Minnesota-based Cargill Inc. didn’t expect the sleepy small towns of northern Missouri to raise such a stink over their corporate hog farms. However, a stink they are a raisin’.
Increased regulations are becoming the trend in the agribusiness industry as more and more communities are saying “no” to the destruction of their surrounding scenic beauty and quality of life. Many farmers are lured by companies like Cargill to convert their small farms into corporate animal slaughter houses for the financial security they offer. But entire communities are starting to see the lurid downside of such a deal. More than a dozen Missouri counties have passed, and others are considering, health ordinances that control for odor and particulates, and require bonds, fees and annual inspections. Just the other day, I came across an award-winning video that succinctly summarizes the corporate agribusiness called "The Meatrix”. A spoof on the famous movie, “The Matrix”, the video explains how corporate farming destroys communities, pollutes the air and water, inflicts animal cruelty, and creates super strains of germs from the high levels of antibiotics they inject into the animals. Yeach. After watching the video, you’ll definitely want to buy your dairy products and meat exclusively at Whole Foods or similar stores. by
Erin Swanson
Eswanson@enviance.com | 
