California voters approved Proposition 12 by a decisive 63% margin, establishing minimum space requirements for farm animals and restricting the sale of pork, eggs, and veal produced from animals confined in spaces smaller than those standards. For pork producers, the law effectively prohibits the sale of meat from pigs born to sows housed in gestation crates that fail to meet California’s requirements. State regulators and many pork processors have maintained that California’s pork demand can be supplied under Proposition 12, although compliance costs may contribute to somewhat higher prices—much as California consumers often pay premiums for products produced under stricter standards. Opponents of Proposition 12 vowed to challenge the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2023, however, the Court upheld the measure in a closely divided 5–4 decision.Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch concluded that states have broad authority to regulate products sold within their borders, even when those regulations affect producers in other states. The Court rejected arguments that the Constitution’s dormant Commerce Clause bars statesfrom adopting non-discriminatory laws simply because they impose compliance costs on a national industry. While the Constitution prohibits economic protectionism, the Court held that it does not prevent voters from restricting products they believe are produced through practices they consider cruel or unethical, provided the law applies equally to in-state and out-of-state businesses.Having failed in the courts, opponents have shifted their efforts to Congress. Language included in proposed Farm Bill legislation—often referred to by supporters as the “Save Our Bacon” provision—would limit states’ ability to impose production standards on agricultural products sold within their borders. Critics argue that the provision would effectively overturn Proposition 12 and similar state laws. The debate has attracted national attention. In a New York Times opinion essay titled “America’s Livestock Gulag,” columnist Nicholas Kristof argued that “the pork industry istrying to pull a fast one with this year’s farm bill,” citing polling that found strong public opposition to housing pregnant sows in gestation crates. A common misconception is that gestation crates are necessary to prevent sows from crushing piglets. That concern is generally addressed through the use of farrowing crates, which are used for a relatively short period around birth and weaning. Gestation crates, by contrast, typically confine pregnant sows in narrow metal enclosures for their 114- day pregnancy. Many pork producers in Europe have adapted to alternative housing systemsfollowing restrictions or bans on gestation crates. The question now moves from the courtroom to Capitol Hill: Should Congress override the will of voters and the Supreme Court’s ruling through the Farm Bill, or should states retain the authority to establish animal welfare standards for products sold within their borders?For listeners seeking a broader and balanced discussion of pig housing systems, we also recommend our earlier conversation with Dr. Pete Lammers of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, who explores the practical, economic, and animal welfare dimensions of providing space for pigs.

Food is a national security issue and passing an updated farm bill is of critical importance to both farmers and consumers, especially the food insecure. Rodger Wasson visits with Congressman Jim Costa, a leading member of the House of Representatives Agriculture committee, who voted for advancing the long overdue ‘work in progress” to the US Senate. Rodger Wasson and Congressman Costa discuss agriculture policy and Congressman Costa explains the importance of the Farm Bill as America’s food safety net, noting that despite challenges in agriculture, American farmers now produce more food with less than 5% of the population working in agriculture compared to 40% employed in Ag 126 years ago. The conversation covered concerns about Proposition 12 animal confinement standards potentially being eliminated in the Farm Bill, the need for labor reform affecting the estimated 70% undocumented workforce in California agriculture, and the impact of trade wars on agricultural markets. Congressman Costa emphasizesthe need for bipartisanship in passing the Farm Bill and expresseds optimism about American agriculture’s ability to adapt and innovate despite current challenges.

Regenerative means understanding the cycles of nature and operating within those cycles of nature, producing a bounty that is true profit created from sunlight, microbial life in the soil and rain water, generating more than was there. Will Harris practices what he preaches on his family’s White Oak Pastures in Georgia. While specialists may be necessary in many ventures, Will says that it’s better to be a generalist when striving to be a good regenerative farmer With his daughters, their spouses and employees White Oak Pastures grows, processes and distributes their own cattle, goats, chickens, pigs and vegetables. They don’t want to get any bigger but Will does want more farmers to try regenerative farming and more consumers to seek out food from those farms. Listening to this conversation between Rodger Wasson and Will Harris will make some want to do one or the other of those goals. www.whiteoakpastures.com

Disruptions in shipping lanes such as in the Strait of Hormuz creates havoc in food supply and demand. This episode of Farm to Table Talk features Peter Friedmann from the Agriculture Transportation Coalition discussing the complex global supply chain challenges in moving agricultural products from farms to tables around the world. Peter explains how U.S.agriculture relies heavily on international shipping, with products often traveling extensive routes including transloading at intermediate ports and facing significant challenges due to geopolitical issues like the Strait of Hormuz situation affecting shipping routes to key markets in the Middle East. Agricultural exports require corresponding imports to create the container capacity needed, with farmers and their processors haveing to reroute products across the country to different ports when traditional routes are blocked. Peter highlights the resilience of U.S. agriculture in finding new markets despite trade disruptions, while noting that once markets find alternative suppliers, it’s difficult to regain that business. All aspects of the food system are affected, even “local” often starts with imported fertilizer and seeds. www.agtrans.org

You can’t dream big enough was a challenge often heard from the widely acknowledged voice of Agriculture, Orion Samuelson. Just after graduating from college the host of Farm To Table Talk, Rodger Wasson had the good fortune to host a Radio Farm Show in Normal, Illinois and subsequently become acquainted with the legendary host of the Chicago based clear channel WGN Radio Farm Show. Orion Samuelson made it is life’s work to support farmers and remind consumers that since they eat they’re part of agriculture. Orion recently passed away at the age of 91. Courtesy of the Lincoln Laureates podcast we are sharing views from Orion that he expressed in conversation with broadcast journalist Jim Bohannon. The conversation recorded in 2022 celebrates the Lincoln Academy of Illinois having honored Orion Samuelson as a leader who has contributed to the betterment of humanity.

https://www.LincolnAcademyIllinois.org

Natalie Bogwalker, c0-author of The New Natural Food Garden, discuses her journey from living in a log cabin to selling her business Wild Abundance and focusing on gardening education. She shared insights about her new book, which features beautiful photography and practical gardening advice, and discussed her approach to cooking with homegrown ingredients. The conversation explored how gardening can provide both financial savings and mental health benefits, with Natalie emphasizing that growing food can lead to a more fulfilling lifestyle rather than necessarily generating income. Rodger and Natalie also discuss the importance of preserving food and creating recipes using seasonal ingredients. www.growingwise.net

Getting enough iron from the food we eat is something most of us take for granted, but about 2 billion people worldwide have an iron deficiency, the Number 1 nutritional deficiency globally. An international research team led by scientists in Brazil have come up with a way to boost iron content in rice, which is one of the most consumed foods. Farm Table Talk talks with Dr. Felipe Ricachenevsky about research at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, where he is working to biofortify rice with higher iron and zinc content through genetic modification using CRISPR technology. Felipe explained that approximately 25-30% of the world population lacks sufficient iron and zinc in their diets, particularly affecting children in developing countries where rice is a staple food. He explains his lab’s approach of combining two iron transporters to achieve a 50-70% increase in iron concentration in rice grains, though this came with some trade-offs in waterlogged conditions. The discussion also covered the broader context of genetic modification, including the challenges faced by Golden Rice and how public perception shifted from accepting genetic improvements to opposing them when they were primarily used for pesticide-resistant crops. felipecruzalta@gmail.com