The latest assault on the dairy industry—Measure J in Sonoma County—has been soundly rejected by voters. This measure was a blatant attempt by outside interests to eliminate dairy farming in Sonoma County by prohibiting farms and other animal production operations that have been in the county for generations and are vital to the future of the region.
Measure J would have effectively eliminated dairy production in Sonoma County, driving up the cost of food, devastating the local economy, killing thousands of good-paying jobs overnight, and wreaking havoc on county budgets that fund police, fire, and other vital social services. The ballot measure would have also negatively impacted a variety of economic sectors related to the animal agricultural economy, including veterinarians, mechanics, and farm and feed suppliers.
In the midst of this historic defeat, proponents are already threatening to take this fight to other regions of the state. Reflecting on what went right in Sonoma County sets the industry up for similar successful outcomes no matter when and where we come under attack again, whether it be at the ballot box, in the legislature, or anywhere in between.
We’ve also seen what happens when we don’t mount a strategic, coordinated, and well-funded campaign to oppose these types of efforts, such as the overwhelming passage of two farm animal confinement statewide initiatives—Proposition 2 (2008) and Proposition 12 (2018).
Even before Measure J qualified for the ballot, Western United Dairies started to build an opposition campaign that was instrumental in ensuring this measure was not just defeated but crushed. Eventually becoming a new Political Action Committee, Sonoma United was formed by WUD to specifically oppose Measure J.
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Sonoma United executed a $500,000 highly targeted and proactive direct voter campaign using a combination of direct mail, digital ads, social media, text messages, and grassroots outreach featuring our members, local business owners, and other coalition partners.
By conducting a poll in early summer to understand the landscape and identify the most impactful and persuasive messages and messengers, we were able to develop meaningful products and micro-target them to the right audiences.
Digging in on the value of the Sonoma United campaign, which protected $259 million in agricultural production and $38 million in regional spending, the return on investment comes out to nearly $600 of industry market share protected for every $1 spent by the campaign not to mention the ripple effect Measure J would have had on local food access and production, and the regional economy, specifically other small businesses and good-paying local jobs.
Ultimately, voters in Sonoma County stood with their local dairy farmers and chose to protect their way of life. The strong support for the local agricultural community is no surprise to anyone who has spent time here, but the overwhelming rejection of Measure J points to the strategically executed campaign that reminded voters what was at stake.
Western United Dairies is a voluntary trade association made up of family dairy farmers, many of which are located in Sonoma County, who work hard to produce some of the most desirable dairy products in the world. Sonoma United was formed specifically to defeat Measure J by family dairy farmers, small businesses, other agricultural interests, and community members.
Anja Raudabaugh is the CEO of Western United Dairies. She grew up on a diversified farm in the Central Valley and has spent her career working in various farm management and agricultural capacities. Her experience includes leading the Madera County Farm Bureau and serving as marketing director for the California Asparagus Commission.