Latino artist Praxis alters the former Farmer John’s mural in Vernon, CA

Next month will mark the first anniversary of the definite closure of the Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon, California. Although the roughly 29-acre site, made up of six buildings for processing, manufacturing and warehousing meat, closed in February 2023, animal rights activists do not forget the horrific treatment of pigs that took place since 1931, when the plant began operating.  

Last Monday, Praxis, an artist and animal rights activist, modified the former slaughterhouse mural, which originally depicted happy pigs frolicking and roaming free outside a farm, by painting blood, flames and other images over the original mural, “showing the horrific treatment that really goes on inside these houses of horror,'' according to the artist.

In June 2022, owners of Farmer John, announced the closing of the slaughterhouse, citing the rising costs of doing business in California. “Smithfield Foods, Inc. today announced that it will cease all harvest and processing operations in Vernon, California, in early 2023 and, at the same time, align its hog production system by reducing its sow herd in its Western region," stated the press release.

It is estimated that the former slaughterhouse killed thousands of pigs every day. “The mural surrounding Farmer John's was a symbol of death and deceit. It told the wrong story,” Praxis told CALÓ NEWS. “We wanted to tell the true story of what happened and happens in places like this every day all over the world, where billions of animals are killed for profit.” 

On December 28, the Farmer John’s building caught fire, and although there were no injuries or victims reported, the investigation to determine the cause remains open. “After the slaughterhouse burned in the past few weeks, I thought, 'Ok, it's time to close this cycle and this symbol has to burn down as well,' metaphorically speaking, and art has the power to do it,“ Praxis said. 

In the early hours of the night, at around 3:27 a.m., Praxis and a colleague arrived outside of the Farmer John’s facility with two ladders, pre-cut stencils and spray cans. In a matter of minutes, the mural was tweaked. “The process is simple; we measure, we plan it, cut simple shape stencils and organize everything before going to the mural. Once we were there, we just execute it,” Praxis said. 

Praxis is a Latino stencil artist who was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia and now resides in New York City. “I began creating art about animal liberation about 10 years ago. Before that, I focused on social justice and human rights,” he said. “I noticed that there wasn't a single street artist painting and speaking up for the animals, so I decided to dedicate my art project and life to promoting animal liberation and to encourage others to take action for the animals to create change.”

His influential animal rights art often depicts messages both in English and Spanish, such as “End Fur Trade,” “Wool is cruel,” “Animal Liberation,” “¡Liberacion Anima, Ya!” and “Go vegan,” among others.

In 2023, he collaborated with the animal rights organization, PETA, to create a mural outside the organization's Sunset Boulevard location. The murals focused on messaging about the cruelty of the leather and wool industries. As he continues to share his art in the U.S. and internationally, the message he wants to convey is “animal liberation.” 

For years, activists and animal rights protectors have been protesting against the conditions that slaughterhouses like the Farmer John’s Vernon location have put pigs and other animals through. 

Days before the location's official closure, reporter Raven Deerbrook snuck into the facility. “For years, animal rights activists in the U.S., including myself, have been unable to document exactly how pigs are rendered unconscious, and in many cases, die, in carbon dioxide gas chambers like the one used by Farmer John's,“ she wrote in a 2023 article. 

Although Smithfield’s website states their commitment to caring for the animals and states they use “humane methods” to minimize pain and distress to the pig during administration, Deerbrook found a different reality. “The message the pigs conveyed in the gas chamber footage is clear: They are in extreme pain, and they want to live. You don’t need the Agriculture Department to tell you that. You can see and hear it for yourself.”

For Praxis, even though the facility is closed, the urgency to protect animals continues.  

Less than 24 hours after Praxis painted over the original Farmer Johns mural, the wall was painted over, leaving no trace of Praxis's work or the original mural. ‘That shows that even when the slaughterhouse closed down, they are still afraid of people finding out what really happened inside,” Praxis said. “It's nice to see how they finally destroyed this symbol themselves; it is finally gone.”