Drones have become an incredibly powerful tool to expose animal cruelty. But a new Trump administration rule could make it much harder to fly them over farms.
Kenny Torrella
@kennytorrella.bsky.social
Writing about factory farming and the future of meat at Vox.
Organic farms are legally required to treat animals better. But a new @mercyforanimals.org nimals investigation into a Costco organic chicken supplier revealed extreme abuse and neglect, along with flouting nearly all of the main organic welfare rules. (Gift link below)
Good morning from Turin, Iowa, RAGBRAI Day 1. Out today in Politico Magazine, @tomphilpott.bsky.social and I collabed to report a profile of Chris Jones, a Democrat running for secretary of agriculture in Iowa.
‘Cancer Doesn't Care What Party You Belong To’: Poisoned Water Is Turning This Rural State Bluer
Democrats see an opening in rural states for the first time in decades. In Iowa, it’s about water.
politico.com
Growing corn for ethanol: 👍 Putting solar on that land for 30x the energy: 👎 It's bonkers. In @canarymedia.com www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
In Ohio, solar is no big threat to farmland
Fears over farmland loss have fueled arguments against renewables in Ohio — but golf courses and suburban sprawl take up far more acreage than solar does.
canarymedia.com
It is hardly news that the noisy correlation-based data on ultra-processed foods is very low-quality, but it turns out that the UPF randomized controlled trials probably don't offer strong evidence of the harms of "ultra-processing," either. Gift link: www.vox.com/future-perfe...
The evidence against “ultra-processed” foods is weaker than you think
New analysis suggests other factors may explain the harms blamed on “ultra-processing”
vox.com
The pork industry routinely confines pregnant pigs in tiny enclosures called gestation crates. The practice has drawn bipartisan opposition, with lawmakers from both parties pushing back against the Save Our Bacon Act — a bill that would override state laws banning the crates.
Far-right commentators, New York Times columnists, deep red Republicans, blue state liberals: They’re all opposed to keeping pigs in tiny cages. It’s been quite incredible to see the political unity in opposition to the Save Our Bacon Act, so I wrote about it:
Coverage of Gracie, the escaped giraffe in Texas, has focused on efforts to find her. But I wanted to know: Why is an endangered species in Texas at all? Turns out, the ranch she escaped breeds them for pets/zoos, and lots of other species for canned hunts.
A first exclusive for my new venture GRILLED the EU is looking to change how it measures livestock emissions the meat industry has been pushing for metrics that say livestock farms cause 'no additional warming' even as they continue to emit methane grilledmedia.substack.com/p/leak-eu-lo...
Leak: EU looks to change how livestock climate emissions are measured
The draft Sustainable Livestock Strategy also calls for 'flexibilities' on water pollution rules
grilledmedia.substack.com
When reporting on animals, there are always new horrors to discover. Today's is mouse and rat factory farming, which is done to feed pet snakes and zoo snakes. And it's probably way, way bigger (and worse) than you'd think.
Interesting the Star Tribune published a LTE parroting the big pork companies' position to overturn California's basic animal welfare law - but didn't identify the author as VP at the National Pork Producers Council. He's been this in papers around the country - www.startribune.com/readers-writ...
Readers Write: America’s future, elections, the farm bill, biking
We need a convention.
startribune.com
In 2019, Animal Outlook uncovered horrible abuse at a salmon hatchery in Maine. The company said sorry & promised reforms (which satisfied Maine officials). Animal Outlook returned in 2025 and found even worse abuse. This has happened over & over again w/the biggest meat co's.
Factory farming depends on secrecy enforced by criminalizing journalism and whistleblowing. And now the industry is even trying to overturn state reforms overwhelmingly approved by voters. Thanks to Kenny Torrella at Vox for chatting with me about my book! willpotter.com/littleredbarns
In 2015 there were 70 dairy farms in the UK where the cows can't go outside, now there's 180 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Huge rise in factory-style dairy farming of ‘battery cows’ in UK as costs rise
Investigation finds number of dairy farms where cows cannot go outside has more than doubled since 2015
theguardian.com
the VP of the National Pork Producers Council has been publishing op-eds defending the 'Save Our Bacon Act' without consistently disclosing his industry role. the bill would override state animal welfare laws good spot by @thenewlede.bsky.social www.thenewlede.org/2026/05/pork...
Pork lobbyist helping lead “nonpartisan” group working against state animal welfare laws
The Carver Center for Agriculture & Nutrition's op-eds and analyses papers fail to mention that its chairman, Andy Curliss, is also the vice president of strategic engagement for the National Pork Pro...
thenewlede.org
The fiber craze is pushing more people into the broad world of beans, as the U.S. bean industry looks to double American consumption of pulses by 2030. n.pr/43emFP7
They've got fiber. They're cheap. They're … cool? Behind the 'renaissance' of beans
The fiber craze is pushing more people into the broad world of beans, as the U.S. bean industry looks to double American consumption of pulses by 2030.
n.pr
These two charts drove me kind of crazy for a few weeks so I wrote about what might explain them. (Gift link below.)
Famous animal welfare scientist Donald Broom said that confining pigs in gestation crates is “much worse than severely beating an animal.” So it says a lot that some meat industry groups, pork companies, and members of Congress are fighting to defend the practice. New story:
Yesss @kennytorrella.bsky.social !! "Eilish’s argument was clearly directed at the average American consumer who eats dozens of factory-farmed animals each year, not a small group of Indigenous peoples for whom hunting such animals is a core part of their identity..." www.vox.com/future-perfe...
The backlash to Billie Eilish’s vegan comments explains a lot about the American left (and everyone else)
Why are American leftists so reluctant to confront the meat industry?
vox.com
Why are so many on the left hostile to veganism and animal rights? For you Bsky dwellers, this question blew up last week on X after Billie Eilish made some comments on the matter. My thoughts here:
This was one of the hardest stories to write. When people fail to spay/neuter, or buy a dog instead of adopting, the animals pay the price — and so do shelter workers and animal control officers. Performing euthanasia, responding to cruelty cases, & more, is a huge burden.
As animal shelters in the US become overcrowded, it’s not just the pets that suffer. Animal control and animal shelter workers bear an enormous amount of stress, collectively euthanizing about 600,000 animals each year. Vox’s @kennytorrella.bsky.social explains how you can help.
Meat and dairy production is wreaking havoc on our environment as a leading cause of global deforestation and habitat loss. Want to help this Earth Day? Start by eating a more plant-based diet. @kennytorrella.bsky.social explains why it makes a difference.
Polls show that people really underestimate meat's wide-ranging environmental impact. So here are some charts I've made over the years that show just had bad meat is for the planet. Let's start with efficiency:
The focus on artificial colors in food is a huge gift to industry. They can just continue selling the crap food that makes them money, and just tinker around the edges. www.generalmills.com/news/press-r...
Lucky Charms and Trix Bring Bold Flavors to the Breakfast Table Through New Cereals Made with Colors from Natural Sources - General Mills
General Mills introduces Lucky Charms Unicorn Cotton Candy and Tropical Trix featuring Disney’s Moana cereals, available nationwide this summer.
generalmills.com
The connection between masculinity and meat-eating in our culture is likely what fueled some of the very negative reactions on the internet to the idea that ::gasp:: women hunted too! (and I'm quoted!)
Kenny Torrella@kennytorrella.bsky.social · 4mo agoA few months ago, nutrition and fitness influencer Jacob Smith talked up the benefits of tofu and... some guys totally lost it. How did meat become a measure of manhood for a lot of men, and what can be done to separate meat from masculinity?
Despite what internet trolls might say, eating plant-based protein does not make you any less “manly.” Eating soy foods doesn’t change men’s hormonal makeup, and it’s well-established that soy products are not only safe to eat but also confer a number of health benefits.
A few months ago, nutrition and fitness influencer Jacob Smith talked up the benefits of tofu and... some guys totally lost it. How did meat become a measure of manhood for a lot of men, and what can be done to separate meat from masculinity?
Some follow up thoughts on Talarico. I wrote my piece in a couple hours and missed what I now think is really the lesson to be learned from it all.
I wrote about James Talarico's blasphemy against meat and barbeque revival on the Texas campaign trail. newrepublic.com/article/2080...
What the James Talarico Vegan Story Reveals About U.S. Politics
Centuries ago, Thomas Paine envisioned a country free of arbitrary rule—both from monarchy and religion. Today, both religious and secular dogma still curtail what can be said on the campaign trail.
newrepublic.com