Iowa farm forced to euthanize pigs was 'infiltrated' by animal activists

An Iowa farm that has been forced to euthanize hogs because of the coronavirus was "infiltrated" by unknown animal activists this week. No one was injured, and the property was not damaged, but employees were taunted, harassed and videotaped during the euthanasia process, "at a moment that was a very hard time for our employees already," said Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms, which owns more than 800 farms across the state. The incident, as well as a second break-in at the same farm, is being investigated, according to the Grundy County Sheriff's Office. It is unknown who is behind the incidents. Iowa Select Farms and producers across the state and nation have been forced to euthanize pigs after thousands of meatpacking workers have tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in Midwest processing plants significantly slowing production or closing. While many plants are coming back online, facilities are operating at slower speeds to provide proper social distancing between employees. Pigs that would typically be sent to plants for processing, and ultimately be put into the food chain, have nowhere to go. "We're at a place now where we're in a crisis," Sorenson said. "Our hogs have backed up and we have nowhere to go with them. We’ve filled up local lockers. We've filled up small processing plants. "We're doing everything we can and we’re just completely in a place where we have no other option but to euthanize."...MORE