Question 3 makes Massachusetts ground zero for a debate affecting only one farmer in the Commonwealth: Peter Diemand, a second-generation egg farmer in the town of Wendell, about two hours west of Boston, and his 3,000 hens housed in wire cages.
If Question 3 passes, Diemand will have to get rid of those cages. Diemand, who remembers a time when the family’s chickens were cage-free, says cages keep the birds away from their own droppings and prevent pecking, which he says can be deadly.
“I honestly feel this system is a much healthier way of keeping birds,” Diemand said.
The potential impact of the ballot question reaches far beyond this farm. Stores in Massachusetts would not be allowed to sell eggs, veal or pork that comes from animals kept in tight cages—anywhere.
“It certainly will have an impact on pork prices in Massachusetts,” said Dave Warner, director of communications for the National Pork Producers Council.
Warner says most pork produced in this country comes from Midwest farms where it’s standard practice to keep sows in what are called gestation stalls. If Question 3 passes, those farmers couldn’t sell their pork in Massachusetts. Warner says it’s the consumer’s loss.
“Our biggest objection to this law is it’s dictating to farmers the best way to raise and care for their animals,” Warner said. “The people who know best how to raise and care for their animals are farmers. They’re not animal rights groups, and with all due respect, they’re not the voters of Massachusetts.”
But animal rights groups have targeted Massachusetts voters for a reason: They think they can win here. Paul Shapiro, vice president of farm animal protection for the Humane Society of the United States, has relocated to Boston from his Washington office to orchestrate the final push for Question 3.
“A big win in Massachusetts will send a very strong signal that keeping animals locked in cages so they barely move an inch their whole lives is just not acceptable,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro is coming off a big victory. His organization has won promises from the country’s largest food sellers—including Walmart, Costco and McDonald’s—to buy only cage free eggs and pork. He says Question 3 codifies those promises into law.
“It’s a process that’s already begun and will continue to unfold,” Shapiro said.
What it will mean for consumers remains up for debate. At Tropical Foods in Roxbury, Alberta Griffin says price determines what she buys.
“I choose the white eggs because that’s what I like—the white eggs,” Griffin said. “And it’s a cheaper price—$1.29—you can’t beat that."
Brown eggs are more expensive, including the cage-free ones which sell at Tropical Foods for $3.49 a dozen—more than twice what Griffin’s paying for conventional eggs.
“I’m on a budget and I have to stay on a budget,” Griffin said.
Farmers say producing cage-free food costs more and that cost will get passed on at the grocery store. Animal-rights advocates argue the costs are minimal and that with major retailers on board there will be an economy of scale that will ultimately bring down prices. On election day, voters will have to make their own calculations.
Editor's note: This copy has been updated to better reflect the language of Question 3, which would ban only cages that prevent a farm animal from "lying down, standing up, extending its limbs, or turning around."
