Sonoma County Farm Bureau Tightens Security After Violent Email Tied to Measure J

The Sonoma County Farm Bureau is beefing up security after an anonymous person sent a violent threat on Monday.

The author of the email wrote that they were frustrated with the bureau’s mailers opposing Measure J, the controversial factory farm ballot measure, and threatened to come to the office “with a gun and resolve the issue.”

The bureau, an advocacy group for farmers and ranchers, is the primary sponsor of opposition to the measure, which would limit the size of poultry and dairy farms throughout the county. If it passes, farms that are too big would be forced to downsize or shut down over the next three years.

“We basically received a threat from somebody who said they were tired of receiving our effing postal mail ads, and if we were to send another that they would come down to our office with a gun and resolve the issue by putting a bullet in every one of our heads,” Dayna Ghirardelli, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, said.

Supporters say the measure will prohibit “concentrated animal feeding operations,” which they refer to as factory farms. But farmers say it will drive them out of business without actually improving animal welfare.

“It is a major push toward ending an economically significant industry in Sonoma County,” said Terry Sanders, who manages the No on Measure J campaign. “We’re talking about the livelihood of a lot of people. Not just farmers but folks who service the farm industry. They all lose out.”

While the measure has drawn controversy since its introduction, Ghirardelli said the level of vitriol in the recent email was new.

“We received other threats. You could tell people didn’t want mailings or something like that, but nothing of this magnitude. It’s really extreme,” she said.

The additional security measures include locking the front door during the day and not answering for people whom employees aren’t expecting or don’t recognize.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the email, but no suspects had been identified as of press time, according to spokesperson Rob Dillion.

“It’s very disappointing that a small number of people on both sides are resorting to threats of violence and intimidation when what we need is open and compassionate dialogue,” Yes on J campaign spokesperson Cassie King said in an email.

King added that volunteers have been harassed and threatened as well. She shared a video with a KQED reporter that showed people flipping off volunteers.

“Motherfuckers like you go missing nationwide all the time,” one man said.

Ghirardelli said she doesn’t believe officials with Yes on J are behind the threat to the farm bureau.

“We, like them, cannot control the people who support our efforts, but I sure as heck would take somebody flipping me off and calling me a bad name over being told I was going to have a gun put to my head,” Ghirardelli said. “To compare those two — there is no comparison.”