Note from Hillary: This is one of two Sierra Club CAFO events that will be useful to anyone opposed to the horrifically cruel and environmentally destructive CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations).* I believe both are likely to promote smaller animal farms as an alternative and, if so, they are NOT promoting vegan values. I'm also not sure the snacks will be vegan. (Although I asked.) However, anyone interested in fighting CAFOs will want to attend. And we may have a chance to *politely* explain why, even leaving issues of animal cruelty aside, small farms are even less sustainable than CAFOs.**
*https://www.sierraclub.org/michigan/why-are-cafos-bad
**https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/13/opinion/the-myth-of-sustainable-meat.html

Michigan is experiencing a factory farm rush due to new hog and dairy processing facilities proposed around the state. As a result, plans for at least two new large-scale hog operations that pack thousands animals into warehouses and generate millions of gallons of waste annually have been unveiled for the Montague and Jackson areas in just the last year. These operations, known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), join 272 large-scale livestock facilities already in Michigan.

When these "farms" come into a new community, they typically blindside unsuspecting local residents who have little knowledge of how to fight back. These neighbors end up living in close proximity to an industry known for generating water and air pollution, lowering land values and burdening local communities with road repair and other costs. If you are concerned about this trend in our food system, join us for our citizen activist workshop in May!

CAFOs 101, a training to arm Michigan citizens with the knowledge to mobilize against Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and their threat to our Great Lakes, inland bodies of water and public health. You'll learn about the history of CAFOs in Michigan, the regulatory and political context they operate in and how you can help fight back if one tries to locate in your community and how to help us build a network of CAFO Busters across Michigan.

This event is sponsored by Sierra Club Michigan, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, Food and Water Watch, Public Justice, Great Lakes Environmental law Center, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Blue River Law

Admission is free, but donations accepted by non-profit sponsors. Light lunch will be provided.

RSVP Required by May 11: https://bit.ly/2J12dpM

Questions? Email .

PLEASE NOTE: this is NOT a Vegan Kalamazoo event, but an event that may be of interest to our members.