On Monday, Oct. 19, CCI, as a member group of Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment (CFFE) mailed more than 25,000 petition signatures to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, calling on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stop using our taxpayer dollars to back direct and guaranteed loans for new factory farm construction.

The factory farm industry has asked the USDA for millions of taxpayer dollars in order to stabilize low hog prices resulting from factory farm overproduction. And, at the same time, USDA continues to guarantee loans to new and expanding factory farm facilities, which are contributing to the very overproduction that taxpayer dollars are being used to try to remedy.

Secretary Vilsack and the USDA have heard our message to put people before polluters loud and clear: Taxpayers should not be asked to foot the bill for factory farms' negligent practices. This is a completely irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars!

Thanks to everyone who signed the petition to stand up for whats right! (less info)