Press Release
For immediate release
Subject: Food production in IL under attack from well-funded activists
Contact: Trent Loos
Date: January 23, 2004
Amboy – Activists bent on the demise of livestock agriculture in the United States have taken their attack to Lee County, IL. “Local residents are being misled by a bunch of well-funded, smooth talking radicals that want to eliminate production agriculture in this country,” said Trent Loos, founder of Faces of Agriculture. Faces of Ag is a nonprofit organization that attempts to connect consumers with the people who raise their food.
The Concerned Citizens Against Hog Factories plans to file an anticipatory nuisance lawsuit to stop further construction on a small hog cooperative facility that will be managed by a local couple. The protest is being instigated by Karen Hudson, a member of the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE). Loos says, “GRACE claims to support family farms against corporate operations but actually favors the abolishment of all animal agriculture. They will stop big operations first and then they will close down the others. No livestock producer is safe from these frivolous lawsuits and the expenses associated with fighting them.”
Aaron and Christine Grenter will manage the proposed facility, which has met and exceeded the requirements of the Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act of 1996. The couple will manage this swine operation for Precision Pork LLC. Precision Pork is owned by several independent producers. The Grenters, who were both raised in farm families, are seeking an opportunity to provide a high-quality rural lifestyle for their two young children and continue to be involved in food production. They truly enjoy their responsibility of caring for livestock while producing protein products to feed the world market.
The Grenters believe that they excel in their profession because of their love for livestock and the strong work ethic they developed growing up on the farm. “I love pork and am proud to be one of the chosen few to feed the world,” said Christine Grenter of her role in Precision Pork. “The urban communities are growing fast, and with that comes less productive acreage on which to raise animals or crops for food. Operations like this one will allow us to continue to feed the world.”
Opposition to the Precision Pork facility was fueled by the testimony of anthropologist Kendall Thu of Northern Illinois University. Thu has been outspoken against livestock facilities in the state despite evidence that their presence does not cause negative effects in rural communities. In fact, the livestock, meat and dairy complex in the state of Illinois contributes 118,416 jobs, $18.1 billion to the state’s economy and $1.5 billion in tax revenue for the state of Illinois.
