California hog space requirements are reasonable

In her guest column (“Congress must stop misguided California pork policies,” May 25,) Trish Cook proudly pronounces that on her farm they “market over 40,000 pigs annually.” That’s as many pigs as there are people in my community of Marion — in a vastly smaller area. With so many pigs, of course they are confined, and I think it’s safe to assume they are confined in spaces smaller than what California’s Prop 12 requires, as that’s what she’s complaining about. Producing 40,000 pigs is in absolutely no way compatible with the ideas she proclaims in her column: taking pride in producing “sustainable protein” while “keeping animals’ well-being top of mind.” She claims her industrial farm abides by “the industry’s WeCare ethical principles, which include food safety, animal well-being, public health, environment, our people and our community.”

I cannot help but point out that confining 40,000 pigs in spaces smaller than California’s required 24 sq ft per animal (think about it! That’s just 6’ x 4’ for animals whose market weight is around 280 lbs, and that’s what she’s complaining about) is in absolutely no way ethical, nor does it support the animals’ well-being, public health, the environment, our people, or our communities. She does not mention what they do with the manure generated by 40,000 pigs each year. It’s amazing to me she’d even consider announcing to the world in a public space what they are doing on their farm.

Jo Pearson

Marion