Food rights activist Aajonus Vonderplanitz died in Thailand yesterday, and the circumstances of his demise reflect the way he lived–on the edge and shrouded in mystery and controversy.
The 66-year-old nutritionist was, in some ways, the father of the food rights movement, having fought, often nearly alone, on various fronts over the last 15 years–in Los Angeles, in Washington DC, and in states around the country for legalization of raw milk sales and the rights of farmers to sell nutrient-dense food privately. It was his farm lease and food club models that were the basis of the arrangements used by Vernon Hershberger in Wisconsin and Alvin Schlangen in Minnesota. Those arrangements and a half dozen others were the common thread linking government legal assaults on farmers over the last half dozen years, described in my book, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Food Rights. Vonderplanitzs agreements, formed under the auspices of a nonprofit organization he put together known as Right to Choose Healthy Food, mostly stood up well to the legal assaults.
But Vonderplanitz seemed to be followed by controversy, never more so than when he went after his old partner in arms, James Stewart, who launched the first Vonderplanitz-conceived private food club: Rawesome Food Club in Venice, CA., back in 2003 and 2004. Vonderplanitz began his assault on his former partner in October 2010, a few months after the initial government raid on Rawesome, accusing Stewart and a farmer who supplied Rawesome, Sharon Palmer, of misrespresenting eggs her farm supplied the food club.
Eventually, Vonderplanitz would go to the Ventura County District Attorney with his allegations, put up a web site to show off supposed evidence he had against Palmer, and also file a civil suit against Stewart and Palmer. He abandoned the civil suit a few months ago, coming to a settlement that provided for him to take down the web site. He insisted after the settlement that he had additional evidence and allegations that he wanted to make public against Palmer.
His seeming obsession with endlessly lashing out at Stewart and Palmer alienated many food rights supporters, and reportedly damaged his nutrition business. He advocated raw foods of all sorts as a means to fight disease and maintain health, and traveled around the U.S. and various parts of the world holding get-togethers where he would teach about his raw food concepts and diet.
He grew up Richard Swigart, and changed his name in his early twenties. He also said he grew up autistic, and credited raw milk and carrot juice, consumed on the advice of a friend, with helping unshackle him from the effects of the condition.
Vonderplanitz died in a rural area of Thailand where he had a home, about three-and-a-half hours from Bangkok. According to close friend Larry Otting, Vonderplanitz was seriously injured a few days ago when he stepped out onto a second-story balcony on the house, and it collapsed or a railing collapsed. Vonderplanitz broke his back, and was taken to a local hospital where he was placed in traction. He was in such intense pain that he accepted pain-killing medication, and shortly after, went into a coma and died.
Otting is planning to travel to Thailand to retrieve Vonderplanitzs body and bring it back to the U.S. Vonderplanitz has a son, whom Otting said was unable to make the trip.
While hes there, Otting says he plans to investigate the balcony. It was strange that it just gave way like that.
Vonderplanitz related frequent tales about mysterious attempts on his life–he figured government or private corporate-hired agents working to derail his food rights activities were behind the efforts. In one episode a few years ago, he said he was tied to his bed in a hotel room in the Philippines while agents injected him with various toxic substances. In another last year, he said an auto he was driving in Thailand was sabotaged, causing it to roll over into a swamp; he and his girlfriend barely escaped from the car before they would have drowned, in his telling.
Ironically, Vonderplanitz was in Thailand in part because of yet another legal controversy. According to Otting, Vonderplanitz was helping Otting pursue a legal action against a Thai woman whom Otting had purchased a machine to make coconut cream. The woman had failed to deliver the machine after Otting and a group of investors had issued her a check for $5,000, he alleges.
Otting told me that Vonderplanitz didnt have a direct interest in acquiring the coconut machine–it was being acquired by a business group Otting was involved with that wanted to produce a coconut cream sorbet. Vonderplanitz was just a good guy. He was trying to get us a machine. The machine uses the milk from coconuts to produce a creamier thicker product than coconut milk.
Not surprisingly, reactions to Vonderplanitzs death among food rights supporters varied widely. James Stewart, who adopted some of Vonderplanitzs dietary recommendations to turn around various health problems he had had, said he had written Vonderplanitz an encouraging note earlier when he was hospitalized. After learning of Vonderplanitzs death, Stewart wondered if his former colleague had pushed the karmic envelope in the controversy over Sharon Palmer. If he does get reincarnated, hell come back and do a better job.
Otting said that Vonderplanitz saved my life. I was headed downhill healthwise back in 1998. Using his diet, instead of losing wight and wasting away, I put on about thirty pounds. Otting allowed that Vonderplanitz went a little crazy about Sharon and James. But he felt he was lied to.
Otting expects there will be a funeral or memorial service of some kind, probably in Los Angeles, once he returns with Vonderplanitzs body.
Amanda
Rest well….and thank you again for standing up for raw milk in CA in 1999-2000 so that now…all people have access to raw milk in CA for the years to come. You may have consulted with coyotes…but you surely did not deserve to die after falling off a railing in Thailand. Life is delicate and precious…
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
I found Aajonus to be one who had to fight hard to simply live and completely willing to share what he learned that hard way with others. Not stingy but openly helpful. Not willing to cavalierly throw away or reduce the knowledge so gained that allowed him to live. And so he would always fight, but in that manner. And thus he became a bellweather and thus he continues, a bellweather. To call anecdotal is to trivialize and misrepresent.
So who will listen to a coyote now?
Mockers? I dont think so.
If the mockers could clearly see what they really trust in, it would probably make the coyotes appear to be as Socrates.
The orthodox world is strong in anecdotes and short on reality filled too much by those that have simply found little machines and mechanisms that pour out livelihood money if they follow the rules and beat down and oppress anyone they deem threatening to their money mechanisms. What they trust in so doing will simply in turn be their destruction, an unhappy circumstance, a future discovery for themselves if they will not change their ways. Mistake nothing, corporate activity is necessary, money is necessary, all the basic elements of society broadly viewed are necessary. Evil is not. Evil necessarily makes and molds its ways through deceit, twisting, concealment, omission, always guided and governed by pride.
The Bill of Rights is worthy to be protected and preserved.
Check out Dr. Matthias Rath, M.D. Victory Over Cancer! Part 1: and Part 2: [ISBN 978-90-76332-76-5 & 77-2]. cf. http://www.profit-over-life.org or http://www.dr-rath-health-foundation.org.
At least there was one Aajonus.
My heartfelt sympathy to those closest to him who feel his absence most keenly.
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
Hello! I am just reading Aajonous book – and looking on interenet – found out about his death. I am so saddened. Felt a connection to him from the first page! Is there any access to watch his bideos? Would really like more information to put together a healing diet for myself and family.
Believing in the Bible – and the resurrection – i w look forward to meeting this amazing person when this starts. Resurrection notices instead of obituaries – get a house ready for him – and welcome him back. I feel Anjonous will have much to teach us! Ps 37 talks about how the meek shall inherit the earth and live forever upon it! And Micah chapter 4 – to be instructed by God – with humans leaning how to love – with no more war! I think Aajonous will feel so good to be in that world! Food as God created it to be eaten – solar powered – and ground blessed by God to grow fully and bountifully – Paradise!
JW.Org
Pamela Lance
808-281-4705
Always wanting to learn- my mom healed stage 4 cancer with juicing and enemas and aloe. I believe!!!!!!
I met Aajonus 11 years ago, when I attended one of his lecture/workshops in Chicago followed by a personal consult. I followed his daily diet recommendations to the letter, with one exception. I had a very hard time with the raw eggs. Blending them in a smoothie was easy for me, but he strongly urged me to eat them Rocky-style. Because the changes I experienced in my health were immediate and extraordinary, I was soon able to muster the courage to confront the eggs.
But I still couldnt fathom the idea of eating them straight from the shell. I broke two eggs into a coffee mug instead of a glass so that I didnt have to really look at them. I positioned myself next to the toilet because I was absolutely certain they were going to come right back up. Lo and behold, the experience was quite anti-climactic. For two days I downed my eggs next to the toilet, then admonished myself for being so silly and have been happily drinking my eggs ever since.
This morning, with weepy eyes, I reminisced about my dear friend and guardian angel. It suddenly occurred to me that today would be the day that I would become an egg sucker, and I did exactly that. And from now until forever, I will suck my eggs with a smile and a wink, in honor of the greatest egg sucker of them all . . . Aajonus Vonderplanitz.
Hugs to all of my sad friends,
Joy
That was Aajonus…bless his soul.
great contribution to their health. Aajonus was a maverick, and an avatar. It doesn’t matter that he was not
perfect; because his pursuit of health was an example of perfection! I miss him terribly.
saddened to hear this tonight from my parents!
He’s been a close family friend for the last 16 years!
It’s my observation that the best use of a contrarian aspect to a personality is when it’s directed at unfair authoritarianism. However, when that character trait is not correctly directed outward, it becomes like an eagle viciously tearing and striking out at those closest to it for no obvious or understandable reason.
at True Nature Healing Arts, Carbondale, CO
Honoring a beautiful and courageous soul and leader in the raw food and food rights movement.
Date: October 26th
Schedule: UCLA workshop video: 11am
Raw Food Preparation Demonstrations 400pm
Primal Potluck: 6pm
Gratitude/Memorial Service 730pm
By donation
Carbondale is 3 hours west of Denver, not far from Aspen.
Contact Eaden Shantay (formerly Branden Cohen) with questions, eaden@truenatureheals.com
This was the weekend we were to have Aajonus return for his yearly visit to Carbondale, CO.
I am a true believer in the fact that most, if not ALL govt factions do NOTwant us to better ourselves with any or all naturally and/or proven ways to better ourselves or to cure conditions and diseases with any other methods than what THEY advocate, push, and insist, that is ‘legal’ and ‘required’ by them and their standards, almost forcing us to not only do them, but to also pay exorbitant amounts of money and taxing the fuck out of our insurance for! AND suffering horribly, dying a slow and painful death, and being deceitful about it all to manipulate us in their direction of obey! its our way or the highway! highway meaning we WILL make you disappear, much like Aajonus
thank you for allowing me to join y’al!
Karl, did you pay your membership fee at the door? The best things in life are not free despite what you may have heard. Anyways, welcome to our little white madhouse. Oh and Fiord, does that mean cold rapid river nordic salmon oil or is it just my imagination. I thought there was a j in there.
My taste buds get the best of me sometimes or the milk if not the dog or goat.
Rest in peace Aajonuz
You want a real raw story about Aajonjs Vonderplanitz rawmilkmike or David, contact me.
I’m 5 years late but I am genuinely interested. Where can I contact you?
I applaud him if he was trying to go after fakes who are just as damaging to the food rights movement.
Who can I contact on how to eat raw the right way ? Thank you
Juan lara I would be happy to Help you locate someone who is well versed in what Aajonus promoted. If you are still needing help you can contact me at vernonerma9@gmail.com.
oh my god, i just heard of this now!! reading this article almost made me cry. vonderplanitz is a hero to me.