About 130 Farmers Union members and local residents packed Brix Cider in Mount Horeb for a February 16th viewing of the documentary "Right to Harm". The event was hosted by the South Central and Iowa-Grant chapters of Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU). The documentary, which is being shown by several WFU chapters in the coming months, shows the impact of factory farming on communities throughout the United States.

Right to Harm exposes the devastating public health impact that factory farming has on many disadvantaged citizens across the country. Filmed across the U.S., the documentary chronicles issues arising around industrial animal agriculture. The film features WFU members Mary Dougherty and Lynn Utesch, who share their experiences as champions of conservation and family farms. Also featured is economist John Ikerd, who abandoned industry beliefs after a 14-year career as a livestock marketing specialist. After the farm crisis of the 1980s he realized, "The farmers who were in the biggest trouble, were the ones doing the things we so-called experts were telling them to do."

"'Right to Harm' is both a moving and motivating film that shows the power struggle between rural residents and money, the cost of environmental racism, and the importance of our water and land," said WFU Membership and Education Organizer Kirsten Slaughter. "A lot of the film revolves around power. Often power lies in the hands of the few who are causing the harm, but that can change when individuals in rural communities are able to come together to protect their communities."

"Clearly this is an issue that resonates with the community here in Southern WI," says Matt Sheaffer from the South Central chapter of the WFU. "A Dodgeville dairy farmer mentioned to me that he had been nervous about the tone of the movie but after seeing it was reassured that the real threat to rural communities and farms like his lies in the proliferation of large-scale industrial operations."

At the 2020 WFU State Convention in Rothschild, members of the grassroots family farm organization set Oversight of Large Livestock Facilities and Concentration in the Agriculture Industry as special orders of business.

"State standards under ATCP 51 regarding acceptance, regulation, and enforcement of CAFOs have failed to enable towns and counties to protect their people, land, water, and health," said WFU Executive Director Julie Keown-Bomar. "Our members have shown a clear desire to educate other farmers and citizens around this issue and to restore local control to communities. We recognize that there are CAFOs that are family-scale farms, and they are not a target of this film. Instead it looks at the extremely large, industrial scale model that is sweeping the nation and threatening our natural resources, as well as the livelihood of the family farm."

"Right to Harm" is an enlightening exploration that questions whether citizens are entitled to clean air and water, while examining the political issues that stand in the way of nationwide reform. Additional viewings will be posted soon at http://www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com/events.

The South Central and Iowa-Grant chapters are part of Wisconsin Farmers Union, a member-driven organization committed to enhancing the quality of life for family farmers, rural communities, and all people through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement. For more information visit http://www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com.