Cows at Miller’s Organic Farm.
A significant government legal action—either a raid or a court suit— seems to be in the offing against Miller’s Organic Farm in Pennsylvania.
In an effort to counter and possibly head off the regulatory hostility that is gathering, members of the farm’s private association, who obtain food from the farm, are being asked to help document the health and other benefits they receive from the wide variety of meat, dairy products, fermented food, and other foods the farm provides.
Since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a report March 18 accusing Miller’s of being responsible for two listeria illnesses from raw milk in 2014, one of which supposedly resulted in a death, regulators from several agencies have been ominously circling the farm. Inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have visited on two occasions, and from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on one occasion since the report was posted.
The USDA was said to be interested in inspecting the farm because of meat distribution by Miller’s to members of its private association. The PDA was understood to be concerned about unlicensed raw milk distribution.
Of course, lurking in the background is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It has worked closely in past enforcement actions and raids of Pennsylvania farms with the PDA, most notably against Mark Nolt and Daniel Allgyer. The PDA eventually pulled back from prosecuting Nolt and he continues to farm, but the FDA succeeded in obtaining a federal injunction against Allgyer, and he discontinued farming four years ago.
The CDC report on Miller’s notes that the FDA was involved in testing farm milk last fall, after health inspectors in Anaheim confiscated dairy products at the Weston A. Price Foundation national conference. That report has been questioned as to its accuracy after this blog interviewed a family member of one of the supposed listeria victims, who said the victim actually was battling serious blood cancer. No California victim has come forward to say he or she was made ill by Miller’s raw milk, despite efforts by farm owner Amos Miller and others to locate the individual; the CDC refuses to provide any further information about the individual—even whether it is a man or a woman or what part of the state the individual lives in.
Miller’s has been inspected by federal regulators in the past. Five years ago, two FDA agents, with a search warrant and accompanied by a U.S. Marshall, inspected Miller’s farm for several hours, and eventually issued a report to the farmer recommending several minor safety improvements. I describe the FDA search in my book, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Food Rights.
Amos Miller has in the past turned away government inspectors because, like dozens of Pennsylvania farms, sells his farm’s food privately via food clubs directly to individuals who have contracts for the food. These farmers argue that they are outside the publicly-regulated food system that governs milk and other foods produced under government-issued licenses.
When farmers turn away regulators, though, they invariably return with search warrants to carry out their inspections, as they did five years ago at Miller’s. But Miller says that in the current situation, he is open to discussions with regulators about how he can reassure them as to the safety of his products.
The FDA, after it obtained its injunction against Allgyer in 2012, seemed to leave raw milk producers, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, alone, and instead turned its anti-raw-milk venom onto raw milk cheese producers. The FDA received a huge amount of negative publicity for its mammoth undercover operation to gather incriminating evidence against Allgyer and its relentless legal drive to put him out of business.
Much to the displeasure of cheese producers, the FDA has been seeking, via hundreds of inspections and testing at small producers, to undo the 60-day aging requirement for raw milk cheese, and replace it with extremely tight limitations on harmless bacteria that are part-and-parcel of raw milk cheese production. Once again facing a barrage of negative publicity, the FDA has seemed to back off some from its proposed tightening of rules around raw milk cheese; its big problem is that there is scant evidence of illness in more than 65 years under the 60-day aging requirement.
If the FDA or other agencies do aggressively pursue Amos Miller and attempt to shut him down, they will undoubtedly face an outcry from many hundreds of his private association members, who credit his food with boosting their health. Some have already inquired with him, in light of the CDC report, how they can contribute to any legal defense he might require. One new association member wrote this note just in the past week: “I looked at the beautiful food I ordered and burst into tears. I just felt blessed. My deep gratitude to you for making nourishing healthy food available for me to enjoy. My husband sends his gratitude as well.”
It’s difficult to know exactly what action the regulators will take–if one agency will go in alone, or several agencies will coordinate efforts, a la Rawesome Food Club, which was raided by eight or more agencies in 2010 and again in 2011, with food club operators charged criminally.
Miller’s supporters say they have begun collecting member testimonials about his farm’s food. If you have a testimonial, or simply want to extend your support, write to this special email address: writetomillers@gmail.com.
Please feel free to share this post, to update supporters of food freedom about this situation.
It’s a little different this time because someone died. Miller needs to have his customers sign a combination testimonial and release saying they willing stake their life on this wonderful food. If the person who died had done this maybe there wouldn’t be such a fuss over this. It seems like we are always reacting to trouble when we should be controlling it. You know, use all the testing and show all the concern all the time before the stuff hits the fan.
Yes, someone died, but it’s not at all clear that person died from Miller’s food. That individual was being treated for advanced cancer.
Even so, association members do sign the combination testimonial and release you describe before they order and receive food. Among other things, the agreement states: “I have freely chosen to change my legal status as a public consumer/customer to a private member of the Association. I further understand that it is entirely my own responsibility to consider the recommendations and products offered to me by my fellow members and to educate myself as to the efficacy, risks, and desirability of same and the acceptance of the offered or recommended products and is my own carefully considered decision. Any request by me to a fellow member to assist me or provide me with the aforementioned recommendations or products is my own free decision in an exercise of my rights and made by me for the benefit, and I agree to hold the Trustee(s), staff and other worker members and the Association harmless from any unintentional liability for the results of such recommendations and products…”
as the parties to the exchange use notes issued by the Federal Reserve System, as specie for carrying out their transactions, such is a commercial enterprise … thus properly caught in the jurisdictions of both federal and state government agencies. The founding fathers knew what they were doing when they made gold and silver the lawful currency of the Republic of the united states of America. The medium is the message : honest weights and measures, versus currency predicated in the sin of usury … see the difference?
… but “it’s all good” … the Amish-folk let greed inveigle them into the Lies of the Babylonian system … apparently, they have the decision now thrust upon them = to separate demselves from the world, or make friends with it. Cleave to the doctrine of their founders, and get back to basics, or = ditch the sanctimonious act and maximize their income in filthy lucre. Of course … there are more options than just that black+white scenario. They can use point-of-sale terminals to participate in the digital economy, paying tribute to whom tribute is due.
…. The Beast system is very tolerant of all subordinate religions, and the quaint costumes thereof, as long as one acknowledges its Emperor as a god. Confer with “The Worship of Augustus Caesar”
the Campaign for REAL MILK is not about food, not even money. It’s about sheer power of the state over the individual
Thank you Dave. It appears the FDA is just making stuff up. It’s just appalling what lengths our government will go to to destroy good people. I’ll be writing my letter this week.
David: Thank you for the link. I have sent an email of support. None are more important to the health and vitality of a nation than farmers, and few things more destructive to it than government overreach. Vaxxed has turned the tide on the conversation about poisoning our children. Perhaps targeting an Amish farmer will help turn the tide on government overreach concerning real food. We can hope for the best. The primary season has certainly shown the mood in the country has changed, and fairly rapidly.
This is total “govt” lawlessness. If you or i brought suit against individuals in the govt, much less a govt agency itself – we’d need proof up the wazoo. We’d have to provide full disclosure of all witnesses, experts, evidence, etc.
How come they pretend they don’t have to abide by the laws they SAY they are using to protect us?
Methinks we need to keep our pitchforks handy…
Oh – and we would know the exact charges – including exactly who allegedly died, how they died, the autopsy reports, the DNA MATCH – NOT “SIMILARITY” bullcompostablematerial.
I say assume the worst. The federal government does not like to be disresepected. Looks like a lot of legal $$$ will be needed here. Amos is too popular now and the federal govt doesn’t want this kind of freedom to grow. What exactly are the options again? i didn’t read anything abaout “what we can do.”
Here is a good piece to understand the regulatory history behind raw milk cheeses:
https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/8852188/Knoll05.pdf?sequence=1
Right now I am reading “The Dirt Cure, Growing Healthy Kids with Food Straight from Soil” by Maya Shetreat-Klein, MD (2016). Chapter 11 provides a good summary of the health benefits from drinking raw milk. This book is by a pediatric neurologist.
Thank You Dave, for taking this on. and for keeping us informed. THe beast doesn’t care about the truth, though, as you are well aware. It simply wants to devour. It doesn’t even care about following the laws. it continually breaks its own laws. So, we can do what we can do, be vigilant and stand with Millers in this time of difficulty. But I think we all knew it would happen sooner or later….
I have heard more people die from food coming from across seas, and right here from our own companies and yet their all still in business. It’s buyer be ware no matter where we go or what we purchase and consumers realize that for the for the most part .
So what you can only fight to shut down the small business man, knowing that they could loose everything they own and farmed on with blood sweat and tears. Leaving them homeless gets you know no where, nor does a long court battle .
Make some changes if needed in equipment, sterlization processing, something , come to an understanding or leave them alone.
On the heels of viewing the documentary VAXXED, I’m gonna go ahead and cast a jaundiced eye on anything the CDC asserts ?
Annie,
You bring up such an important point about the CDC’s credibility. It is not limited to the recent revelations in VAXXED. The CDC’s lack of credibility extends far beyond 1 or 2 issues. I was reminded of their disdain for truth by this article about the cholera outbreak in Haiti that began in 2011 http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2016/04/what_caused_haiti_s_cholera_epidemic_the_cdc_s_museum_knows_but_won_t_say.html
The FDA has an informant ready to testify against Sam Girod (http://www.davidgumpert.com/2783-2)… or so they say. The informant is known only as M.M. and no one has been able to find his/her identity in the 28,000 pages of discovery. These lawless agencies must hear our voices!
You are wise to question their claim Sally.
FDA officials are very adept at being able to pit one individual against the other in an attempt to nurture a divisive atmosphere of distrust and animosity.
In the title of this article: “…What Supporters Can Do Now”. So, what CAN supporters do actually, besides hold our hand on our ass and complain among ourselves? What action can be taken here? What are the permanent solutions to this sort of recurring problem?
Maybe we just simply need cut Amos Miller loose, like we did with the Rawsome debacle, just dump him and move on. Even with a fatality this time, this will all blow over just like with Rawsome – who even thinks about those operators anymore? There are tons of potential suppliers out there and obsessing over just one at a time seems pointless. That’s the only tactic health departments have; prosecuting one producer at a time. We need to take the larger view and support more and larger suppliers, too many suppliers too large for government to prosecute like Organic Pastures. Mark McAfee seems always to be able to secretly work out a compromise with The Man and keep selling. The little Amos Millers of this world are too small, too purist in their views to succeed like Mark does. So what if we have to cut a few corners and martyr a few small producers, that’s the way these things have always been done.
Let the FTCLDF deal with weaning Amos Miller off life support while we all move on, that’s what they are there for, right? Our movement is too important to keep getting bogged down in these petty nuisance issues. Our concern is food freedom but we keep getting distracted with niggling farming problems that are outside our control. I’ve followed this blog for a while but this is the first time I’ve felt compelled to comment – someone has to bring perspective to all this.
Will do anything I can to support Miller’s Organic Farm – I feel blessed everytime I open a box with absolutely amazing live products. I can not imagine my life without it. My son just started to enjoy raw cheese after years of dairy intolerance. Will definitely right a testimonal.
Wow, I believe I just felt–for a second–the hot breath & heard the thunder of steel hooves of the devil’s herd and Ghost riders in the Sky! And I live in the city!
Yes, this is about food freedom, but liberty doesn’t come from throwing those farmers who
get caught in the regulator’s web “under the bus.”
That is a pirate’s motto: If you fall behind you get left behind!
And this would be progress toward food freedom issues? Don’t think so.
Marietta, thank you for taking the words out of my mouth in responding to Guest Thinker. I thought at first it was just a bad joke, and maybe it is. GT doesn’t seem to appreciate that the public health people go after one farmer/producer at a time in an effort to scare and intimidate others. GT also doesn’t seem to appreciate that if supporters line up behind a farmer/producer being attacked, that sends a powerful message to the government thugs, and can send them packing (as in WI and MN).
The problems, like Rawesome, occur when farmers/producers/consumers are divided, and fighting among themselves. That’s when the regulators smell blood in the water, and most like to pounce. I suspect that the complaining by Mark McAfee about Amos Miller at the Weston A. Price Foundation conference last November represented blood in the water that helped create the current problems. I am hopeful that that dispute was temporary. I am also hopeful that if the authorities do pounce here, they will discover a huge and united community prepared to fight tooth and nail for our food rights. No, we don’t throw certain farmers under the bus in hopes the authorities will stop going after farmers. It doesn’t work that way. When they are able to put a farmer out of business, it just whets their appetite to destroy more individuals and more livelihoods.
Whenever I see the words “this is the first time I’ve felt compelled to reply”, that’s a good sign this is the first and only time we’ll hear from “guest thinker”. He may reply on this thread more than once, but after that you never see him again. IMPHHO, that’s because he’s a plant. Ignore him.
And, David, I think you’ve hit on something when you talk about the whining from Mark McAfee at the WAPF conference. After all, that does seem to be the genesis of the entire “investigation”. I mean, after those complaints it was only a matter of time before the nannying began. Maybe the Miller’s didn’t follow all the CA “rules” (who made those rules anyway, and why does Mark only seem to be in support of those rules when they go against someone besides his business?) but it’s beyond odd that a conference in 2016 is being blamed as the likely reason two people became ill in 2014.
People likely wouldn’t have been buying Miller’s products at the conference if they were enamored of Mark’s offerings, would they? Let’s get some perspective here – OPDC was available locally in stores and yet peole wanted Amos Miller’s products. Hmmmmmm. I think the green-eyed monster took over the thinking processes here.
David is also right about what happens when even one smaller farmer is put out of business because of an overweening, over-reaching, nannying agency of our gubmint. It’s another person’s freedom to produce lost, and that’s an important issue over and above the actual product itself. A very important issue indeed. But it also affects the rights of the people who were buying the food. It doesn’t just hurt one person or one family, it has an impact on lots of lives. Whenever these agencies do something like this, the ripple effect grows bigger and, you know, the people seldom win. Why would they? This is a behemoth gubmint you are dealing with.
I realize this is a touchy subject here but when we support farmers or anyone who is caught making people sick, even to the point of someone dying we come off as irrational, even crazy. How does that help our cause? Shouldn’t we be the loudest voices demanding our special foods be safe for everyone or at least make certain we keep everyone informed of the very real risks? To be fair it is only recently any of us began accepting the reality of health risk associated with raw milk. For years we were ferociously focused on the wonderful health giving properties and adamantly opposed to considering any downside whatsoever. All that is changed now. But we continue to act childishly when one of our suppliers is caught screwing up. We “fight tooth and nail” to support these occurrences? Once again we appear irrational. And vulnerable. Our movement needs to advance our philosophy and tactics if we expect food freedom to be taken seriously. Instead we are too fixated upon being the stereotype agitated rabble whenever opportunity arises. That hasn’t solved anything, ever. It is only the first step in securing change. Perhaps we have no leaders capable of advancing us beyond repetitive shouting matches? In the meantime the real world moves on without us. What are the solutions? Making folk heroes of screw-ups can’t possibly be the answer, can it?
Boy, you’ve got a lot of loaded language here. I presume you are referring to Miller’s Organic when you say, “when we support farmers or anyone who is caught making people sick, even to the point of someone dying…” Has Miller’s been caught making people sick or killing people? One person CDC referred to as having died, in Florida, turned out to have advanced cancer. The second supposed victim can’t be located to determine even whether he/she exists, let alone got sick. So who is “irrational”? I’d say the CDC could be complicit in fraud. And you? I think you say it best, about acting “childishly.”
Or maybe I have the target of your comment all wrong. Maybe you aren’t referring to Miller’s, but to Blue Bell ice cream and Karoun Dairies, makers of pasteurized dairy products that were alleged by CDC to have made lots of people sick.
Well said David…
I thought some of the readers here might be interested in this article (there is also a podcast if you like to listen rather than read). THIS is the world according to the FDA et al. This is their perspective of what it’s ok to allow bigphood businesses to do with “localized” restaurateurs by making them into risk-taking entreprenuers and the hell with the truth. You know what Mark Twain said about truth? He said “a lie is three-quarters of the way around the block before the truth can get its pants on” or something to that effect. How very fitting.
The Farm to Table Fable: https://www.propublica.org/podcast/item/farm-to-fable
Be sure to go to the bottom of the article and click on the link where it says “For more, read Reiley’s Farm to Fable series” and you will get the full magilla. It’s not pretty.
As to abandoning Miller’s Organic, I must protest — if one producer wins, all the producers win. And if it is established that these products caused illness, we would not bail on the health benefits of local food. As I undertake a battle for home slaughter in Vermont, I can draw comparisons: 1) I intend to file suit here. If I win, all farmers win; if I lose, all farmers and consumers still win because (as in Maine’s effort for food sovereignty) it will still wake people up to the issues and maybe even propel them toward more outrage and activism; 2) No one in Vermont has been made ill by farm-slaughtered meat. But many in Vermont have been sickened by Cargill’s factory-churned, animal-torturing “meat-like substance” — so even if there were an outbreak of illness in Vermont from a farm-slaughtered animal (not likely), that would not alter the fact that it my meat is still safer; still individual choice and freedom; still about food security (of a local supply) as well as food safety. Ditto with Miller’s Organic.
But it is perfectly ok for the State Government in Michigan to knowingly poison Flint people with dirty unfiltered water and how many people have they killed by the Legion ares disease they caused with this dirty water? That is ok..but Organic farmer in MI is forced by MDA to dump hundreds of gallons of milk and break all their eggs! This is the Gistapo my friends!
David,
Thank you for posting this article, and giving me a space to vent my frustration…
The “government” can make claims (i.e.: LIE) and say that TWO people “may have” gotten sick a while back from drinking some raw milk. And now they want to shut down the whole organization.
I’m not even going to discuss how ridiculous and ignorant the accusation is that raw, organic milk made someone terribly ill. With as much education, practical application & experience as I have (15 years worth), when you come across bullshit like this, you know—for a fact—that it’s nothing more than a sinister agenda for control ordered into play by those at the top of the fiscal food-chain.
Our “government” wants to sound the alarms, send in the armed raiders, and demonized the entire raw milk & dairy community over two HYPOTHETICAL incidences!?!? TWO!!!! REALLY!!!
AND YET…that very same “government” has allowed TOBACCO and ALCOHOL to KNOWINGLY kill THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS for DECADE after DECADE after DECADE. (Because it’s GOOD BUSINESS after all!) And we’re supposed to believe that the “government” wants to shut down this organic farm to “protect us”?!?!? (OH PLEASE!!!!)
The “government’s” logic makes no sense. And, when logic is THIS FAR GONE, you know—beyond the shadow of a doubt—that it’s because BIG BUSINESS AND CORPORATE MONEY are really what are at stake here. It’s most certainly NOT about protecting anyone.
This is a travesty. I am disgusted at the level of blatant ignorance and all-out disregard for the truth about nutrition’s role—specifically raw organic dairy—in building health, and thwarting & curing disease.
It’s official: Big corporate business has become THE ULTIMATE BULLEY in our culture.
Please read this article, and—if you can—help & support this organic farm. They have provided me, my family, and my friends with a bounty of clean, hand-crafted, life-giving foods. I hold a special place in my heart for them.
David,
I just realized that I used a few strong words in my comment several minutes ago. My apologies for that. While it’s no excuse to lose my composure, this issue is very close to my heart, and is something really, really worth fighting for.
Thanks again,
-Noah
sadly, the ‘reported’ cases of illnesses from raw milk are never well-documented.i have been consuming raw dairy products my whole life and will continue to seek them out. this is so upsetting to see our local farmers being turned into criminals…why isnt govt going after the real crooks? i wish our govt would be this zealous when it comes to factory farmed meat and GMO agriculture, which is killing a lot more than people! why must we feel like we have to be food detectives in order to eat healthfully?
Obviously the government does not want Americans to have access to healthy foods. The supermarkets are full of processed foods that are devoid of nutrition and promote cancer with artificial flavors and sweetners. Why don’t they pull these food like products off the shelf and prosecute these manufacturers and leave the real food products for the people.