Take care of your land and animals, and they will take care of you. Farmers and ranchers live by these words, and we take our role as caretakers seriously.

That’s why it pains the whole community to hear of any kind of mistreatment within the farm gate. Yet as a quick scan of the latest headlines reminds us every day, we live in a world where bad things can happen. We must be on our guard to protect all those under our care, and if the unthinkable happens, we must act quickly to make it right.

The abuse at Fair Oaks Farms was heartbreaking — both to farmers inside...