Hal Martin, a Michigan assistant attorney general, in court last year during a hearing involving pig farmer Mark Baker.
Michigan pig farmer Mark Baker got some strange holiday greetings from his state’s Department of Natural Resources late last week: a search warrant, served by regulators accompanied by state police. The warrant apparently had to do with a packaging issue discovered with one customer using Baker’s pork–a pretty severe action for one possible packaging problem.
Baker describes the warrant, and the response of his neighbors and friends in coming to his aid, in a video recorded last Friday. He says in the video that he was trying to “defuse” the situation by asking people not to congregate at his farm. He also said he had had his eight children taken from the farm because “there were too many people with guns around.”
This latest escapade by Michigan authorities is merely their latest effort to make life in Michigan a hell on earth for farmer and U.S. Air Force vet Baker. The state has been after him for the last four years for having the gall to want to raise pigs it considers feral, and illegal. When Baker in 2013 got a judge to uphold Baker’s right to raise his pigs his way, the state wasn’t pleased.
In fact, in a direct courtroom confrontation with pig farmer Mark Baker, recorded on video, assistant attorney general Hal Martin told Baker, “You don’t get it, do you?”
As I pointed out in a 2014 blog post, what Martin meant was this: You don’t get it that we have absolute power over you.
Michigan has merely been keeping its word. According to one supporter, “The state veterinarian put enough pressure on just about every butcher within a hundred mile radius of Mark and Jill’s and no one would process these pigs….The Dept. of Ag/USDA put enough pressure on all of the restaurants that bought from Bakers that none of them would continue to buy their meat.” These regulators are good at imitating the Mafia, and carrying out threats.
A month ago, the Bakers put out word on Facebook that they would appreciate receiving orders from people outside Michigan, and very quickly, orders poured in. The state enforcers likely didn’t take well to the possibility that Baker could continue to sell meat to the many people who appreciate what he does.
It’s also worth noting that Mark Baker’s state ranks dead last among the nation’s 50 states in “public integrity.” Michigan certainly hasn’t been a model of state economic development in recent decades. It seems to be much better at getting rid of employers who aren’t part of the corporate network than welcoming them.
That survey suggests that some states aren’t as bad as Michigan. Indeed, some states have over recent years become more welcoming to small farms, including small raw dairy farms. Or maybe the better way to say it is that they have become less hostile. States like Pennsylvania and New York seem to have come to realize that small farms not only pay taxes, but bring in often significant amounts of revenue, which circulates in local communities and helps create jobs.
Smart farmers are certainly learning not to trust Michigan as a place to set up shop. It works first and foremost to protect its corporate citizens.
This is such an outrage! “You just don’t get it, do you?” = “you are taking business away from my big pork cash cow that lines my pockets.” The Bakers have already put up with so much and one article I read (FTCLDF) said that federal and/or state agents had even been trespassing on their property when they weren’t around, but were spotted by someone and threatened them into silence. They are out-of-control tyrannical thugs. Michigan is such a beautiful state, too and would be a great place to farm if they would just leave people alone and let the free markets work the way they are supposed to work.
Being bullied. ..Sorry SOB’S should go find some real crime…Leave this guy alone
We are farmers too …we support u
A frightening new development in our nation’s descent into a fascist state. I had no idea the extent to which the criminal Michigan government has gone in their attempt to destroy this fine family and their farm. They are shamelessly corrupt; they are evil. Good citizens of Michigan, where are you? Eaters of food in Michigan, where are you?
Full support …as a fellow Mi Farmer
We should all be doing what we can to share the story of this outrage against Mark Baker. He is one of a very few people willing to stand up to the government thugs. Most people capitulate, which only emboldens the tyrants. Thank you, Mark. All hard-working, decent, liberty and constitution-loving people appreciate the sacrifices you are making for all of us.
I really don’t understand how, if the meat is being processed at a USDA facility in front of an inspector, and that actually means anything, that what happens to the meat up until that time is of any concern to the government. I mean, especially in light of the commercial growing conditions with animals up to their haunches in poop, locked up in cages so they can’t move, being fed their own species in their food, and/or being given growth hormones constantly. If none of that results in bad meat, then what other conditions could they possibly complain about? It’s just sad that everybody’s minds are so twisted, that most don’t know what real food is any more, or how it can be, traditionally was, and probably should be raised, and that regulators have nothing better to do with their time. You think maybe the problem is that there are too many of them for the ACTUAL work that they have to do, and maybe some of them need to be laid off to go get another job – maybe working on a farm?
I am interested in buying property for farming and building a small community, but, worry about just this kind of thing. I appreciate learning the states that do support small farms. Additionally, I have been calling and so far just given my number out for call backs. The Attorney General’s office, insisting they are not the one’s to talk to, has referred me to the Agriculture office, who also seemed to not know the case. I hope a lot of you are mad enough to make many calls and let them know how you feel about the way farmers are being harassed and livelihoods harmed, not to mention their pursuit of happiness taken away. If nobody calls they think nobody is watching.
HOW is this government not more tyrannical than that which the colonists rebelled against?
We need to just stop playing their game. It is INCREDIBLY and disgustingly complicated, but the way they get us is by convincing us that their fictitious legal persona – named after the “person” on your birth certificate (person means false person – masked – and refers to a LEGAL ENTITY and not your flesh and blood human body – over which the government has NO legitimate authority) and tricks you into believing that you have the need to meet the “legal obligations” that they have assigned your legal fiction – your “strawman” account.
Simply using an honorifiic – MR, or MRS etc – in their legalism, means that you consent to be bound by an unspoken contract, and makes your LEGAL PERSON (not your flesh and blood) liable for that contract.
In reality ALL those contracts are null and void since any contract can only be binding if BOTH parties have complete disclosure and understanding. Since they sneak all this legal sleight of hand upon us, our “contracts” are not legally binding – but since you don’t know this – you feel bound. Just telling an officer “yes” as to whether you were driving this car – in legalese means “yes” you are the legal person and responsible, and “driving a car” means you are subject to the laws of the land because you just confessed to being a commercial driver and subject to all those rules and regulations. As a human being who is traveling in their personal means of conveyance – the Supreme Court and multiple states have ruled you don’t need a license plate, insurance, driver’s license or anything like that. Your only prohibitions are to not endanger others directly, or to trespass and cause bodily or property harm.
We must cut loose from this govt. Maryland took a list of unvaccinated people into their courthouse, held them there with armed cops and police attack dogs, and forcefully vaccinated everyone there including those who refused vaccination.
HOW is this current govt not more tyrannical than the govt the colonists overthrew?
Evidently, I can cross Maryland off my list of places to move to.
Michigan
I just got done watching Mark’s latest video, and I shake my head over this insanity. All I can say is, I thank God, I got the hell out of Dodge (Michigan) over twenty years ago, and moved back to my native state. I know some love it, but I absolutely hated that state, even though it is where my dairy roots began.
My dairy inspector told me about inspectors from other states leaving to go to Michigan, because the pay is better. Things that make you go hmmmmmm…
Ok….please some one explain this one simple thing to me. Where does it say in the Michigan state meat law that a particular type of pig is illegal to eat or butcher??
Who cares if a pig is feral or not? On what basis is this a violation of anything? Sanitation and food safety has nothing to do with breed of animal! I can take cows of any breed to slaughter and no one cares in CA.
What is their bitch? ….just do not get it.
Mark, here’s some explanation on a Michigan web site. It’s basically a regulator order.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_55230—,00.html
Go to their site and do a RAP report on Government Officials wanting to Poach on Mark Bakers land. They might get the message that they are not getting good world wide coverage for Michigan.
Yes but Mark, all of this nonsense, including the Shropshire sheep case in Ontario, is in fact being done…in the name of “food safety”!!! In other words, under the so-called umbrella of protecting the public and agricultural interests against the spread of certain microbes which they in their distorted, narrow minded view, deem to be harmful.
As Montana Jones states, and would include Michael Schmidt and the others charged along with her, “Apparently I am farmed and dangerous”.
“But” as she goes on to state, “I am not a criminal. I’m a shepherd, farmer and writer who has been preserving rare Shropshire sheep for the last 12 years, and farming various other heritage breeds and vegetables for the last 30. Then the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) killed my beautiful ewes and their unborn lambs to find out if they were healthy. They were. They were also rare and pregnant. Now they are dead.”
It makes no difference if it’s feral pigs or a rare breed of sheep. If they are deemed by tptb to be a hazard then heaven help those who attempt to utilize or preserve them.
They weren’t even feral pigs. They are a heritage breed that is better acclimated to the climate than a lot of pigs that are used in the commercial market. They tend to be less likely. People seeing that pigs that don’t need vaccines and antibiotics when raised a certain way or raising certain breeds cause a problem for larger organizations
Yes sirreee, our politicos and their agency servants do not like anything heirloom, neither breeds nor seeds. Heirlooms are around because they are survivors – and anything which can survive without help from some agency of the gubmint, or the corporate bigchemdoods, will cut into an eventual profit. This involves all countries, but I think the USA and Canada are the two biggest watchers in the woods.
Can someone tell me how I can purchase some of Mark Baker’s pork?
Go to the Baker farm’s web site:
http://www.bakersgreenacres.com
Come to Maine….we love farmers
Michigan is a CAFO state. it is disgusting to drive through lower central because you can smell CAFOs from the highway. They line the back roads, and narrow barns with silver vents are all you can see. In the upper peninsula, small family farms are attacked by small business owners and snooty neighbors lobbying to change zoning laws in individual townships. It’s a racket. It’s all a racket.
This is just awful. I don’t know what is happening to my beautiful, beloved home state of Michigan. Michiganders, please contact Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette at 517-313-1110 to protest this latest oppressive move by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
The governor of Michigan has made a lot of changes to the existing laws, changed farming laws, doesn’t protect the Lake Michigan lakefront allowing new owners to cut down all the trees in front of the lake. We’re losing miles of deep beachfront to erosion as a result. It’s all so tragic. I went to a hearing in the township and tried to discuss the ecological impact of destroying the trees on the unique natural beauty of the lakefront that the glaciers created, and was interrupted by the chairman who said he didn’t want to hear about it. I felt so helpless. Michigan government and employees are so bad.
Schuette is part of the problem and has his hands in the pie. Perhaps the Commisioner of Agriculture and the like might net better results. Recalling Snyder is an excellent starting point !
Its interesting that no one seems to be paying attention to the big corporations behind the scenes that are controlling these government agencies/employees. Everyone is focused on the government – but they are the tools to the real danger here which are the big corporations and big money. Staying consistent with the Mafia theme, the government and their employees are the enforcers in this case (remember Luca Brasi) and the big corporations are the real Godfather. Either way, sick situation.
You nailed it right there. It’s always all about the money. Follow the big corporations, as they are using these bought and paid for government thugs as their own personal junk yard dogs.
READ BETWEEN THE LINES…. Who do you think might want a PIG FARMER…. OUT OF BUSNIESS…..USING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO DO IT……. one guess…. lives in a real big white house in Wash, DC.
The MI Department of Natural Resources is truly made up of a lot of low-life belly crawlers.
Stop talking about sharing this story like it will do something on its’ on you bunch of naives. GO OUTSIDE, get a petitions going, get people out of office. Do something aside from rage on your ass from a PC. Get your boots on and go talk to people, get officials you don’t like out of office with a large MAJORITY of people. This IS still America no matter what the theorists and whatever kind of morons inhabit this place. GET THE BOOTS ON! GET TO MARCHING! GET TO TALKING! GET SIGNATURES! BE THE CHANGE YOU WANNA SEE! This country was founded by leaders sick of bullshit! BE THAT GUY! Now piss off.
If our MI Attorney General Bill Shuette thinks he will get any of my support if he attempts to runs for governor with the likes of his Assistant Attorney General Hal Martin persecuting Mark Baker .. well then Bill Shuette needs to think again!
how horrible. Free country my foot. Did this man get his children back –What an outrage! Like that action didn’t traumatize them for life.
Remember to vote out all of the bastards who back that crap. Make them fear the voter and the ass whipping due them after they are out of office.
Yes, it’s difficult living in Michigan. The county decided to strip me of my residency status. Was a mistake on a form which I corrected before the deadline that they gave me, but they denied it, and back dated my residency to 2011 as a non resident, added fines and penalties adding up to 23,000. I tried reaching out to my state representatives but they wouldn’t touch it. They told me that lots of residents in Michigan got this. Then I got a forfeiture notice, saying my house would be sold for taxes. I’m really bummed out about how Michigan can do whatever they want and make it hard for people living there. I’m looking to leave Michigan now, a state I once loved so much. I feel for the Bakers. Hard to fight this mafia.
Another reason we need to recall Snyder ! There is zero democracy in our beloved state !
Sorry Mark,,,, This mafia style government needs to be overthrown!!! (Read the declaration of independence ) the founding fathers knew this day was coming,,,the enemy from within! I will stand with YOU and your Rights !
Government here sucks. ..very corrupt
All about the control and of course money
Wow ..we have a small Beef farm…seems as tho they want us to go away
Wth ? We all do our part and to somehow make a living on the side
Sorry guys….what this means is that the good people of Michigan are pigs. They are the ones that tolerate this mafia mess. The White House has nothing todo with this. This is clearly a states issue and the voters are to blame. Voters get what they vote for!!! And what they tolerate!!
PLEASE everyone, Be sure to thank a veteran for going to war to fight for our FREEDOM………Mr. Baker IS a veteran and doesn’t even have those rights HE joined the Air Force to protect !!!!!!!!
Exactly how did they fight for OUR freedom?
Going into the military (without the draft) is taking a job like any other.
If I can find someone to go in on one with me I’ll buy one.F@$! The state.
Michigonians,
look up Ted Visner problems in Michigan
Yea I love MI but the poltics are way off. The republican, but not all , are just democratics that put a r, a small r in front of their name. But it seams as if it is getting better.
When I worked in a meat packing plant back in the early 90’s Don Tyson was really pushing Bill Clinton into working with Congress, in the name of reaching over the isle, to pass regulations that would put the small butchers out of business.
I’ll be sharing this on EVERY farming, legal, veteran, Michigan, chamber, local, news, and my own personal pages as I can find!!!!
Please visit http://www.MobsterMichigan.com Read the abuses!
Where is our Senator Debbie stabenow in all this? I see she has stayed out of it all these years… Grrrr.. Where are all the agriculture-based Michigan legislators? – hiding behind the pork , I guess?..
About two years ago, or so, Sharia Law was enacted in Dearborn, Michigan. The city council of Dearborn, Michigan voted 4-3 to became the first US city to officially implement all aspects of Sharia Law. Do the research and you will find that the Muslim religion of ‘peace’ is gaining a huge footprint in Michigan. Is it just coincidental that the Michigan war on pork has been going on at the same time Sharia Law is taking over Michigan cities? Maybe the Michigan DNR and the Michigan people just want to be politically correct and not offend the huge growing Muslim communities (cities) in Michigan. Violate Sharia Law and there is a good chance you will get stoned in Dearborn. Yes, with real rocks, not the happy green meds.
I just learned that Mark Baker, in order to protect his family, has decided to sell his farm. I am greatly saddened by this decision, even as I understand it. After rebuilding his herd, which had been decimated by the legal action the state took against him, he is now unable to sell sufficient pork due to the legal cloud that hangs over his head due to the continued harassment of the state. Incredible story. Mark Baker is a courageous and principled individual. I, for one, have deeply appreciated his willingness to stand against the state, and I wish him and his family well.
Mark made a video explaining his decision to sell the farm. He says he will sell “for the peace and safety of my family.” In addition, “there are entities behind the scenes trying to destroy our markets…They are spending far more money than we would ever make.”
He says the authorities termed the visit by inspectors and state police a couple weeks back, which I wrote about, as a “routine inspection.” If that’s routine, he indicated, then he’s in for a rough time.
He’s hoping to sell the 80-acre farm as soon as possible. In the meantime, “If you need some pigs, message me.” (bakersgreenacres@yahoo.com)
The video is here: https://www.facebook.com/mark.baker.900?fref=ts
Was very upset about two huge corporate pork farm shifts. First that the sale of the largest pork producer in the USA, Smithfields was approved. Who purchased them? China. So China can use the USA to produce their pork on factory farms that introduce antibiotic resistant bacteria into our environment and waterways, create excrement pools that contain millions of gallons, have no safety precautions in place, and can end up in the rivers that can then contaminate vegetables with E. Coli that can kill. Support farms that are breeding grounds for viruses that require the killing of millions of animals. Why do that in China when they can use us and feed the people in their country. Next was the sale of Applegate organic/natural meats to Hormel one of the worst of the worst. Glad owner who had taken ill had a big payday, but slap in the face to those that made the company what is was and allowed him to make all the money. Big corporations don’t pay taxes, small ones do, and create jobs too.
Don’t know if anyone else has seen this yet or not, but I almost cried while I was reading. What a great idea for both sides.
http://healthimpactnews.com/2016/bakers-green-acres-farm-to-stay-open-as-place-for-veterans-to-rebuild-their-lives-after-war/
I would imagine the State is already looking for ways to shut him down . . .
I had seen some discussion of this on Facebook, and reading this article, it seems as if it is still in the discussion phase. Would be great if Mark Baker could pull this off. He’s been talking about a number of options, so hopefully he’ll make a decision that works for him and his family pretty soon.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Mark as this whole scandal about lead in Flint, MI’s water has come down. It turns out that the Department of Natural Resources, which pursued Mark over his wild boars, grew out of the same agency (Department of Environmental Quality) that has poisoned kids in Flint. They were one and the same agency until 2011, when Gov. Rick Snyder split the agency into two agencies. But the mindset clearly didn’t change–arrogance and condescension and corruption remained in each agency.
@ David: Snyder has offered an apology as if it’s some sort of big deal. It won’t help the people involved and it sure won’t help the reputation of the State, but I don’t suppose that was his intent since I think he’s more worried about pocketbook interests. I’ve read enough about it to know that he (Snyder) knew what was happening for some time, and he wasn’t alone. The New American recently had a superb article about this nightmare.
Sadly, corruption seems to be the name of the game from the WH all the way down to the lowest branches of City gubmint, all over the USA. How did we let this happen?
Here’s some more about how Michigan regulators belittled Flint residents who complained. A bunch of kooks and weirdos. Sound familiar?
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/us/flint-michigan-lead-water-crisis.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Also, some data about fact that policymakers ignore what “the people” want. Pretty much like the Illinois raw milk situation–hearings and comment periods ad nauseum, and then the regulators did what they intended to do in the first place.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/opinion/america-the-unfair.html?ref=opinion