From: Dayna Ghirardelli <
Sent: Monday, October 7, 2024 2:26 PM
To: Laura Sparks <[email protected]>; Ben Ford <[email protected]>; Susan Harvey <[email protected]>; Sylvia Lemus <[email protected]>; Kay Rivers <[email protected]>
Cc: Kelly Betts <[email protected]>
Subject: Comment on Agenda Item 13.B October 8th Meeting CAUTION:EXTERNAL SENDER
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Dear Mayor Sparks, Vice Mayor Ford, Councilmembers Harvey, Lemus, and Rivers, and City Manager Patterson,
I regret that I am unable to attend the City of Cotati's Council meeting tomorrow, October 8th to offer comment in person on agenda item 13.B Consideration of a Resolution Opposing Sonoma County Initiative Petition Measure J. I attended the August 27th Cotati City Council meeting when the resolution was initially brought forward. I provided public comment at that time encouraging you to pass the resolution to oppose Measure J. Please accept this email, in my absence tomorrow, as official comment.
As mentioned in my previous comment on August 27th, Measure J does nothing to protect animals or the environment. It is a stepping stone to a larger effort to eradicate animal agriculture by limiting the number of animals a farm/ranch/dairy can have without any other considerations.
The US EPA's definition of a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is in effect today and is overseen by the North Coast and Bay Area Regional Water Quality Control Boards. All farms are in compliance. The US EPA does not limit a farm's size, but ensures the efficacy of water quality protection. Under Measure J, many of today's farms would be unduly prohibited which will lead to their closure, inhibiting critical mass and diminishing economies of scale resulting in additional farms and other Sonoma County businesses closing. Measure J does not set a standard, it sets a limit; nor does it improve upon animal welfare standards in any way. The term "factory farm" is being deceivingly used synonymously with the term CAFO, when in fact, there is no quantifiable definition of a "factory farm." It is subjective.
Sonoma County farms are steeped in sustainability and animal husbandry and care. Most Sonoma County dairies and poultry farms are third-party certified for animal welfare practices, so they are verified by trained professionals to determine that their animals are well taken care of! In addition, most are organic which also has an animal welfare component embedded in its rules and production laws, as well as natural resource and environmental elements.
If Measure J passes, it will put multi-generational family farms out of business, resulting in lost jobs, as well as housing for farm employees. It will diminish our local food supply and drive up food prices.
Based on our long and diverse list of endorsements to oppose Measure J, it is quite clear that Measure J is bad for Sonoma County! I hope that you will join every Sonoma County federal, state, and county elected representative, the other eight cities in Sonoma County, hundreds of local businesses and organizations, and thousands of residents in opposing Measure J.
Respectfully,
Dayna Ghirardelli
Dayna Ghirardelli | Executive Director
Sonoma County Farm Bureau