States Ban Practices that Support CAFOs

Several states recently banned specific practices that are common in
CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations), taking small steps to level
the playing field for more sustainable farms. California outlawed the amputation of dairy cows’ tails, and Michigan passed a law
phasing out restrictive crates for veal calves and pregnant sows, and
tiny “battery” cages for egg-laying chickens, used to pack many animals
together in a small space. Arizona, California, Florida, Maine,
Colorado, and Oregon had previously acted to ban crates and battery
cages, which, along with tail docking, are unnecessary practices that
serve only to make large, polluting CAFOs viable. Meanwhile, examples
abound of farmers successfully working with nature rather than against
it to produce animal products without the problems associated with
CAFOs. Listen to this recent National Public Radio story about one Ohio dairyman’s efforts to transform the industry and produce fresher, more flavorful milk from cows on pasture.