Exposing the Truth About ELLA’s Anti-Farm Campaign

A Coordinated Campaign Against Family Farming

Activist group ELLA (Empowering Latina Leadership & Action) and connected anti-farm organizations are using false accusations to attack the family farmers who work to steward the environment and support the Lower Yakima Valley community while sustainably growing food consumed around the world.

The group is pushing a false narrative that Lower Yakima Valley family farms are bad for the environment, bad for workers, and bad for the community at large, misrepresenting the facts in a concerted effort to harm family farming in the region.

ELLA’s actions appear to be intended to push targeted family farms out of business, using aggressive activist tactics the group openly admits are designed to build the group’s power and influence. Financial documents paint a troubling picture of taxpayer dollars potentially being leveraged for these ulterior motives.

Because of that, Save Family Farming is working to expose the misinformation, half-truths, and misleading tactics being promoted to the public by ELLA and affiliated organizations and individuals.

Misrepresented Facts

Manipulating Data & Misusing Science

Key Concern: ELLA routinely misrepresents facts and manipulates data, creating the false appearance that their outlandish anti-farm assertions are backed by science.

Despite its claims being easily debunked, the group would have you believe that it’s scientifically proven that dairies are responsible for virtually all nitrates in groundwater in the Lower Yakima Valley, that the valley has the worst air quality in the United States, that the smell of cow manure is dangerous to humans, and that farming in the area is causing autism, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The anti-farm activists’ misuse of data belies the fact they frequently rely on opinion and not on proven science.

False Narratives

Conspiracy Theories & Fear-Based Messaging

False Narrative Claims: ELLA accuses farmers of deliberately harming the environment, their communities, and their own workers without proof.

Claiming sinister, secret connections between these misrepresented “facts,” ELLA’s outlandish false narratives push alarming conspiracy theories accusing farmers of deliberately harming the environment, their communities and their own workers, while gaslighting the affected people about the impacts.

In the group’s delusional alternate reality, the farming community is to blame for the entire Yakima Valley being in a full-blown environmental and health crisis, where residents are fighting simply to stay alive. Without any proof, they claim farmers are dumping deadly concentrated chemicals into wells and “pouring poison into the waterways.”

Escalating Accusations

But it gets even more extreme: ELLA repeatedly makes the ugly, false claim that their conspiracy theory of a deliberate, coordinated attack by farming on the entire Yakima Valley is motivated by racism and rooted in white supremacy.

The activist group apparently wants you to suspend disbelief as it weaves a dishonest tale of malice that it hopes will convince the public that farmers are harmful to the community.

Lack of Financial Accountability

Questions About Funding & Transparency

Financial Concerns: Multiple ethics complaints regarding ELLA’s handling of government funding are reportedly pending with state agencies.

ELLA has been less than transparent with how it’s funded this propaganda campaign, including violating directives on displaying Washington state agency logos to create the appearance of state endorsement of the activist group’s deceptive messaging.

The group funded much of this propaganda campaign through funds from Olympia, where they were awarded a nearly $500,000 grant through Washington State’s HEAL Act, amongst other government funding.

Now, multiple ethics complaints about how ELLA handled the funding are pending with state agencies, including the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

Ulterior Motives

Public Messaging vs. Operational Priorities

Important Question: Does ELLA’s public-facing mission fully reflect its operational priorities?

ELLA presents itself publicly as an organization focused on empowering Latina women and uplifting their voices. However, a review of the group’s recent activities tells a different story.

Across its social media platforms, public statements, and media engagement, ELLA’s primary focus appears to be directed not toward general empowerment initiatives, but toward sustained opposition to agriculture in the Lower Yakima Valley.

The organization has worked to elevate aligned voices into positions of influence, using misinformation to shape policy discussions and public perception around farming in Central Washington. Their messaging, partnerships, and advocacy efforts consistently center on campaigns targeting local farms and the broader agricultural industry.

This contrast raises an important question: does the organization’s public-facing mission fully reflect its operational priorities?

These patterns suggest that ELLA’s activities are not simply about advocacy, but about advancing a specific agenda that stands in direct opposition to the agricultural community it falsely claims not to seek to harm.