Federal Dollars Subsidize NY CAFOs - Publicly Funded Cruelty

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Dollars flow from federal coffers to support the largest of New York's dairy, poultry and pig CAFOs. A review of public records from 1995 through 2006 show that New York's CAFOs have been receiving generous public support while maintaining extreme confinement methods for animals housed on their facilities.

Confinement crates and cages deprives calves, pigs and chickens of the ability to engage in natural behavior. Animals confined in such circumstances experience extensive and significant physical and psychological trauma.

Gestation crates board pregnant pigs for nearly their entire four-month pregnancies.  These metal crates are not large enough for the pig to perform natural behaviors such as cleaning themselves or simply turning around. New York's CAFOs house about 60,000 pigs.

Battery cages used to confine hens make it impossible for them to spread their wings or turn around. This severely restricts the hen's ability to engage in basic natural activities. Cage-free systems would enable hens to lay their eggs in nests, walk, and spread their wings, all of which would significantly reduce the suffering, stress and injuries associated with severe crowding in cages. In New York there are about 4,000,000 egg laying hens, the vast majority of which are confined in battery cages. Most hens spend their entire lives in a space about the size of a sheet of copy paper.

Aside from these confinment practices, CAFOs also contribute to environmental issues related to the ground application of untreated manure.  Waterborne chemical contaminants associated with factory farm facilities include pesticides, heavy metals, and antibiotics and hormones. Antibiotics are used not only to prevent and treat bacterial infections for animals held in close quarters, but also as growth promoters. Pharmaceuticals, such as tylosin, a macrolide antibiotic widely used for therapeutics (disease treatment) and growth promotion in swine, beef cattle, and poultry, persists in surface waters of agricultural watersheds.

The government supports these practices by subsidizing CAFOS.

Chaffee Dairy Farms in Barker, NY received a $54,426 dairy subsidy in 2006, $108,566 in total subsidies in 2006, and from 1995 to 2006, Chaffee received a total of $1,121,838 in payments from the USDA. Chafee is a registered CAFO with about 1,335 mature dairy cows and heifers.

Barbland Farms of Fabius, NY received a $48,090 dairy subsidy in 2006, $98,942 in total subsidies in 2006, and from 1995 to 2006, Barbland received a total of $701,795 in payments from the USDA. Barbland is a registered CAFO with about 1,700 mature dairy cows and heifers.

Marks Farms of Lowville, NY received a $34,354 dairy subsidy in 2006, $119,723 in total subsidies in 2006, and from 1995 to 2006, Marks received a total of $1,413,607 in payments from the USDA. Marks is a registered CAFO with about 8,600 mature dairy cows and heifers.

Adirondack Farm of Peru, NY received a $34,354 dairy subsidy in 2006, $87,176 in total subsidies in 2006, and from 1995 to 2006, Adirondack received a total of $792,890 in payments from the USDA. Adirondack is a registered CAFO with about 1,950 mature dairy cows and heifers.

Lamb Farms of Oakfield, NY received a $34,354 dairy subsidy in 2006, $90,317 in total subsidies in 2006, and from 1995 to 2006, Lamb received a total of $992,000 in payments from the USDA. Lamb is a registered CAFO with about 8,600 mature dairy cows and heifers.

Dairy CAFOs aren't the only ones benefitting from government largess.

Kreher's Poultry received USDA subsidies in 2006 totaling $120,161, and from 1995 to 2006, Kreher collected $1,056,536. Kreher's is a registered CAFO housing about 500,000 laying hens.

Giroux Poultry of Chazy, NY received USDA subsidies in 2006 totaling $93,311, and from 1995 to 2006, Giroux collected $757,900. Giroux is a registered CAFO housing about 1,500,000 laying hens.

Willow Ridge Farms of Alexander, NY received subsidies in 2006 totaling $33,645, and from 1995 to 2006, Willow Ridge collected $448,269. Willow Ridge is a registered CAFO housing about 6,700 pigs.

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