Be Prepared for Animal Activists

Good afternoon,

There was an organized activist event for the area led by Direct Action Everywhere (DXE), a well-known activist group which apparently occurred Saturday, April 15. There has been reported cases of suspicious activities on and chickens reportedly missing from 2 farms in some Niagara County farms. The National Animal Agriculture Alliance and other organizations are aware of activities. Suspicious activities have now occurred in other counties in WNY; Orleans County is one.

The Niagara County Sheriff issued a press release.

It is best to be proactive and protect yourself, your farm, your family, and your neighboring farms.

Reminders:

• Ask your employees to keep their eyes and ears open for anything unusual – people they don’t recognize walking around the farm or in areas they shouldn’t be.
• Consider properly posting “No Trespassing” signs. Information from NYS DEC on properly posting your property. This article pertains to timber but is applicable.
• If someone does gain access to your farm, alert law enforcement officials immediately. Do not attempt to engage. A visual of a police officer stopping them demonstrates they are breaking the law. A visual of a dairy or livestock farmer stopping them says, “Get off of my property.”
• If you have a farm store, prominently post hours of operation.
• Make sure all publicity indicates that your farm is open to visitors “by appointment only”.

This is also a good time to review your hiring and training practices, such as checking references and documenting that your employees have been instructed how to complete important farm protocols and procedures.

We understand these activist claims are upsetting and frustrating for everyone involved in agriculture. Another key thing to remember is to not to contribute to the negativity, especially online. We recommend not sharing news stories publicly or tagging the activist group in social media posts. Those actions work to draw more attention to the group and their videos and mission.

Additional resources from the Animal Ag Alliance can be found here. American Dairy Association NE’s resources.