Today, I write to you as a private citizen who happens to raise pigs within city limits, not as a Councilman.
Several people have approached my family, wanting our opinion on the health consultant recently approved by the majority of the City Council.
When we first moved to Bay City, we intended to raise pigs on our 10-acre property, which (at the time, we didn’t know) was entirely within city limits.
Once we found out about the restriction, we asked for variances twice.
Both denied.
We complied and relocated our pigs to Van Vleck.
Subsequent interactions with the City were what prompted me to run for Council.
I haven’t asked anyone in the Council or City staff to change their minds regarding our pigs since.
On September 1st, 2023, several bipartisan bills in our State Legislature went into effect that completely changed “Right to Farm” laws.
The most significant change was that nuisance complaints need hard evidence that there is an immediate danger, close to the agricultural operation in question.
This is a fair and just standard.
Another bipartisan effort, placed Proposition 1 “Right to Farm”, on the Texas ballot in November ’23.
It passed with a 90% approval rate in our county and 79% in the state.
It’s now Article 1 Section 36 of the Texas Constitution, in our Texas Bill of Rights.
Before moving our pigs, I notified the City Attorney (10/02/23), City Manager (10/05/23), and members of the Council (10/10/23) of our intention to bring our pigs back.
No concerns or questions were raised by anyone before we moved our pigs on 10/16/23.
That is until someone with an irrational fear of pigs, threatened the city with legal action if they didn’t do something about our pigs.
Ever since, members of the Council, have been looking for ways to remove our pigs from the city.
They have never approached us with their concerns or asked how we would mitigate nuisance complaints.
They are intentionally attempting to deny my family our right to farm, knowing that this is contrary to what the law says, and the voters’ wishes.
We have been open from the outset to having city staff come and collect samples, and we have offered to meet and give tours to those who have doubts, but instead, we have been vilified and treated like criminals.
We are not opposed to having a health consultant inspect our farm as we are responsible ranchers; our animals enjoy a much higher standard of living than your traditional factory livestock.
We use novel methods to raise the next generation of pork on our small homestead, and we are proud of our operation.
Yet, some may say: “Well, not because you can, it means you should.”
I am an American and a proud Texan - I do not need permission to exercise my rights responsibly.
I vote for who I want, I defend myself when attacked, and I live where I want to live.
I’m Benjamin Flores, and I’m a pig rancher.
Letter to the editor submitted by Ben Flores
