The state government, under the pretense of water conservation and groundwater protection, has initiated a campaign to shut down family farms across the state. This is a clear example of overreach by a Democrat-led administration, trampling on the rights of hardworking Americans.
A project by Yanasa Ama Ranch, Yanasa TV, has released an informative 20-minute video detailing this alarming situation in Oregon. The video reveals how bureaucrats are mislabeling small family farms as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in an attempt to close them down under the banner of environmental protection.
The rancher featured in the video explains, “The state of Oregon has effectively shut down small farms and market gardens on a large scale… they’re using satellite technology to find their victims and send them cease-and-desist letters.”
(Related: Last year, John Kerry controversially declared that farmers everywhere need to stop growing food immediately to achieve globalists’ “net zero” climate change goals.)
Small Farms Are Not CAFOs
The rancher further elaborates on two laws being exploited by Oregon officials to enforce these shutdowns. One involves the state’s vague definition of a CAFO:
“The State of Oregon defines CAFOs as the concentrated feeding or holding of animals or poultry… where the surface has been prepared with concrete, rock or fibrous material to support animals in wet weather.”
This broad definition could classify even a small homestead with pasture and a few livestock as a CAFO if it contains any area where rock or gravel is used as a pathway.
“The way that they have redefined CAFOs is going to impact nearly everybody,” warns the rancher. “Even on our property, we don’t have animals that are necessarily contained in one area (they’re roaming on pastures).”
Earlier this year, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of small family farms throughout Oregon, arguing that the definition of a CAFO is too broad and negatively impacts anyone who produces eggs from backyard chickens, regardless of their property size.
The case was recently covered by National Review, which reported that Oregon’s government has “joined forces” with the large-scale dairy industry to oppress and tyrannize Oregon’s small farmers.
All Oregon Groundwater, Even on Private Property, Considered Public
Another challenge facing Oregon farmers is the state’s rules on water. The only water that farmers are legally allowed to collect in Oregon is rainwater. All other sources, including water from rivers and streams and even groundwater on private property, are considered public resources.
This rule prevents Oregon farmers from using water from their own private wells to irrigate their crops and hydrate their animals without a permit. Combined with the CAFO rule, this regulation concerning water use is being manipulated in such a way as to make it prohibitive for farmers to operate their farms.
“This rule went into place back in 2021,” explains the rancher. “It has slowly rolled out to the point where market gardeners on a half-acre of land are now receiving cease-and-desist orders saying, ‘you can’t water your gardens; figure out another way.’
This situation serves as a stark reminder that if such tyranny can happen in Oregon, it can happen anywhere. It usually starts in one area as a test case and if not resisted by the public, it spreads elsewhere.