Only Two Farmers Join with HSUS in Oklahoma

It’s been a bad year for the Humane Society of the United States—what with settling a federal racketeering, fraud, and bribery lawsuit for up to $15.75 million—but it has especially taken a hit in Oklahoma. The state attorney general issued a consumer alert about HSUS in March, and in July subpoenaed the organization.

HSUS has tried to strike back and claim some credibility in the farming and ranching community, launching a state “agriculture council” in Oklahoma to make inroads. The problem? HSUS could only find two farmers in the whole state willing to join it.

According to its website, HSUS has only four members on its Oklahoma council. One is a lawyer, one is a businessman, and only two are actual farmers. Meanwhile, according to the USDA, there are about 34,000 principal operators of farming operations in Oklahoma. Two farmers would be 0.006% of that total, a tiny fraction of 1%.

Farmers and ranchers are well aware that HSUS has a PETA-like agenda to end animal agriculture completely. HSUS’s food policy director, for instance, is a former PETA flack who created a nationwide campaign comparing modern farms to Nazi concentration camps.

HSUS is trying to deflect criticism of its anti-farmer agenda by having a few faces that it can trot out as supporters. That’s like someone saying, “I’m not a racist—some of my best friends are minorities.” It’s weak.

Whenever HSUS launches a new council, it shows how few in agriculture are willing to work with HSUS. That says more negative than positive things about the animal-liberation group. Perhaps we should thank HSUS for showing the public how the ag community truly feels about it.