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The recent announcement that Ohio agricultural groups had struck a deal with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), among others, came as a surprise to many.
Just more than a year ago, agricultural interests in Ohio were adamant in saying that they were NOT going to let others "dictate" animal care standards in their state.
"We don't want out-of-state activists telling Ohio farmers how to care for their animals. It would mean higher food costs for consumers and may force many of our farmers out of business," one farm leader was quoted as saying in October 2009.
At a public hearing in mid-May in Dayton, Ohio, the state's efforts to establish animal care standards were widely touted as "the model" other states could use. In fact, producers in attendance were told, "It is important that we do this right as the rest of the nation is watching."
Well, the rest of the nation indeed was watching last week when news of Ohio's agreement with anti-animal agriculture activists broke. In fact, many were left quite confused by the sudden change of course.
It was just last November when Ohio voters took to the polls and approved the establishment of a board of animal care experts that would have responsibility for setting future care and well-being standards for livestock and poultry in the state.
The board was well on its way to drafting its first recommendations on euthanasia and, throughout the process, had gone to great lengths to gather input and guidance from consumers and the agricultural community.
The agreement reached between Ohio agriculture and animal rights activists is said to preserve the integrity of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board and "validates Ohio voters' decision last fall to pass Issue 2," yet it is a bit difficult to understand what "integrity" has been preserved when, at dates certain, the state has just agreed to abandon science-based production practices. That begins immediately for anyone who needs to build a new hen house or expand operations and comes by the end of the year for anyone who needs to build a new sow facility or expand.
The agreement reached also is being touted as a way to effectively stifle "one of animal agriculture's most vocal critics" in that HSUS has now "agreed" that the Livestock Care Standards Board is the proper authority to handle difficult questions regarding farm animal care.
Since HSUS has just gotten everything it was looking for in Ohio, does it not make sense that HSUS would give its full support to the board's future efforts?
It is true that HSUS was successful in garnering the necessary signatures to get the issue of animal care back on the ballot in Ohio this November, and that certainly may have played a part in prompting the agreement, particularly from a monetary standpoint.
Still, with polls to date showing that voters are evenly split on the matter, one would hope that the efforts of the voter-approved livestock board and the progress those experts are making in setting recommendations based on science would be enough to keep any future ballot initiative at bay.
Ohio voters made it clear last November that they do not want farm animal care to be placed in the hands of the likes of HSUS. They placed their confidence in the state and its ability to establish a board that will focus on objectively determining what's in the best interests of Ohio livestock and poultry as well as Ohio consumers and farmers.
The Ohio Livestock Standards Care Board deserved a chance to show Ohio voters what it was capable of accomplishing, and Ohio voters deserved what they had been promised last fall. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, the faith was lost, and now, the future model for animal agriculture has likely been forever altered. | 
