The hammer finally came down on Amish farmer Amos Miller. Federal judge Edward Smith signed an order requiring Miller to pay a fine of $250,000, plus $14,436 of government expenses, for failing to abide by U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations covering the slaughter and sale of meat. If he fails to pay within 30 days, the fine could be increased, or he could even be jailed, according to the order. In addition, Miller is prohibited from slaughtering meat on the farm, at the threat of a $1,500 per day fine.
The swiftness of the decision was something of a surprise, since Judge Smith during a phone hearing July 19 had closely questioned Miller and his lawyers, as well as the lawyer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about whether Miller could come into compliance with USDA requirements within the next 60 days. Miller’s two lawyers had assured the judge that he wanted to come into compliance—by having meat slaughtered at a USDA-inspected facility and via a custom exemption that would allow him to slaughter chickens– and was willing to work with USDA inspectors to come up with a plan they could approve, after several plans for custom exemptions had been rejected.
There were also questions about Miller obtaining a retailer license from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. At one point, Miller pointed out to the judge potential issues with PDA: “What I am concerned about is what happens when PDA comes in here….everything has to be stainless steel when we have good equipment here right now. It looks like a very large battle to overcome….I am still trying to move forward to get PDA satisfied.”
Miller’s lawyers assured the judge Miller could, and was committed to coming into compliance. At one point, Elizabeth Rich, who was present in an advisory role, told Judge Smith: “Mr. Miller is truly committed to providing safe food. I have been working with Mr. Miller since 2008…His heart is in providing his members with the food they want. It is not about money or arrogance. He truly believes the food he provides is what they want. I believe we can work with him to help him come into compliance.”
But Judge Smith had clearly heard enough. A couple of times during the hearing he expressed frustration about the case, which has gone on in various forms over the last five years. At one point, he declared: “Throughout the entire United States of America, we have facilities that are in compliance ….Mr. Miller, despite years of effort, has not been able to come into compliance with these regulations….I can’t believe that these regulations are so difficult that he can’t come into compliance. I just don’t understand.” He then asked Miller’s lawyers, “Can he come into compliance?”
I’ve attended three of these hearings over the years, and have always been impressed with Judge Smith’s patience, and inclination to push the parties toward some kind of compromise. But in a very real sense, the parties have been talking past each other. Amos Miller sees himself serving hundreds of individuals who have signed on to being members of the private food clubs he helped set up—not dealing with any retail distributors and assuming responsibility if there were any safety issues. He committed to trying to cater to their dietary requirements, such as obtaining eggs that haven’t been fed soy feed or meat that has been slaughtered without citric acid. Sometimes, Miller represents himself at these hearings. Other times, he has one or more lawyers. But the inconsistency and absence of an overall legal strategy has clearly cost him big time.
I know a number of members have encouraged Miller to try to placate the USDA by having his animals slaughtered in USDA facilities. But others have encouraged him to hold fast to his food principles and stay with on-farm slaughtering. Having been a member of one of his food clubs, in the Boston area, for a dozen years, I’ve followed his seemingly endless saga via his newsletters and conversations with him about his legal problems, and I agree with Elizabeth Rich, that it’s not about the money or arrogance. He truly believes in the integrity of the food he produces and in directly serving the members of his private food club.
What will he do next? He says in his latest newsletter to members out today that he is discussing legal options with lawyers he has recently engaged, as well as planning to sell all remaining meat in stock within the next 60 days, as ordered. He adds: “The bigger hurdle that the farm has to overcome is the large $250,000 fine that USDA is imposing on the farm. We are extremely saddened by this. For many years, our members enjoyed our grass-fed meat items, and according to the comments that we get, the members are getting extremely good benefits from our meats. So, the question remains, are we doing something right or wrong given that the government has been pounding at us to discontinue what we’ve been doing for quite some time…. According to the USDA, the fine needs to be paid in 30 days, which would be by approximately Aug. 22nd or more fines could occur. It is certainly not our wish to ask for more donations to cover these expenses, but standing up for the truth such as requesting citric acid free meats, etc., is what has brought us into this legal battle and it is not coming for free. If the members can help us overcome this hurdle and assist us with this fine, that would be appreciated. To make a donation, you may send a payment to Miller’s Organic Farm at 648 Millcreek School Rd., Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505. If you have any questions, our phone number is 717-556-0672, or if you would like to do it online, please click here for our gofundme page.
“#1 – If you can make a donation of $1,000 or more, the farm will put this amount on a special guest member list and then 50% of these funds can be returned to you in the year of 2022 in the form of a food credit on your invoice, plus the farm will make an extra effort to fulfill your needs of specialty item list, such as liver glands, etc., whatever your needs may be. Please call the farm if you have any questions regarding this plan.
“#2 – If you can make a donation of $500, then this will be put on a special member list and then 50% of the funds can be returned to you in the form of a food credit in the year of 2022. Please call the farm if you wish to obtain any of these plans or if you have any questions regarding this.
“As you may know, any amount of donation is always helpful, and no matter how much you may be able to help, I want to let you know that all of you as our members are always special and dear to our hearts. Our goal here at the farm is to help you fulfill your need of nutrient-dense foods. I feel if we can overcome this hurdle of having this fine paid, that we can continue fulfilling your needs of citric acid free meats. Once our existing inventory is liquidated, which we hope to have done by the middle of September, then we hope to be approved to process fresh meats. We will do our best to make this happen.”
Amos Miller has been in tough regulatory situations before, and found ways to survive. Hopefully, he’ll survive this latest run-in with the regulators, and many hundreds of members, myself included, can continue receiving his wonderful eggs, meat, and dairy products.
I’d say helping pay his fine is the strongest statement supporters can make on his behalf at this point. After all, how many times has a conventional food producer accused of unsafe food production practices been able to raise thousands of dollars of support directly from regular consumers of their products? Probably never.
It’s time for Americans to sign on as members. What greater show of support could there be to endorse what is rightfully a private agreement between buyer and seller
Great idea.
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/08/1025845675/one-of-the-most-influential-voices-in-vaccine-misinformation-is-a-doctor
This is very sad. Dr Mercola had all sorts of great insights for good health. But it appears that he could not control his impulses and went off the reservation. Now he is on the top ten list of conspiracy spreaders and misinformation spreaders.
This is quite tragic. His advice on vitamin C and Vitamin D3 is excellent. All of my intensive care Covid ICU care doctors agree. If you keep your Vitamin D3 levels high, your odds of getting sick from Covid is dramatically lower.
According to Mercola I should be dead by now because I am vaccinated. I am doing absolutely great and so is everyone I know that is vaccinated.
I find it fascinating that Trump was vaccinated very early last year. Yet his cult followers refuse to be vaccinated and they pray on his every word. That’s so wildly weird. It defines irrational and is highly disfunctional.
When you make things up and can not back claims with multiple PubMed peer reviewed articles…. You are playing with fire. He just got some serious burns.
That’s a lesson I learned years ago. You don’t pee on Superman’s cape. Very bad idea.
I never could figure Mercola out. I met him a couple times, but couldn’t engage him in any kind of serious way (like trying to get him engaged in the food rights struggle when Vernon Hershberger was going through his trials). My personal sense is that he’s all business, and that he was spreading misinformation about vaccines on such a massive scale because he wanted to build his own business riches even larger than they were.
Mark, I suggest you read and listen to Dr. Mercola’s detailed referenced articles and statements in relation to the topic of covid-19… You would do well to keep in mind that claims and accusations of “misinformation” and of promoting conspiracies tend to be the proclamations of indoctrinated idealist and those with a vested interest to protect.
As well, you should consider the following article that discuses the problem of censorship… the article states, “The problem with tech companies (who in turn are encouraged by the likes of Jen Psaki and Joe Biden) to determine what content is authoritative is that it prevents an open forum of ideas where real truth, science and facts can bubble to the surface. Emphasis in brackets is mine… Yes Mark, and I am quite certain that you would agree that that includes real truth in regards to raw milk consumption and the consumers right to consume that product.
https://www.progressivedairy.com/blogs/guest-blog/tech-censorship-against-animal-agriculture
The article also points out, “In 2019, Google quietly updated their search algorithm claiming the changes give preference to more authoritative websites and organizations that are fact-based and supported by science. But, while they claim they are giving preference to science, Google promotes unestablished vegan and plant-based eating information, while a variety of low-carb, high-fat (LCHF); ketogenic and carnivore-diet websites, which speak of the benefits of animal-based foods, are buried and suppressed. The change has amplified vegan-activist website nutritionfacts.org, a website that promotes fake vegan propaganda that is not backed by scientific research. There is no scientific basis or fact that plant-based eating is any healthier than eating a balanced diet with animal-sourced foods”.
In 2014 the State of Oregon attempted to ban advertisements that they believed was misinformation disseminated by raw milk farmers… Fortunately that scheme to restrict information was struck down thanks to the efforts of the Institute for Justice who with raw milk farmer Christine Anderson of Cast Iron Farm filed a First Amendment challenge in federal court. As the article I read stated, Oregon’s censorship of truthful commercial speech harmed farmers and consumers alike. Consumers, who increasingly seek out raw milk for its unique taste and nutritional benefits, had an incredibly difficult time finding the product because farmers were not free to promote it. Farmers were also forbidden from promoting the safety and testing measures they undertake in producing their milk, and consumers, in turn, were deprived of the ability to know exactly how a farmer’s milk was produced. Oregon’s ban resulted in a market where the free flow of information from farmer to consumer was not only impeded, but outlawed.
Of course, the government officials who partook in this Oregon scheme to ban raw milk “misinformation” truly believed that science was on their side… What they failed to take into consideration is that science even though they believed that it was on their side is no excuse to usurp human rights.Tyrants today would do well to keep that in mind.
Ken,
Great points. I am very proud of Cast Iron Farm. They are Rawmi listed and make arguments based on peer reviewed studies.
I am a very hard core supporter of their fight. Know all about it.
This is very much a mixed bag. Miss information mixed with political agendas to suppress real market threats from truthful information.
That is exactly why this is complex.
People… employees, students, police officers, doctors and nurses etc. are being marginalized and not permitted to participate fully and/or partially in their careers, studies and profession if they refuse to participate in this grand covid-19 experiment.
Clearly, “The experimental Covid-19 injections are in clear violation of all ten principles of the Code and a growing list of medical practitioners, scientists and lawyers worldwide are calling out these violations, below is a mere few of such individuals”.
https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/08/last-surviving-prosecutor-of-nuremberg-trials-tells-those-fighting-back-against-medical-tranny-now-to-never-give-up/?fbclid=IwAR1iKLi_YRX–pnMz9RRkO1162h6myFRNH3HmGuclTaWA8jHuKFBL_sGKkw
Flip flop, flip flop = the predictable result of an unscientific fear driven irrational approach to a disease.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/zero-covid-coronavirus-pandemic-lockdowns-china-australia-new-zealand-11628101945?fbclid=IwAR0JICz5SIdGv6lX1PVMICUBkKztkELdy8MPnCFzQe0HuGXBQHPYEtbOf9E
David, I don’t always agree with Mercola and some of the other individuals that have been singled out in need of blue-penciling by Psaki and Biden… that said I do believe that they are caring and sincere individuals.
Tell me David that I didn’t say this was going to happen… My two youngest boys are in University and are now being compelled to get vaccinated or face biweekly testing and in class segregation. Indeed, As the Los Angeles Fire Department Captain stated in the following video “this has gone from 2 weeks to flatten the curved to show me your papers”/passport…
“Los Angeles Fire Department Captain on COVID Vaccine Mandate: This Tyranny Stops Right Here, Right Now”
https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/los-angeles-fire-department-captain-on-covid-vaccine-mandate-this-tyranny-stops-right-here-right-now/?fbclid=IwAR3pytPNYjXp0ZtSEtiKZ6vdfZpdgRLOAEUDsObOtxACm0zIMQF2oQAsNa0
“Cristian Granucci is a Los Angeles Fire Department Captain and 31-year veteran. Earlier this week he posted a video on Telegram which has since gone viral, where he states, “I’m done being silent,” in regards to the City’s COVID vaccine mandate for him and the entire Los Angeles Fire Department.
He is very angry that their union has done nothing to protect their rights, and he makes it very clear that this is NOT a political statement, as this issue is not “right versus left,” or “Republican versus Democrat.” He says it is about “Freedom of choice,” and fighting tyranny.
I think one of the few things we were in agreement about was that vaccine mandates were inevitable. I predicted they would come from private businesses and localities, rather than anything on a national basis. I guess I wonder what’s wrong with these mandates from places like universities. Doesn’t a university have an obligation to provide as safe an environment as possible for student health?
Based on the claim that we’re in a pandemic of the unvaxxed, and that the unvaccinated are hotbeds for dangerous variants, University of Guelph viral immunologist Dr. Byram Bridle states,
“It’s absolutely untrue to be calling this a pandemic of the unvaccinated. And it’s certainly untrue … that the unvaccinated are somehow driving the emergence of the novel variants. This goes against every scientific principle that we understand.
The reality is, the nature of the vaccines we are using right now, and the way we’re rolling them out, are going to be applying selective pressure to this virus to promote the emergence of new variants. Again, this is based on sound principles.
We have to look no further than … the emergence of antibiotic resistance … The principle is this: If you have a biological entity that is prone to mutation — and the SARS-CoV-2, like all coronaviruses is prone to mutation — and you apply a narrowly focused selective pressure that is nonlethal, and you do this over a long period of time, this is the recipe for driving the emergence of novel variants.
This is exactly what we’re doing. Our vaccines are focused on a single protein of the virus, so the virus only has to alter one protein, and the vaccines don’t come close to providing sterilizing immunity.
People who are vaccinated still get infected, it only seems particularly good at blunting the disease, and what that tells you therefore is that these vaccines in the vast majority of people are applying a nonlethal pressure, narrowly focused on one protein, and the vaccine rollout is occurring over a long period of time. That’s the recipe for driving variants.”