At the Star Tribune, J. Patrick Coolican reports that Rep. Rod Hamilton introduced 'ag gag' bill before secret videos of alleged animal abuse at Christensen Farms:
Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, works in human resources at Christensen Farms, the subject of an undercover video released this week that appears to show sick pigs abused and neglected at a farm in Luverne, Minn.
Hamilton, who chairs the House Agriculture Finance Committee, sponsored legislation in 2011 to make it illegal to gain employment or access to animal facilities under “false pretenses,” or to record videos such as the one about Christensen Farms. Critics referred to it as an “ag gag” bill.
Violators, including journalists having or distributing recordings, would have faced a year in jail, $3,000 in fines and restitution charges.
The bill died, but in seven other states similar legislation has become law. A federal judge struck down an Idaho measure this month as unconstitutional, writing, “The effect of the statute will be to suppress speech by undercover investigators and whistleblowers concerning topics of great public importance: the safety of the public food supply.”
Hamilton, who began as a herdsman at Christensen 23 years ago, has not introduced the bill in subsequent legislative sessions, but he defended the idea.
The sixth-term legislator said it’s wrong to win employment or go on someone’s property under false pretense, as undercover investigators do to record their videos.
Well, of course he does.
But the bill didn't just die back in 2011. It crashed and burned, as we noted in May 2011 in Senator Julie Rosen withdraws as sponsor of ag-gag bill:
On Thursday, April 28, Senator Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) moved to strike her name as a co-author of S.F. 1118, the controversial "ag-gag" bill.
The New York Times's Mark Bittman introduced the phrase to the general public in a column and blog post opposing the law it described:
Minnesota’s “ag-gag” law — isn’t that a great name? — would seek to punish not only photographers and videographers but those who distribute their work...
Rosen represents all of Martin County and parts of Blue Earth, Waseca and Watonwan counties--a part of the state where livestock agriculture is very important. Nonetheless, Southern Minnesota newspaper editorial boards derided the proposed legislation, including the uber-conservative Fairmont Sentinel.
Bluestem noted the rejection in Not getting behind it: ag country daily newspapers reject anti-whistleblowing bill:
It's looking like the Agri-Growth Council's bill to criminalize videotaping and undercover operations at ag facilities has about as much following as a manure spreader in high August.
If the Fairmont Sentinel isn't the most politically conservative daily newspaper in the state, it's darned close. The editors reject the bill on the grounds that it's not going to stop animal rights activists--and that good farmers have nothing to fear from a free press:
Any activist worth his or her salt is going to ignore it. Their goal is to expose abuse. Some possible time in jail is a small price to pay for these folks. And those who actually produce videos of bad behavior on farms or in processing plants are going to generate a lot of public sympathy, including among juries and judges. After all, abusing animals is a serious crime in itself. If someone exposes it, their "offense" amounts to little more than trespassing or petty fraud. The animal abuse is far worse.
Finally, no reputable farm or business that treats its animals well has to worry about any of this. And, again, that is true for the vast majority.
Since Rosen has a full plate as senate author of the Vikings stadium bill, it's likely that the drumroll of scorn for SF1118 in the local media (and constituent contacts generated from it) led her to bail on Magnus, Hamilton and the Agri-Growth Council.
Even before the federal judge in Idaho struck down the law, Minnesota livestock interests publicly rejected the concept. In a 2013 Farmfest panel, MN livestock producer group reps repudiated ALEC-inspired "ag gag" bill.
While the bill was an-ALEC inspired concoction, the group behind Hamilton's introduction of the bill was the Agri-Growth Council. At the City Pages, Nick Pinto explored its leader's thinking in Daryn McBeth, agribiz lobbyist: People who photograph farms should be felons.
Hamilton: more than just Christensen Farms
In Rod Hamilton continues series of epiphanies, praises place-balanced ag finance committee, Bluestem looked at Hamilton's growing fondness for urban ag, as well as Christensen Farms strategic partnership with Seaboard Farms, via Triumph Foods:
According to a press release on Christensen Farms' website, "Triumph Foods . . . purchased a 50 percent ownership in Daily’s Premium Meats, the processed meats division of Seaboard Foods, which produces and markets raw and precooked bacon, ham and sausage. Daily’s Premium Meats will be owned 50/50 by Seaboard Foods and Triumph Foods as of September 27, 2014. As a result of the transaction, Seaboard received cash proceeds of $72.5 million and recognized a pre-tax gain of $55.0 million, subject to final working capital adjustments."
According to the family farm corporation's About Us page, "Christensen Farms is also the largest shareholder of Triumph Foods located in St. Joseph, Missouri. Triumph Foods, a producer-owned pork processing plant, is a leading processor of pork products for both the U.S. and the global marketplace." While Hamilton has called himself "an uneducated hog farmer" in the past, given the scale of these operations, we hope he has a revelation about that as well.
Hamilton has gone into a much different scale of farming, as well. According to his economic interest statement on file with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board, Hamilton is an owner of 542 Global Foods, LLC., a company that's based in Rush City, Minnesota. Hamilton's business partners appear to be Anita Janssen, a former IT firm owner, and Toua Xiong, who owns the Hmongtown Marketplace near the state capital.
Janssen described the company to Twin Cities Business/MinnPost in 2013:
When an opportunity to enter the ag industry presented itself, Janssen, 44, jumped ship. She sold her stake in Maxxum in December and joined forces with two partners to launch 542 Global Foods, LLC, a producer and provider of food products for overseas markets and immigrant populations in the United States. The new company, which raises animals on a large scale for the Asian market, is negotiating with a group of investors who want to set up high-quality commercial hog production overseas. “We’re taking a global approach in a way that’s respectful to the earth, the communities and the people we serve, and the animals that ultimately become the protein sources,” says Janssen, who handles the business management and development side of the company.
However, the firm's Facebook page, which has not posted since July 12, 2014, stresses meat from heritage livestock breeds raised in Iowa and Minnesota. Two examples:
From our family farm growers to you: premium Red Ranger chickens, processed fresh or frozen. The Red Ranger is a heritage breed designed for the best tasting, highest quality meat. Raised in clean, healthy, environments and fed Iowa & Minnesota raised crops. KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM! Coming soon to Twin Cities markets... (June 11, 2013)
542 Global Foods, is all about bringing high quality food to the market. I have learned that heritage genetics (which essentially means it's slower to grow and reach market weight), high quality feed, and clean comfortable "free range" growing conditions creates amazing products for the dinner table. . . . (July 12, 2014)
And yes, the firm supports consumers' desire to know where their food comes from, according to a Facebook post:
542 Global Foods strives to operate in total transparency, so that our consumers understand exactly how their food arrives at their dinner table. Enjoy our chicken story!
The firm obtained its chicks from Hoover's Hatchery, a "small hatchery in a small town" in Iowa that serves small and medium poultry operations. It's a mainstay for backyard chicken operations. The chickens appear to have been raised at Janssen's farm near Rush City.
Despite lack of social media activity, the company remains "active and in good standing" with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Those chickens do look pretty tasty and Bluestem hopes the partners are still enjoying success with this project to bring high quality food to Minnesotans.
Rod Hamilton often says he wants it all for ag (maybe not GMO labeling or snooping animal rights activists), and it looks like he's been trying to get it.
Photo: 542 Global Foods LLC's chickens. Via Facebook.
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