Legislation imperils family farms

To the editor:Missouri Farm and Food Preservation Act (Senate Bill 364) is being promoted as a bill to protect our family farms, but in fact it would do the opposite. Under current laws, third-class counties have a right to use health ordinances to protect the health and safety of their communities. SB 364 would take away the control of the local counties over concentrated animal-feeding operations.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture and big farm associations have decided that corporate farms will be the future of farming in Missouri. There are 106,000 farming operations in the state, of which only 451 are industrial facilities.

To promote SB 364, they are telling farmers the purpose of this legislation is to protect them from government regulations. In truth, state law protects farmers' right to farm. Only industrial or corporate farms are regulated by the state. Another talking point is to have the same county regulations across the state, but because of varying geological conditions, this is not a good argument.

Other states are finding out that corporate farms are more of a hindrance than a benefit. States like South Carolina are restricting these operations because of the negative economical and environmental impact. Corporate farms put family farms at a disadvantage by controlling the markets, by volume buying of farm supplies and by causing the closing of local farm supply stores.

If family farms fall prey to corporate propaganda promoted by the Department of Agriculture and big farm associations, they would be the ones forced out by industrial agriculture.

BELINDA HARRIS, State Representative, District 110, Hillsboro, Mo.