Breaking News
…for our small community and yours
Latest News
ACTION ALERT! Urge Agriculture Committee Chair Mike Sexton to Schedule HF 164, the Factory Farm Moratorium Bill, for a Subcommittee Hearing!February 27, 2023 - 12:03 pm
Watch or Schedule a Screening of Right to HarmAugust 27, 2019 - 12:08 pm
“Right to Harm” Premiers in Iowa May 29May 10, 2019 - 7:22 pm
Action Alert – Tell Rep. Dean Fisher to Assign the Factory Farm Moratorium Bill to a Subcommittee!February 27, 2019 - 2:27 pm
- ACTION ALERT! Urge Agriculture Committee Chair Mike Sexton to Schedule HF 164, the Factory Farm Moratorium Bill, for a Subcommittee Hearing!February 27, 2023 - 12:03 pm
STOP FACTORY FARMS LOBBY DAY 2023!January 18, 2023 - 11:15 am- Watch or Schedule a Screening of Right to HarmAugust 27, 2019 - 12:08 pm
- “Right to Harm” Premiers in Iowa May 29May 10, 2019 - 7:22 pm
- Action Alert – Tell Rep. Dean Fisher to Assign the Factory Farm Moratorium Bill to a Subcommittee!February 27, 2019 - 2:27 pm
ACTION ALERT! Urge Agriculture Committee Chair Mike Sexton to Schedule HF 164, the Factory Farm Moratorium Bill, for a Subcommittee Hearing!
The 2023 Factory Farm Moratorium Bill (HF 164) has been introduced and assigned to the House Agriculture Committee, but we need your help to make sure it gets a hearing and vote!
Representative Mike Sexton of Calhoun County is the new Chair of the House Agriculture Committee this year, and it’s his job to assign the HF 164 to a subcommittee for a vote. But HF 164 has been in the Ag Committee for more than two weeks, and he hasn’t done it yet.
So we’re asking factory farm fighters across Iowa to give him a call and ask him to do the right thing and assign HF 164 to a subcommittee.
You can reach Representative Sexton at 1-877-796-1948. When you call the number, you will hear a brief voice recording, and then be transferred to Representative Sexton’s phone.
The deadline to move bills out of Committee is Friday, March 3, so the time to call is now!
Thank you for taking action to support a moratorium on new and expanding factory farms.
Watch or Schedule a Screening of Right to Harm
RIGHT TO HARM screenings are now being scheduled in Iowa. Find out where you can view the film – or schedule one for your community.
Right to Harm is a national exposé on the public health, environmental, and lifestyle impacts of factory farms. Award-winning filmmakers Matt Wechsler and Annie Speicher (SUSTAINABLE) document the ongoing battle with factory farms in Iowa as well as in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, and Delmarva.
Find out where Right to Harm is screening in Iowa. Here’s the schedule.
Schedule a screening for your community here.
Each of Iowa’s 13,000 factory farms are built in communities of neighbors who have few protections and little ability to have a meaningful say a confinement’s location. Right to Harm addresses the devastating ramifications that many families in Iowa and across the US experience from these inadequately regulated livestock factories.
Wechsler and Speicher address the “human welfare” impacts of factory farms, revealing the social injustice of this industrial system that is largely unknown to a broad swath of US consumers.
The film also exposes the failures of state agencies to adequately regulate industrial agriculture and chronicles actions taken by disenfranchised citizens demanding justice from their legislators.
Iowa’s Fight Featured in Right to Harm: The Iowa segment examines the plight of an Iowa County resident who was confronted with two 1200-head CAFOs built across from his family’s 145-year old farm shortly after he retired there. It also features the efforts of many Iowans coming together to protect their communities.
Watch the Trailer:
“Right to Harm” Premiers in Iowa May 29
New Film Documents Iowa’s Battle with Factory Farms and Toothless Legislation
Wednesday, May 29 at 7:00 pm; Doors open at 6:30 pm
Iowa State Historical Building Theatre
600 E. Locust Street, Des Moines
$5 admission benefits Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture
TICKETS ON SALE HERE and at the door
Watch the trailer here.
Panel Discussion after the film with Drs. John Ikerd and Francis Thicke, and neighbors of CAFOs Joyce Otto and Nancy Adam
Right to Harm is a national exposé on the public health, environmental, and lifestyle impacts of factory farms. Award-winning filmmakers Matt Wechsler and Annie Speicher (SUSTAINABLE) document the ongoing battle with factory farms in Iowa as well as in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, and Delmarva.
Each of Iowa’s 13,000 factory farms are built in communities of neighbors who have few protections and little ability to have a meaningful say a confinement’s location. Right to Harm addresses the devastating ramifications that many families in Iowa and across the US experience from these inadequately regulated livestock factories.
Wechsler and Speicher address the “human welfare” impacts of factory farms, revealing the social injustice of this industrial system that is largely unknown to a broad swath of US consumers.
The film also exposes the failures of state agencies to adequately regulate industrial agriculture and chronicles actions taken by disenfranchised citizens demanding justice from their legislators.
Iowa’s Fight Featured in Right to Harm: The Iowa segment examines the plight of an Iowa County resident who was confronted with two 1200-head CAFOs built across from his family’s 145-year old farm shortly after he retired there. It also features the efforts of many Iowans coming together to protect their communities.
Wechsler will moderate a panel discussion after the film with the following guest speakers:
The screening is sponsored by Hourglass Films, Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture, Iowa Farmers Union, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Women International League for Peace and Freedom, and Iowa Sierra Club.
Purchase tickets ahead of time.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased through the Iowa Farmers Union website. The screening is also a fundraiser for the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture (IARA), a coalition of 33 community, state, and national organizations. Additional donations are warmly welcome and support IARA’s efforts in advocating for a factory farm moratorium in Iowa.
Tickets will also be sold at the door.
Free parking is available at the Capitol Complex Parking garage on E. Grand Avenue, right across the street from the Iowa State Historical Building.
Buy your tickets here.
Watch the trailer here.
Right to Harm Poster
Listen KHOI-FM’s May 16 interview on Local Talk with Dr. John Ikerd Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri/Columbia on the issues addressed in Right to Harm. Dr. Ikerd is featured throughout the film.
Action Alert – Tell Rep. Dean Fisher to Assign the Factory Farm Moratorium Bill to a Subcommittee!
Last week 100 Iowans from across the state gathered at the Iowa State House to lobby in support of HF 203, a factory farm moratorium. IARA supporters along with Iowa CCI and Food & Water Watch members met with nearly 30 state legislators then concluded the day with a rousing press conference and rally.
Many thanks to everyone who were able to get through the snow-covered roads to make it to Des Moines. It was a great day and a powerful moment to see so many factory farm activists crowded together at House Chamber steps speaking with their elected officials.
We still have some follow-up work to do.
HF 203 was introduced to the Environmental Protection Committee, chaired by Rep. Dean Fisher. But Rep. Fisher is refusing to assign the moratorium bill to a subcommittee, the next step in moving legislation forward. We tried to meet with Rep. Fisher last week, but many of us were told he was out of the chamber.
It’s completely unacceptable that Rep. Fisher is single handedly holding up HF 203. Assigning it to a subcommittee would provide an opportunity for the bill to be debated and possibly scheduled for a public hearing. This is an issue of critical importance for Iowans all across the state.
Rep. Fisher needs to hear from us. Can you help? Would you take a few minutes to either call him at 888-724-8946 or email dean.fisher@legis.iowa.gov and tell him to assign HF 203 to a subcommittee?
Here are some points you can include:
Want more talking points? Find them here: Talking Points; Why Iowa Needs a Factory Farm Moratorium
After your call, please email us at info@iowaresponsibleagriculture.org and let us know how it went.
PS – If you missed the day, check out this recording with highlights of the press conference and rally.
Then check out some press coverage here: KTVO, Pilot Tribune, and Public News Service
Photo credit: Karla Conrad