Urge Jefferson County Supervisors to Pass a Resolution Calling for a Statewide Factory Farm Moratorium!
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO!
1. Contact Each Jefferson County Supervisor with a Phone Call and/or Email.
Let your supervisors know this is an important issue to you and urge them to support a resolution. See the attached talking points in the model resolution developed by the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture (IARA). Dick Reed recommended Jefferson County residents reach out to the supervisors. Here is your chance to let them know how you feel!
Dick Reed – 641-919-8262 (cell); 641-472-6555 (home); email: dick.reed@jeffersoncountyia.com
Dee Sandquist – 641-451-1293 (cell); email: dsandquist@jeffersoncountyia.com
Lee Dimmitt – 641-919-9547 (cell); email: lee.dimmitt@jeffersoncounty.ia.com
2. Sign this Online Petition.
3. Write a Letter to the Editor.
Letters are a very effective way to influence public opinion. Let’s get many letters printed in the Fairfield Ledger and the Fairfield Weekly Reader, week after week! The Fairfield Ledger printed JFAN’s letter to the editor this Thursday. View it here.
4. Send a Postcard to Each Supervisor!
This is quick and easy and gets right to the point. Sample message:
“Dear Supervisor _______
I urge you to adopt a resolution calling for a statewide factory farm moratorium until there are less than 100 water impairments in Iowa and until weaknesses in the Master Matrix are adequately resolved.
Your signature
Your address
5. Host a House Party!
House parties are an ideal way to share information and action with friends, especially those who may only have basic knowledge about factory farms. JFAN representatives can make a presentation, answer questions, provide materials, and recommend action steps on supporting a moratorium resolution. It can also be a good letter writing or postcard writing event! All you need to do is to provide a place where your friends or relatives can meet.
Interested? Contact JFAN at 641-209-6600
6. And Don’t Forget to Call and Write Your State Legislators.
A bill for a statewide moratorium will eventually have to come through the Iowa State Legislature. Let your state elected officials know this is an important issue to you. Write and call your legislators often – and share this with your friends – to develop a groundswell of support for a moratorium. Check out this moratorium info sheet created by the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture.
If you live in the Fairfield area, your legislators are:
Representative Curt Hanson – 515-281-3221 (Iowa House);email: Curt.Hanson@legis.iowa.gov
Senator Mark Chelgren – 515-281-3371 (Iowa Senate); 641-777-7047 (cell) email: mark.chelgren@legis.iowa.gov
If you don’t know your legislator, find out who they are here.
It will take all of us working together to encourage Jefferson County supervisors to adopt a factory farm resolution. While it’s true that the board of supervisors don’t have any greater legal weight than individuals, when it comes to calling for a moratorium, a county resolution will have greater political weight at the Iowa State House.
IF 7 COUNTIES CAN SUPPORT A FACTORY FARM MORATORIUM, WHY NOT JEFFERSON COUNTY?
Thank you for all you can do to urge our supervisors to adopt a resolution in support of a factory farm moratorium! Please share this with your friends!
** In September 2016, the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture (IARA), a coalition of 25 national, state, and community organizations in Iowa, launched a campaign calling for a factory farm moratorium on new and expanding CAFOs until there were less than 100 water impairments in Iowa. JFAN is a member of IARA and supports its call for a moratorium.
The counties that have thus far adopted a resolution or written a letter in support of a factory farm moratorium are Allamakee, Winneshiek, Buchanan, Webster, Pocahontas, Dickinson and Cedar Counties. You can see the resolutions and letters here.