Hannah Thompson-Weeman

And it really is a lot of times farmers, most of the time live there on their farm. So it feels very personal. There was another ongoing issue in Iowa where, you know, some of it was the trespass and things like that and the break-ins and surreptitious filming and things. But then they were also going to executives' homes.

And it really is a lot of times farmers, most of the time live there on their farm. So it feels very personal. There was another ongoing issue in Iowa where, you know, some of it was the trespass and things like that and the break-ins and surreptitious filming and things. But then they were also going to executives' homes.

So they were going to the home of the chief operating officer of this company. And they had been doing this to others as well. They buried dead piglets in somebody's yard. They claimed to have feces from a manure lagoon that they dumped in somebody's yard. And in this one incident, you know, his grandchildren were visiting at this time. So I picked up the phone.

So they were going to the home of the chief operating officer of this company. And they had been doing this to others as well. They buried dead piglets in somebody's yard. They claimed to have feces from a manure lagoon that they dumped in somebody's yard. And in this one incident, you know, his grandchildren were visiting at this time. So I picked up the phone.

I called and said, hey, you know, this guy's he's about to pull up to your house. And luckily, they knew not to answer because they got that call. Those are some of the ones that that stick out to me. This was like, I don't know, circa 2019. It was a very crazy time that that we've kind of watched from afar and tried to help people on the ground manage this incident.

I called and said, hey, you know, this guy's he's about to pull up to your house. And luckily, they knew not to answer because they got that call. Those are some of the ones that that stick out to me. This was like, I don't know, circa 2019. It was a very crazy time that that we've kind of watched from afar and tried to help people on the ground manage this incident.

And then, you know, kind of I mentioned the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, too, that the first time people were convicted under that was the Shack 7, the Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty. That was a research-focused campaign. But similarly, they were threatening people's families. They were firebombing, allegedly, vandalism, all of that. And those names are still names that we see around.

And then, you know, kind of I mentioned the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, too, that the first time people were convicted under that was the Shack 7, the Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty. That was a research-focused campaign. But similarly, they were threatening people's families. They were firebombing, allegedly, vandalism, all of that. And those names are still names that we see around.

They still pop up at activist conferences. They still pop up on social media. So the people that were involved in those... And then again, we have some of the modern activist groups that say that they're inspired by those type of groups, which is very concerning.

They still pop up at activist conferences. They still pop up on social media. So the people that were involved in those... And then again, we have some of the modern activist groups that say that they're inspired by those type of groups, which is very concerning.

So we've really seen kind of a whole gamut of things, you know, some that are more of those reputational concerns, but then, you know, the ones that definitely cross that line to a food chain and food system disruption.

So we've really seen kind of a whole gamut of things, you know, some that are more of those reputational concerns, but then, you know, the ones that definitely cross that line to a food chain and food system disruption.

And I don't know who this was. It was an unlisted number, but I got a voicemail once saying that, and it wasn't a threat, but I don't know, a premonition. It said something bad is going to happen to you and you deserve it. So even personally, just doing what we do, we are on the receiving end of emails and phone calls and things. Wow.

And I don't know who this was. It was an unlisted number, but I got a voicemail once saying that, and it wasn't a threat, but I don't know, a premonition. It said something bad is going to happen to you and you deserve it. So even personally, just doing what we do, we are on the receiving end of emails and phone calls and things. Wow.

Yeah. And that's part of part of what we're up to, obviously, as a nonprofit where we aren't that powerful. Although if you read, you know, the activist stories they make us, we're the private FBI, quote unquote, of the FBI. big ag industry. It was like, wow, I sound very important. But you know, we're just crowdsourcing information.

Yeah. And that's part of part of what we're up to, obviously, as a nonprofit where we aren't that powerful. Although if you read, you know, the activist stories they make us, we're the private FBI, quote unquote, of the FBI. big ag industry. It was like, wow, I sound very important. But you know, we're just crowdsourcing information.

We're just following things closely on social media that are out there. But there is there is definitely a mental health dimension of this and mental health and agriculture. You know, Andrew's worked with Farm Bureau a lot. Farm Bureau has a great campaign at Farm State of Mind looking at mental health issues in agriculture.

We're just following things closely on social media that are out there. But there is there is definitely a mental health dimension of this and mental health and agriculture. You know, Andrew's worked with Farm Bureau a lot. Farm Bureau has a great campaign at Farm State of Mind looking at mental health issues in agriculture.

and there's definitely an element of this that comes into play where it is very draining and when you're doing such a demanding job for a public that can be very skeptical of you but then there's these extreme actors making it worse and really playing off of animal welfare and things there's definitely a mental health aspect of this that it can weigh very heavily on producers especially those that are personally targeted

and there's definitely an element of this that comes into play where it is very draining and when you're doing such a demanding job for a public that can be very skeptical of you but then there's these extreme actors making it worse and really playing off of animal welfare and things there's definitely a mental health aspect of this that it can weigh very heavily on producers especially those that are personally targeted