Reposted from: https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/24288-opinion-prop-12-is-good-for-farmers-leave-it-alone
February 26, 2026
I’ve been a hog farmer for over 40 years, and I’ve heard every hypothetical and emotionally charged argument against California’s Proposition 12. My family’s farm is fully Prop 12‑certified, and I can tell you this from experience: Prop 12 has made our operation stronger, healthier, and more resilient — and it’s been a lifeline for thousands of producers.
The House Agriculture Committee’s draft farm bill, though, seeks to take all of this away. It includes a provision that eliminates Prop 12 and blocks states from setting their own standards, and if that makes it into law, it could put thousands of America’s small and medium‑sized farmers out of business.
Like many other farmers, Prop 12 has been a positive, welcome opportunity. Our farm phased out gestation crates, gave our sows room to move and turn, and found that the pigs were calmer, healthier, and easier to care for. Veterinary costs dropped, productivity improved, and our employees say the work environment is better. Healthier animals mean fewer losses, better performance, and less stress for everyone.
And we’re not alone. Today, 27% of U.S. hog producers are Prop 12‑certified — more than a quarter of the industry that has invested real money, time, and labor to meet these standards. You can’t just rip the rug out from under that many farmers. Eliminating Prop 12 now would upend years of planning and millions of dollars in improvements while punishing the very producers who stepped up and did what consumers asked for.
For years, farmers like me were told that higher treatment standards would ruin us. The opposite happened. Prop 12 created a stable market for crate‑free pork. We’re selling into new markets and responding to our consumer demand. Consumers want to know their food aligns with their values. Even large packers like Hormel, Tyson, JBS, Seaboard, and Smithfield have all adjusted to supply that market. The predictions that California would “run out of bacon” were never grounded in reality.
Food prices rose everywhere due to the pandemic, supply chain shocks, and corporate price hikes — not because farmers gave their animals more space. Independent analysis shows pork prices in California rose roughly 9 percent since enforcement began, less than half the overall rate of food inflation. That’s not a crisis; that’s normal market movement.
And Prop 12 didn’t raise national pork prices at all. Oklahoma State University agricultural economist Bailey Norwood put it plainly: there’s no evidence Prop 12 increased pork prices outside California, and no logical reason it would.
Meanwhile, farms like mine have built more stable businesses. The premium we earn for Prop 12‑certified pork offsets the cost of transition and protects us from the volatility of the conventional market.
The debate over Prop 12 isn’t really about California. It’s about the direction of American agriculture. Are we going to cling to outdated systems that treat animals like machinery? Or are we going to embrace smarter, fairer, more modern methods that respect both farmers and livestock?
Prop 12 didn’t appear out of thin air. States across the country — red and blue — have passed laws restricting gestation crates. Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they’d support a law like Prop 12 in their own state. That’s not a threat to farmers; it’s a message about where the market is headed.
We’ve proven that higher‑welfare systems work. They make economic sense, they align with consumer expectations, and they’re better for animal health. Prop 12 made us better producers, better employers, and better stewards of our animals.
The House farm bill gets it wrong when it comes to Prop 12. Instead of supporting farmers, it hands power to Washington lobbyists and undermines the producers who have already invested in modern, humane systems.
And let’s be clear: if Prop 12 is eliminated, it’s small and medium‑sized producers who will suffer most. Big corporations can absorb the hit. Family farms cannot. We’ve already made the transition. We’ve already secured the markets. Repealing Prop 12 would devastate thousands of farmers who made investments in good faith and take away their market opportunity. Quite simply, Prop 12 has been a lifeline for farmers.
The House farm bill would unfairly punish the very people it claims to support. We need a farm bill that strengthens farmers — not one that sacrifices us.
Brent Hershey is an integrated hog producer in Pennsylvania.