FAMILY FARMERS
SUPPORT PROP 12.
The so-called “Save Our Bacon Act” (SOB) would betray America’s family farmers and overturn pro-family farmer, voter-approved laws — like Prop 12 and Question 3 — vital to their survival.
Farmers have built their lives and communities on fair, responsible farming. If Congress eliminates these laws, those livelihoods will vanish, supply chains will shatter, and rural towns will lose the people who fuel their economy.
Making their voices heard
In October 2025, more than 200 farmers from every corner of America left their fields and families behind and came to Washington, D.C. — not for politics, but for survival. They came to stand against the EATS / Save Our Bacon Act — legislation that would wipe out hundreds of state laws protecting family farmers and animal welfare, including California’s Prop 12, which ensures animals can at least turn around.
If passed, the bill would strip away nearly all farming standards, triggering a race to the bottom that allows a handful of international corporations to undercut family farms at every turn. It would mean less safe food for consumers, the collapse of rural communities as family farms shutter, and cruel, unsanitary conditions for animals.
But these farmers are determined. They met with more than a hundred members of Congress, held a press conference at the National Press Club, and led a tractor and pickup rally around the Capitol.
They didn’t come for fame. They came to fight for their farms, their families, and the future of American agriculture.
We show up to defend responsible farming.
Let’s get this straight.
Family farmers have invested in modern, crate-free systems that make their businesses stronger and more resilient. But new federal legislation threatens to erase those gains by outlawing state farming standards that millions of voters supported.
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The proposed legislation would override state agricultural laws — including Prop. 12 and Question 3 — that set minimum standards for how farm animals are housed. If passed, these bills would strip states of the ability to enforce their own farming and food-safety standards, affecting farmers who have invested in crate-free systems to meet voter-approved laws.
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These measures establish basic space requirements for pigs, hens, and calves, allowing animals to stand up, turn around, and extend their limbs. Farmers say the standards have improved herd health, reduced losses, and created fairer markets that reward responsible practices. For many independent producers, compliance with Prop. 12 provides access to stable, higher-value markets that keep family farms viable.
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Several major meat businesses have voiced support for crate-free production, including Perdue Farms and its brands Niman Ranch and Coleman All Natural Meats, True Story Foods, and ButcherBox. Together with farmers, these companies argue that responsible farming practices strengthen supply chains and reflect consumer demand for transparency and humane treatment.
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Public opinion strongly favors humane farming standards. Nearly seven in ten Americans oppose the use of gestation crates, and both the California and Massachusetts ballot measures passed with overwhelming support:63 percent and 78 percent respectively.
