The government has always targeted people who value independence. Gun owners, homeschoolers, midwives, certain religions and similar groups represent people who reject the notion that the government should dictate every decision of our lives. In the past few years, a new target of their hatred of independence has emerged…..the organic dairy farmer. The term “milk raid” is now part of the American lexicon. Both farmers and consumers of unpasteurized milk (the milk EVERYONE drank until a few decades ago) now must live in constant fear of harassment, searches, seizure of property and arrest.
While it is impossible to know how many people fall victim to these raids each year, here is a list of some publicized dairy raids:
Spring 2004 – Organic Pastures Dairy Company – FDA raid seized customer records
March 2006 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Ohio Dept of Agriculture raids a parking lot where participants in a cow share program were raided, leading one member to be hospitalized for post-traumatic stress disorder
October 2006 – Michigan – 453 gallons of milk, $7000 worth of kefir and butter, personal cell phone and wallet of Richard Hebron was seized on Interstate 94 by Michigan Dept of Agriculture agents
August 2007 – Pennsylvania – Mennonite dairy farm raided seizing $25,000 worth of dairy products and equipment
2007 – California – customers of Organic Pastures Dairy recruited by FDA to wear wire taps to catch Mark McAfee selling unpasteurized dairy pet food
April 2008 – Pennsylvania – Second raid of Mennonite dairy farmer Mark Nolt
December 2008 – New York – Meadowsweet Dairy raided
December 2008 – Ohio – Stowers family farm raided by SWAT team, wife and small children held at gunpoint for several hours, the father was serving in Iraq at the time
April 2009 – Missouri – Sting operation by Greene County Health Department against Bechard family for selling raw milk
October 2009 – Georgia – 110 gallons of milk seized by Georgia Department of Agriculture while being delivered to customers
March 2010 – Wisconsin – Max Kane ordered by Justice Department to surrender customer and financial records concerning cow share program
April 2010 – Pennsylvania – FDA raid at 5 a.m. of dairy farm for having “too many cows” to provide milk for his own family
May 2010 – Minnesota – Minnesota Department of Agriculture raids Hartmann family of Gibbon for selling raw milk
May-June 2010 – Wisconsin – Vernon Hershberger’s dairy farm raided 3 times by agents of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, confiscating his computer and business records
June 2010 – California - Heavily armed raid of a private organic food buying club (caught on surveillance tape and available on YouTube)
June 2010 – Minnesota – Rae Lynn Sandvig’s home was raided by 7 Minnesota Department of Agriculture agents on suspicion of “distributing milk” - her neighbors were threatened by agents
June 2010 – California – Sharon Palmer raided for the third time
August 2010 – Missouri – Morningland Dairy of Mountain View raided resulting in the loss of 68,957 pounds of cheese
March 2011 – Minnesota – Alvin Schlanger arrested by St. Paul police and vehicle seized for dropping off dairy to customers
April 2011 –Pennsylvania - After a year-long sting operation, an Amish farm is raided for selling raw milk
Notice that these dairy raids are becoming more frequent and increasingly involve the use of SWAT teams. It is only a matter of time until someone is killed in these needless raids. The FDA reminds me of the ATF under Clinton, who raided and killed gun owners to promote a political agenda. Organic dairy is the latest enemy of the bureaucrats. A soon to be released documentary deals with this issue: http://farmageddonmovie.com/
The government controls virtually every aspect of our lives. They are now attempting to control what we choose to eat, even grow on our own property. The government even controls our churches who have agreed not to mention political issues from the pulpit in exchange for a tax free status. Jesus and the Apostles were imprisoned and/or killed for refusing to be silenced. Where is such courage today by our churches?
The government controls how we raise and educate our children, our religious sermons, the weapons we own, our health care choices, how much income we are allowed to keep, what we possess during public travel and now what food we are allowed to consume. If something doesn’t change dramatically and quickly, any hope for freedom for our children and grand-children will be lost forever.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks for this post! As a home schooler and a raw milk-drinker, I'm totally with you!
ReplyDelete