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Activists in Arizona just want humane treatment of farm animals – or so they say.

A group called Arizonans for Humane Farms is gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that would ban the use of veal and sow crates. Out-of-state animal rights groups Farm Sanctuary and the Humane Society of the United States are supporting the measure.

Farm Sanctuary was successful in backing a similar initiative in Florida in 2002 that drove a few small farms out of business. The group said afterwards that the "victory will lead to similar reforms around the nation."

Arizona has about 180 hog farms, and the initiative would mainly impact one large producer. There are no major veal producers in the state.

Tom Miller, executive director of the Arizona Pork Council, said his state was targeted because, as in Florida, activists expected little resistance. He said the campaign is not about better treatment of farm animals.

"Their underlying motive is to stop meat production, period," he said.

Miller said Ohio farmers should take notice because this campaign won't stop with Arizona.

"Once they get a handful of states into their arsenal, what we've been told is that their next step is to jump to the Midwest," Miller said. "By the time they do that, it's going to be a really tough battle."

In a poll conducted earlier this year by Northern Arizona University, the initiative was strongly supported by 57 percent of registered voters and somewhat supported by 21 percent. The activists have said they will far surpass the number of signatures needed by July 6 to put the issue on the ballot.

But Arizona farmers are giving more of a fight than may have been expected.

A broad coalition of farm organizations, including the Arizona Farm Bureau, has formed to fight the initiative.

"The livestock industry has learned that it can't ... let animal rights activists continue with their strategy – to pick off animal agriculture in areas where there is potentially the least amount of resistance," said David White, executive director of the Ohio Livestock Coalition, to which OFBF belongs.

White said ballot initiatives, which are allowed in Ohio, are a preferred avenue for activists because they can tempt the public to buy into their messages based on misinformation and fear.

"This means that animal agriculture will need to continue efforts to further educate and create awareness and understanding of modern production methods with the public," he said.

Miller said animal rights groups have "a fairly easy sell" because they base their campaign on emotion. "It sounds good to the uneducated public," he said.

The Campaign for Arizona Farmers and Ranchers is raising money to compete with the well-funded animal rights groups. Miller said it's difficult to gauge at this point how the public will vote; however, Arizona farmers will continue to fight the activists' message.

"This ain't no Florida," Miller said. "They have a tussle on their hands."

To contribute to the Campign for Arizona Farmers and Ranchers visit www.azfarmersranchers.com or call 602-625-2860.

Caption: Arizona activists say their ballot initiative will not put farmers out of business. However, their campaign is funded by two of the nation’s largest animal-rights groups. (Photo from CD)