Protect the Harvest
Protect the Harvest is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by oil executive Forrest Lucas which opposes "the radical animal rights movement” and particularly the Humane Society of the United States, which it calls "a wealthy and successful attack group".[1] The advocacy organization has an allied political action committee, the Protect the Harvest PAC, which funds campaigns to assist or defeat candidates for political office.[1]
Mission and members
Protect the Harvest's stated goals include educating the public about animal agriculture, and preventing the passing of legislative or market-initiated bans on particular production practices.[2] The organization's founder and president is millionaire Lucas Oil owner Forrest Lucas,[3] who has invested over $600,000 in the organization.[4] Its executive director, Brian Klippenstein, is also the treasurer of the associated PAC.[1] Other members of the organization include Iowa State Representative Erik Helland and Missouri State Senator Mike Parsons.[2]
Protect the Harvest is a supporter of "right-to-farm laws" as proposed or supported by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).[1] Lucas put money into the losing campaign to defeat Proposition B (designed to prevent cruelty to dogs in puppy mills)[5] in Missouri in 2010.[6] He also invested in the winning campaign to pass Measure 1 in Missouri (an amendment to state Constitution to protect "the right of Missouri citizens to engage in agricultural production and ranching practices")[7] in 2014.[6]
Protect the Harvest is considered a corporate front group by the nonprofit Center for Food Safety.[8] HSUS vice president Joe Maxwell called Protect the Harvest "a front group in bed with industrialized agriculture”, and rejected its allegations about the HSUS's aims.[1]
Finances
Between October 2011 and December 2012, Protect the Harvest raised approximately $927,000. In 2012, according to FEC records, Lucas Oil contributed $200,000 to Protect the Harvest to fund advertisements against Christie Vilsack, who challenged and lost to incumbent Iowa congressman Steve King. Protect the Harvest also received funds from American Action Network, a group led by former senator Norm Coleman, and a group called Missouri Farmers Care.[1]
The Dog Lover
Protect the Harvest collaborated with ESX Entertainment to produce the 2016 movie The Dog Lover.[9] The film depicts an idealistic college student sent undercover by an animal welfare organization to investigate a puppy mill, and eventually becoming disillusioned with the welfare organization, which is presented as unethical.[10] The film presents itself as "based on a true story", although there are major differences between its portrayal and the South Dakota court case which inspired it.[11]
The film received an overall rating of "rotten" from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with six out of eight negative reviews.[12] Michael Rechtshaffen, writing for the Los Angeles Times, called the film's execution "spottier than a kennel full of caged Dalmatians,"[13] and Glenn Kenny of Rogerebert.com labeled it "shamelessly manipulative", while Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that "it’s a prosaic piece of muckraking, but it grazes a nerve."[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Beckel, Michael (29 May 2014). "'Radical Animal Rights Movement' Gets New Foe". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ a b Maday, John (17 April 2012). "Protect the Harvest". Cattle Network. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ "Who We Are: Leadership". Protect The Harvest. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ P.J. Huffstutter and Lisa Baertlein (16 April 2012). ""Pink Slime" controversy stokes clash over agriculture". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ Statutory Amendment to Chapter 273, Relating to Dog Breeders. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
- ^ a b Steve Fairchild. "A promise to protect". Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ Amendment to the right of Missouri citizens to engage in agricultural production and ranching practices shall not be infringed. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
- ^ "Best Public Relations that Money can Buy: A Guide to Food Industry Front Groups" (PDF). Center for Food Safety. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ ""The Dog Lover" Nationwide Release". Protect The Harvest. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ a b Gleiberman, Owen (7 July 2016). "Film Review: 'The Dog Lover'". Variety. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ Hult, John (12 July 2016). "Sorting truth from fiction in 'The Dog Lover'". Argus Leader. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "The Dog Lover". Rotten Tomatoes. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ Rechtshaffen, Michael (5 July 2016). "Heavy-handed 'Dog Lover' takes aim at activists". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 August 2016.