On my farm in Missouri, we believe in independence. We believe that farmers should be able to look their neighbors in the eye and be proud of how their food was produced. But right now, a few giant corporations are trying to use the Farm Bill to make sure you never see what happens behind their factory walls.
Many organizations have been sounding the alarm on a provision some are calling the “Save Our Bacon” (S.O.B.) Act—formally known as the EATS Act.
It sounds like a win for farmers, but as independent farmer Jody Osmund recently told us, the name is a distraction. According to Jody, this act isn’t saving family farms; it’s “saving these mega-producers’ bacon from 50 years of bad production decisions.”
The Race to the Bottom
For decades, the “Big Ag” machine has been engaged in a “race to the bottom.” To maximize every cent of profit, they have consolidated markets so that just four companies control 80% of the meat industry. When corporations control the market, they control the rules. They have used this power to:
Force Consolidation: Pushing a “get big or get out” mentality that has seen 140,000 farms disappear in just the last five years.
Industrialize Production: Moving nearly 90% of our meat, eggs, and dairy into extreme overcrowding on factory farms.
Suppress Transparency: Lobbying for legal shields like the S.O.B. Act to overturn state laws that demand basic humane standards.
Why Big Ag Wants This Shield
The S.O.B. Act is a direct response to states like California and Massachusetts passing common-sense laws that ban the use of “steel cages”—like gestation crates for mother pigs that are so small the animals cannot even turn around.
Corporations know that these laws are popular. They know that once people see how industrial food is actually produced, they demand change. By tucking this provision into the Farm Bill, they are trying to erase decades of progress and prevent any state from ever again passing laws that regulate the safety or transparency of animal products.
Join the Fight
We aren’t the only ones who see through this “spin.” A massive coalition is working to expose this corporate overreach. They represent a diverse group of hundreds of organizations that understand that factory farming doesn’t just hurt animals; it hurts our rural independence, our communities and our health.
At UpRoot, we believe that knowledge is power. The corporate food giants spend billions to keep you in the dark, but the power shifts the moment we start having an honest conversation.
We don’t need a “Save Our Bacon” Act to protect corporate profits. We need a food system that respects the land, the animals, and the people who feed us.
This is just the beginning.