(photo courtesy of Library of Congress)

An advocate for sustainable farming once said that when it comes to farming everything you're great-grandfather did was better. Today, a major challenge facing all of us who want to see a healthier and more sustainable food system is overcoming the predominance of factory farms across America.

Giant factory farms are the prime culprits when it comes to the unhealthy use of pesticides, herbicides, anitbiotics, and hormones. They foster inhumane conditions for animals and wreak environmental devastation. The government purchases their surplus production and much of that food ends up being served to children for school lunches.

The food they produce is making people sick and the vast majority of people find themselves on the hook for the medical costs that result. Enormous quantities of fossil fuels are burned to transport their products to population centers. Dealing with the pollution they cause incurs enomrmous costs for environmental cleanups. Who pays?

And if you love eating good food as much as we do, you already know that food from factory farms is quite bland when compared to food that is fresh and sustainably produced.

There's no quick and easy solution to the problem, but every small step forward takes us closer to a brighter future. We just received this message from our friends Sarah, Alex, Noelle and The Food Team at the nonprofit Food & Water Watch:

Small farmers across the country are struggling to make ends meet, yet the USDA is helping new factory farms come on line by encouraging banks to give them guaranteed loans. Family farm groups from across the country are calling on the USDA to stop backing new factory farms. Can you take action to stop new factory farms?

Factory farms have already forced out many small producers by lowering the price that farmers are paid for chickens and pigs. The tough economic times are hitting everyone hard and many farmers are losing their contracts. The USDA has bought up surplus pork, chicken and eggs for nutrition and school lunch programs to absorb some of the over-supply, but still, the agency continues to back loans for new factory farms.

To make matters worse, taxpayers pay for this bad policy twice - when the government buys up surplus production and again when low prices drive producers out of business and USDA pays for the defaulted loans.

Tell Secretary Vilsack it's time to cut off the factory farm industry. Sign a petition calling for USDA to impose a moratorium on guaranteed loans to build new factory farms.

To sign the petition go to: Food & Water Watch

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