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'Right To Farm' Opponents Stage Rally At Missouri Capitol

Around 50 people took part Thursday in a rally opposing the "Right to Farm" constitutional amendment that's on Missouri's August 5th ballot.
Marshall Griffin/St. Louis Public Radio
Around 50 people took part Thursday in a rally opposing the "Right to Farm" constitutional amendment that's on Missouri's August 5th ballot.
Around 50 people took part Thursday in a rally opposing the "Right to Farm" constitutional amendment that's on Missouri's August 5th ballot.
Credit Marshall Griffin/St. Louis Public Radio
Around 50 people took part Thursday in a rally opposing the "Right to Farm" constitutional amendment that's on Missouri's August 5th ballot.

 Around 50 people rallied at the State Capitol Thursday against a proposed constitutional amendment to limit regulations on farmers and ranchers in Missouri.

Opponents of the "Right to Farm" ballot measure say state law already protects farmers and ranchers, and the proposal is really geared toward protecting corporations that engage in large-scale farming and animal-producing operations.

WesShoemyeris a former Democratic state senator who operates a farm in northeastern Missouri.

"I know the other side says they don't want outside interests telling us what to do," Shoemyer told the crowd, "but I want to tell you that I don't think there's anything more outside than a Chinese corporation owning our food and fiber and our land.... Let's not give them our rights!"

The company Shoemyer was referring to is Smithfield.  It was purchased last year by Hong Kong-based Shuanghui International Holdings Limited, which has since changed its name to W.H. Group Limited.  

Alsospeaking out against Constitutional Amendment 1 was Jake Davis, who owns a grocery store in Columbia that specializes in locally grown food.  He says the amendment would do nothing for family farmers and would make it harder to produce food locally.

"It's likely to make it harder on us to label (genetically modified organisms)," Davis said.  "It'slikely to make it harder on us to have any impact on our neighbors whenever they build a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO), when they pollute the stream, when they contaminate our organically raised crops with their pesticides and their herbicides."

The amendment's supporters argue that family farms and ranches are being attacked by animal rights activists and environmentalists as well as by an overreaching federal bureaucracy.  Missourians will vote on the proposal Aug. 5.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter:  @MarshallGReport

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.
Marshall Griffin
St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.