Raids on Farms Increasing

I am sure many of you enjoy free range chickens, unpasturized eggs, raw milk, grass-fed chemical free meats, perhaps some of you are members of private buying clubs.

I was distressed to learn that in recent weeks there have been raids on organic farms and private organic food buying clubs by state, federal and local law enforcement. Computers have been confiscated, farm supplies taken and innocent families even held at gunpoint by armed officials.

And just for comparison, raw milk is safe and legal in France and the rest of the European Union.

David Gumpert wrote an eye-opening article July 14, 2010 on Grist.org and he suggested five tips to protect your business when it happens to you.

So what's behind all this? Is the government getting squeezed from large agri-business to stop the competition from family farms, organic growers?

In case you miss it, the article links to the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. I hope you will support them, because you may need them someday.

 

That's some shit. So much for liberty.

 

oh jeez. america is never going to have the freedom of local economy...america sucks sometimes. I'm just sayin'

 

the milk club or mafia iin our county is more secretive than the drug dealers...the main supplier meets one person at a clandestine location and that person then delivers it to a small group of customers...5 bucks per gallon with a waiting list

 

Uh maybe in some areas. But raw and organic milk is sold quite freely but directly in Alleghany County of New York State.

 

This is pretty disturbing, makes me wonder whats next.

 

And I thought drugs were the governments' favorite black market to create..

 

I wrote this post before the big egg fiasco in Iowa that sickened thousands of people.
Big agribusiness is not good for you, not good for me.

I am building a chicken coop in my back yard, enough for 3 hens to provide eggs for me and my family. I would also trust local organic growers if that works better for you.
Imagine having the basic necessities of our life shipped to us from 1000 miles away by careless factory farms when local farmers and gardeners could provide a healthy alternative!

 

I know, its not even logical that most americans get their food from huge industrial farms thousands of miles away. I wish I could buy chickens and goats but I live within city limits..another stupid law that I won't even get into now. I would like to start hunting because I've watched way too many slaughterhouse videos to feel even remotely okay with store-bought meat. but I know i would never be able to pull the trigger. There is an organic buffalo farm not too far from my house, i need to start getting my meat there.

I think that incidents like what happened with the eggs will hopefully open americans' eyes to the idea of local food sources and economy. Hopefully open them wide enough to see that any kind of government crackdown on local farmers cannot be tolerated.

 

Interesting tid bit on Buffalo meat: Some wildlife area out west, not sure where at all because this is through the Grapevine, they let Buffalo roam free, but at the end of each season they kill off Buffalo that exceed the carrying capacity and sell the meat.

I am an agriculture student and ss far as this whole Organic & Natural vs Conventional thing, I used to be of the organic opinion, but then moved to have no position on either side, especially because I ate industrialized food and the fact it provides much more cheaper food. But I was tripping recently and I thought about it. STOP! There is something majorly wrong with our food system. There is nothing write and justifiable about factory farms. To think, somewhere, that I have not seen except for in Food Inc, there is a mass accumulation of animals in CFAs, is rather an upsetting thought. I don't necessarily have a problem with Pesticides if you're thinking in the IPM mindset and limiting your use and controlling its spread, there is nothing acceptable with the meat side of it. Nothing at all. And now that I have that realization my motivation in my studies and practice have increased. I really want to change the relationship MY life has with the Earth and its beings.

 

Wow this is very disturbing .My husband and I have free range chickens and grass fed beef .We grow a organic garden and can and preserve our fruits and vegetables .We butcher and work up our beef ,hogs and venison .I don't want to rely on anyone else for my food .We are being poisoned .Everyone that can should try to learn how to be self sufficient and eat food that is not poisoned .Grow a garden ,get some stock learn all you can about organic methods .I fear a time is coming where you will have to be responsible for what you and your family eats . If you don't want to starve you need to get on the bandwagon .They don't want us to be self-sufficient .They want us to be dependent on them for all of our needs .That is why they are raiding farms .

 

I was talking with an older gent last night. His family raised roosters on a vacant lot behind their house. They ate one rooster a week for nearly a year before having to start with a new brood of biddies. In a separate pen, they kept a few hens for eggs. Didn't need quite so many of them. This family also had a big Victory garden in that same vacant lot. The lot owner didn't seem to care and this family needed the food.

 

I'm not sure if that's relevant, but that's always nice to hear.

 

I didn't mean to drift off topic. I guess what I had in mind was that in the 1940's my friends did not face restrictions with livestock in their suburban garden like many towns impose today.
Times were very hard in the days of rationing and yet they managed to raise much of their food right there in their own yard.

I don't want to make my neighbors lose sleep with 50 noisy roosters, but perhaps we could have a few hens for eggs without being too much of an imposition.

A few rules for small organic farmers might be okay, but the present system imposes too many restrictions on organic farmers and ranchers.

 

It sure does, I find the whole labeling and regulation thing sort of oxymoronic. The present outlines have loopholes as well. True organic should be motivated by people who truly wish to live sustainably.

 

Yeah I think you might be talking about the
National Bison Range Wildlife refuge here in Montana...

Through the efforts of various organizations and agencies, the American buffalo, or bison, which by 1890 was threatened with extinction, has been preserved and its numbers increased until there are now over 250,000 in North American. Of these about 25,000 are in public herds and most of the rest in private ranches in the United States and Canada. Annual production of buffalo calves in public herds has been large enough to necessitate periodic reduction of herd size to avoid overgrazing. Excess animals are usually sold live and can serve to start or augment other herds.
(Bold added ZW)

I don't think they sell the meat from those animals too often, but private ranches sell buffalo meat, some even organic... you can buy it at the supermarket around here.
Buffalo meat's OK I guess, but I don't think I could eat it as often as beef.

ZW

 

Oh Yeah, I almost forgot...

As a member of my local town council, I will be voting yes to a measure soon to be brought before the council to allow the keeping of chickens as well as other livestock within the city limits, as long as they meet required guidelines. (it doesn't bother your neighbors, predator proof enclosures for feed and grain and so forth...)

Score one point for anarcho-socialists in local government!...:afro:

ZW

 

Hm, yeah I wasn't exactly sure where I heard that. And yes I've had organic buffalo meat and It is really flavorful, and I can see why anyone wouldn't want to it eat very often. But hey I haven't eaten buffalo meat in a year atleast and I love Buffalo as an animal. And that is real nice I want to go out there sometime.

 

I just learned about this today!
To find a raw milk source near you, check out http://www.RealMilk.com. They are a great
resource for raw dairy and some of these farmers also sell free range eggs and veggies in season!

 

The packaging and distribution of the food supply is geared toward feeding high density urban populations. The vast majority of people do not have access to arable land. If we want to promote local food production with such a demographic then we may need to turn to indoor hydroponic technology, or some other way to access the opportunity for urban dwellers to participate in food production.