Why I Voted Against The “Right to Farm” Proposition

How can you not support the farmer? He feeds America, after all.

Think about the image of the American Farmer – perched atop his tractor, a scruffy beard and straw hat, wearing overalls of course, carefully looking back to make sure his cultivator stays in line with the rows. The sun, low in the horizon, embraces his silhouette.

Keep America Growing, right? Didn’t Willie Nelson say something about that?

Testament to this image, more than 90 percent of Fayette County voters and almost 80 percent statewide voted in favor of Proposition 1 in Tuesday’s state constitutional amendment election – the so called “Right to Farm” amendment. Not many were surprised at the amendment’s overwhelming support. If anything, folks around here might wonder who are those 10 percent who voted against it.

I’m one of them. Texas already has a “Right to Farm” law, and it’s a bad law. The constitutional amendment makes this law much harder to repeal. Basically, that would take another constitutional amendment.

The law prevents neighbors from bringing a lawsuit against a farm for nuisances or practices that infringe on the neighbor’s property if the farm has been in operation for more than one year. This law has been on the books since 1981. The amendment also makes it harder for cities to regulate “generally accepted” ag practices. What is generally accepted? The law does not specify.

Think of all the terrible practices this law allows: chemical fertilizer runoff, herbicide drift, genetic pollution of crops, and the list goes on.

This law does not protect the small farmer. It protects special interests: the corporate ag firms that have the money to lobby the government and mold regulation in their favor.

Politics is so gross. Anyway, I’m really excited about harvesting my first crop of greens from my fall garden. We planted a bunch of Asian greens about a month ago – mibuna, mizuna, bok choy, and a really neat green called tatsoi. Sometimes it’s called “spoon mustard” in English due to its shape.

Tatsoi is often touted as a superfood. It contains high levels of calcium – just one cup provides almost a third of the daily value. It’s also full of carotenoids, vital for healthy eyes, and it’s one of the best natural sources for vitamin C. Once for ounce, they contain more vitamin C than lemons and oranges.

But more interesting for me, these little spoon-shaped leaves contain high levels of glucosinolates - beneficial compounds that are being studied for their anti-cancer properties.

Tatsoi is a member of the cruciferous family, which includes cabbage and mustard greens. Accordingly, it is quite winter-hardy here in Texas, making it an excellent crop for the fall garden.

The Fayette County Record

By ANDY BEHLEN