Rich Appel, second generation farmer and cheesemaker and president of Whatcom Family Farmers, issues a strong call for farmer unity in this August 3 editorial in Capital Press:
“This is a new world to most of us farmers. Facebook is full of vegan and animal rights bullies. Reporters show up on our farms looking only to capture us running and hiding to make us look guilty. A state senator from downtown Seattle introduces a bill that accuses farmers of keeping slaves, and the Democratic labor committee endorses it. Tribal leaders line up with environmental groups to make false accusations about farm pollution – and use taxpayer dollars to promote it and lobby for bad legislation…
…We found by speaking out loudly and using the powerful tools of social media and websites, we could make a difference – a big difference. A local environmental group aligned with the lawyer has pulled back after their false accusations were exposed. Both red and blue politicians seek out our support and views. Farmers report a different attitude among regulators. Activists who gained major coverage on TV and newspapers have been shown to be dishonest. No honest reporter wants to knowingly publicize lies.”