Letters to the Editor | January 30th, 2016
To the editor:
Corporate farming is not the future of agriculture in North Dakota. Local communities all across the country are fighting against corporate farms for good reason. Recently, the community of Buffalo, ND was blindsided by a proposed 9,000 hog factory farm, which will drastically worsen the economic, environmental, and social dynamic of Buffalo. These types of factory farms do not invest in local communities. They do business wherever they can get the best deal, which is usually not in a local community. Any economic benefits go to outside investors.
Factory farms degrade the water, land and air. Land values diminish due to unbearable smells. Would you want to live within walking distance of 9,000 hogs and all the waste they generate?
Numerous studies show the detrimental impacts on communities near corporate farms. UND Rural Sociology Professor Curtis Stofferahn synthesized findings from eight decades of research: corporate farms increase income inequality and disrupt the social fabric of the community. Communities lose their local autonomy and outsiders have greater influence.
What is happening in Buffalo, ND is a clear example of a model of corporate farming that we are working to prevent by saying NO to corporate farming on the June 14, 2016 referendum. The 2015 Legislature’s attack on ND’s tradition against corporate farming enhances the ability of corporations to destroy local communities. Citizens need to have a voice in their local community. Isn’t that what democracy is about?
Submitted by:
Marie D. Hoff
Bismarck, ND 58501
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