Farmer objects to bill on livestock treatment
from the Daily Progress By Bryan McKenzie
On Davis Creek Farm in bucolic Nelson County near the non-incorporated community of Old Myndus they raise animals for people to eat, but that doesn’t mean the family farmers don’t want the animals to be well treated.
In fact, that’s why Elizabeth Zan Deventer, whose family owns the farm, is opposing a proposed change in state law that would eliminate basic protections for agricultural animals that are enjoyed by other livestock.
“It seems like this is a case of government pushing for factory farms and agribusiness over the public,” Ms. Zan Deventer said. “When it comes to public knowledge of what goes on inside a factory farm, there’s a total lack of transparency.”
The proposed law basically create a separate subsection of law to deal with agricultural animals. The new subsection requires proper water, food and veterinary care. Where other sections in the law require companion animals and livestock to have enough room in which to comfortably move around, the new definition does not address shelter or “adequate” living space for agricultural animals.
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