure.
The organization wrote in a social media post on November 12, “Berkeley often leads the way on important social issues, such as free speech, disability rights, and fur-free policies. We hope voters in other areas can be inspired by the decisions made by Berkeley voters.”
The DD proposal prohibits the construction or expansion of livestock facilities in Berkeley and requires existing facilities to close within one year, with violators facing a daily $10,000 fine.