200 Farmers Descend on The Swamp to Support Prop 12, Defeat the Hinson-Ernst China Giveaway

Last week, more than 200 American farmers from 30 states traveled from across the country to Washington, D.C. with one clear message for Congress: do not sell us out to foreign corporations and factory farm lobbyists.

The men and women who came to the nation’s capital aren’t lobbyists in suits. They are real family farmers and independent producers from companies like Niman Ranch (owned by Perdue), Heritage Foods, True Story Foods, Butcher Box, Hershey Ag, and Clemens Food Group/Hatfield Meats. They came to defend their hard-earned investments and the standards they’ve built over nearly a decade.

Their businesses are thriving because they responded to what consumers demanded and what voters approved in two major states: California’s Proposition 12 (2018) and Massachusetts’ Question 3 (2016). These laws — both upheld in court, including by the U.S. Supreme Court — require pork sold in those states to come from farms that meet basic animal welfare standards, including allowing sows enough room to lie down, stand up, and turn around.

Millions Already Invested to Do It Right

For seven to nine years, these standards have been on the books. Farmers have spent millions of dollars converting their systems to comply. They’ve built modern barns, changed how they manage their animals, and entered new markets. These aren’t hypothetical investments — they’re real dollars, real infrastructure, and real jobs. Even the number two pork producer in the U.S., JBS – with whom we’re rarely aligned – has converted most of its systems and is Prop 12 and Q3 compliant.

If Congress passes the so-called Save Our Bacon Act (SOB), H.R. 4673, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA, and its Senate counterpart, S. 1326, led by Sen. Joni, Ernst, R-IA, they would wipe all of that away. The SOB Act, a rebranded version of the failed EATS Act, would nullify Prop 12, Question 3 and hundreds of other state and local agricultural laws across the country, according to Harvard Law’s latest report. It’s a Washington power grab designed to protect the largest corporate interests at the expense of farmers who did everything right.

As many farmers said last week on Capitol Hill, the SOB doesn’t save bacon — it kills competition.

Farmers Speak Out

Among those lending their voices was Joel Salatin, proprietor of Polyface Farms, a renowned Virginia farmer and author who has spent decades promoting sustainable agriculture and independent farming.

"The farmers who invested in meeting Prop. 12 standards took a risk to do the right thing, and we're proud to partner with them," said Mike Salguero, founder and CEO of ButcherBox. "Consumer interest in animal welfare continues to accelerate with no signs of slowing down, and undermining Prop. 12 punishes the producers who stepped up and the consumers who voted in favor of farming practices they believe in."

My dear friend, Will Harris, of White Oak Pastures in Georgia, spoke passionately about the decades of work it took to build a regenerative farming operation that meets consumer expectations. From all of the farms and ranches I’ve visited over the years, White Oak Pastures, is the best of the best in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

Brent Hershey, from Pennsylvania, described the impact of gestation crate bans and how his operation invested early to comply. “My farm is Prop. 12-certified, and it's never operated better. Prop. 12's standards made our farm more resilient," said Hershey, President of Hershey Ag. "Healthier animals mean fewer losses and better productivity, and Prop. 12 provides a market that actually rewards the hard work we put in.”

A Bill So Bad They Had to Rename It

It says everything that the EATS Act was so unpopular last Congress that its sponsors had to rebrand it as the “Save Our Bacon Act.” Even then, support has wavered.

Senator Roger Marshall, R-KS — who led the bill previously — refused to carry it this Congress, forcing Ernst of Iowa to step in. And Marshall himself admitted on RFD-TV last year that “we’re getting the heck beat out of us” on this issue. When the bill’s own champion is waving the white flag, it’s clear the SOB Act is not gaining traction.

And this isn’t just about farmers. It’s also about who controls our food supply.

A National Security and Consumer Issue

The biggest corporate beneficiary of the SOB Act is the Chinese-controlled Smithfield Foods, which owns one in every six breeding sows in the United States. By wiping out state standards, Congress would hand Smithfield and a handful of other massive corporations even more control over what Americans eat.

That’s why conservative leaders — including General Michael Flynn — have called the bill a national security threat. Food security is national security. Ceding more power to a foreign-owned conglomerate is not just bad policy, it’s dangerous.

Meanwhile, farmers like those who came to D.C. last week are providing exactly what consumers are asking for: transparent sourcing, better animal welfare, and safer food. Companies like Butcher Box and Niman Ranch have built their entire business models around meeting those consumer expectations.

States’ Rights on the Line

Beyond the farm gate, the SOB Act is a direct assault on states’ rights. Laws like Prop 12 and Question 3 were passed by voters. California and Massachusetts chose to set higher standards for the products sold within their borders. Washington has no business overturning the will of millions of voters to satisfy lobbyists from the pork industry’s biggest players.

If Congress can erase state laws about pork today, what’s to stop them from erasing other state laws tomorrow — on labeling, pesticides, or religious dietary standards like kosher and halal?

A Broad Coalition Against the SOB

That’s why opposition to this bill is broad and growing. Farmers, businesses, and organizations like the Pork Producers of America, the Responsible Meat Coalition, Competitive Markets Action, and the Organization for Competitive Markets are united in saying no to the SOB Act.

They understand that fair competition, state sovereignty, and national security are at stake. And they know what’s right for consumers: letting the marketplace work without Washington picking winners and losers.

Congress Should Listen to Farmers, Not Big Corporations

This isn’t about politics. It’s about fairness, choice, and respecting the rule of law. Farmers have already made the investments. Consumers have already made their preferences clear. Voters have already spoken.

The SOB would undo all of that. Congress should listen to the 200 farmers who took the time, money, and energy to come to Washington to defend their livelihoods — not to the foreign-owned corporate interests trying to silence them.

The message is simple: Reject the SOB. Stand with America’s farmers. Protect states’ rights, consumer choice, and our food security.

Marty Irby is the president & CEO at Competitive Markets Action in Washington, D.C., and secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets based in Lincoln, NE. He was named one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024.