WI Ag Dept Helping WHO? (rant!)

Okay, I don't get too political here (tho I'd bet most of you know my views)... But REALLY?!

The WI Dept of Ag is going after a Mennonite farmer/butcher.

A past student of mine is head of NICFA ~

National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association.

You can learn more here.

All photos my own and NOT related to this incident.

I often get their updates on govt officials going after small farmers/business owners.

Usually it's raw milk or butchering.

Small local communities...

Consumers who just want the right to know and choose where their milk or food comes from.

If there's a problem the volume is small and they know exactly where it originated.

Small scale farmers work extra hard to build trust in that small business.

THEY KNOW THEY ARE PERSONALLY ACCOUNTABLE.

That's become a pretty rare business model.

How often have you had a problem and felt that it's maybe passed along in a HUGE corporation and rarely is anything done to change the problem?

Did you feel that your govt was really there to help you?

I also just read about the latest peanut butter factory fighting salmonella.

Numerous inspections and violations on file, yet thousands of tainted products were distributed all across the USA. Trader Jo's and others were affected.

I'd rather be able to make my own food choices on a local level.

Too bad the govt doesn't trust me to do that...

If you are up that way and want to DO SOMETHING please see below.

From NICFA

ACTION TO TAKE: Arlin has a court date for next Monday where DATCP will request a permanent injunction against him to not participate in any butchering. Arlin has been a professional butcher for 40 years. Please attend and show your support.
WHEN: Monday, December 3, 1:15 p.m.
WHERE: Clark County Courthouse, 517 Court St., Room 301, Neillsville, Wisconsin.

Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything. 
~ Peter Marshall, US Senate Chaplain 1947 
http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~willu/Quotes.html

Mad Moms March for Milk

What follows is an email alert I received.

Mothers to Break Raw Milk Transport Law

On November 1st 2011, a group of mothers will break the law against interstate transport of raw milk, then distribute the raw milk in front of the FDA headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. The FDA has already stated they will have federal enforcement agents present.

Contact: Liz Reitzig, Co-founder Farm Food Freedom Coalition LizReitzig@gmail.com 301.807.5063 http://www.FarmFoodFreedom.org/events.htm

"Don't Make Us Criminals Over Milk!" Demand Moms

Washington, DC-A group of mothers from across the country who feed their children raw milk will hold a demonstration on November 1 outside the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in Silver Spring, MD to protest the FDA's crackdown on raw milk production and distribution, arguing that the government's campaign not only criminalizes raw milk, but criminalizes American citizens who buy and consume it.

Recently the FDA has conducted undercover sting operations and raids against farmers and buying clubs. "Not only are the FDA's actions a shameful use of force, they are also a serious threat to my freedom and my family's food supply" says Karine Bouis-Towe, Co-Founder of the Farm Food Freedom Coalition and Grassfed on the Hill, a DC area local food buying club. "Moms everywhere are disgusted by the FDA making us criminals for feeding our families nutritious food just because that food happens to come from a farm in a different state!"

Leaders in the local foods and foods rights movements will join mothers from across the country for their demonstration. Prior to their peaceful demonstration, a caravan of mothers will cross state lines with raw milk and invite the FDA to witness what the agency wrongly considers to be a criminal act. Media are invited to ride along as embedded reporters to report on how the FDA responds to what it wrongly terms a violation of the law.

Under FDA regulations [21 CFR § 1240.61] implemented in 1987, it is illegal for anyone to transport raw milk intended for human consumption across state lines. That includes individuals purchasing it legally in one state and crossing into another state where they live.

Information about farm raids at www.FarmFoodFreedom.org

Yours for food freedom,

Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association

Our purpose is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.

NICFA opposes any government funded or managed national animal identification system.

Here's just one wonderful blog from a great dairy farm that sells raw milk.

 http://familycowfarmstand.wordpress.com/

If you're local, check out their website and explore raw milk yourself! 

Here's an explanation from their site~

People have been drinking raw milk for thousands of years. If harvested with care from clean, healthy cows, it is not only safe, it’s a whole, nourishing, living food. Around the beginning of the 20th century, dairy farms associated with alcohol distilleries started to appear near major cities. These were large, dirty factories where cows were confined to filthy conditions and fed only swill, the hot acidic byproducts of distilled grain. Workers, often sick themselves, sometimes inoculated the milk with human diseases. This “swill milk” was implicated in human illness and death. Instead of cleaning up or regulating the safe production of milk, widespread pasteurization kept low cost, low quality milk on the market. Raw milk has been stigmatized ever since. No food product is totally safe from contamination and the laws of the land reflect fear and bias against raw milk. 

In Vermont perceptions are changing! Rural Vermont, a family farm advocacy organization, led the effort to reform the state’s raw milk laws. Farmers are now allowed to sell more raw milk (up to 40 gallons/day) and deliver. We are inspected by the Agency of Agriculture, but we don’t mind because we are proud of our clean process and healthy animals. Read the presentation below for even more information.

There are many others to be found on google too!

Have you seen this? Idiots.

What ever happened to...

Rant

rant

rant

Okay, insert bad words above.

I'm so beyond disgusted with a govt that will hand out food stamps yet not allow one to grow (or share) their own healthy food!

I'm so glad I don't live in a "community."

But still I've been ranting at all our local billboards.

They say some ridiculous number of children are hungry.

"Malnourished."

Here in one of Maryland's most productive farming counties.

But I can't share my raw goats milk, eggs, produce etc. without fear of litigation.

We're a messed up country.

Regulating the heck out of individuals and small businesses here so they can't compete with other countries whose imports we don't regulate nearly as closely...

It may be old news now but it could be your community next.

Speak up people!

Visit her blog OakPark Hates Veggies

Milk it!

 (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

Yesterday there was a rally on Capital Hill that I really wanted to attend but couldn't... It was in support of the right to drink (and sell) raw milk. The cow pictured above is named "Morgan" and lives not too far from me! Liz Reitzig, one of my old friends (and riding student when she was a child) helped organize the event. She is the Secretary of the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association. 

My family became interested in local food rights after watching Food Inc. and Fresh, the Movie as part of a series hosted by our farmers market friends. We were really inspired us to get involved and talk to our elected representatives. The food safety bill (read comments below the article) which seemed so harmless on the surface, troubled us greatly once we investigated further. Last year The Farmer, Sarah, Jack and I all went to DC and lobbied against the bill as it's written. It was a tremendous learning experience for us all and great fun! We even met my hero Joel Salatin. If you and your family are eager to learn more about local foods, I hope you'll explore and get involved too!

Read an article about the event here-  http://www.nationaljournal.com/milking-a-hill-rally-for-all-it-s-worth-20110516

I'm linking here