Justice for Farmers in the Courtroom?

In one trial, the lawyer suing Smithfield Foods told jurors 30% of Smithfield Foods’ hogs are exported while the waste stays here. But, in fact, 30% of the pork raised in North Carolina is not exported.

Here’s another fact twist: Michael Kaeske told a jury that the neighborhood where his client, the plaintiff, lived – beside Joey Carter’s farm – had been there before the farm was built. It was a backdoor way to tell the jury the plaintiff had lived there first. The facts? The neighborhood had been there first but the plaintiff didn’t move into the neighborhood until after Joey Carter built his farm.

Michael Kaeske also claimed that Smithfield Foods never did a study to determine what ‘Super Soils’ would cost. But Smithfield funded a study by North Carolina State University to determine if Super Soils were cost-effective. The research showed they weren’t. But Kaeske didn’t mention that.

That’s just three examples. There were more. And they all led to one question: How does twisting facts in a Raleigh courtroom lead to justice?

The Importance of Voting for Agriculturalists

This is a true story: One day, two doctors were talking about politics. The younger doctor said, I’m not interested in politics. And the older doctor replied, The problem is politics is interested in you.

Hog farmers have learned the hard way that politics is interested in us. Political groups attack us, like the Waterkeepers and Policy Watch – and the same groups fight to stop important legislation that helps farmers, like the Farm Bills that have been passed by the General Assembly.

And, of course, those same political groups want to see candidates elected who agree with them on farming issues, and who will oppose legislation like bills to protect farmers from frivolous lawsuits.

Learn who voted Pro-Ag on recent legislation by looking at bills like HB 467 and SB 711.

Yes, politics is interested in hog farming. And that’s why, next Tuesday, on Election Day, your vote matters. Vote. And vote Pro-Ag.

Statement by North Carolina Farm Families on Veto of House Bill 467

Governor Cooper’s veto is a hard-blow to farmers. The pork industry invests billions of dollars in North Carolina. Farmers and integrators support their communities and give generously to charitable causes. They strive every day to be good environmental stewards and, above all, good neighbors. The hard-working family farmers who raise hogs in North Carolina deserve better than this.If Governor Cooper’s veto stands, it will jeopardize tens of thousands of jobs in our state. It will jeopardize the incomes and economic survival of thousands of farm families. The economic losses could be devastating to rural communities. The only winners will be predatory lawyers who swoop into rural communities, turn neighbor against neighbor for one purpose – to generate huge financial windfalls for themselves.HB467 passed both the House and Senate with support from Democrats and Republicans. We call on the North Carolina General Assembly to quickly override Governor Cooper’s ill-advised veto.