On Monday afternoon, I took a 40-minute drive to Terri Lawton’s Oake Knoll Ayrshires farm in nearby Foxboro, MA, to pick up a Thanksgiving turkey.
I know it’s not a big deal in the larger scheme of things, to make a special trip to pick up a turkey, but I felt very thankful that I had the opportunity to buy a free range bird straight from a farm. I felt even more gratitude when I was able to pick up a gallon of raw milk and a dozen eggs as well.
These seemingly routine opportunities shouldn’t be taken for granted. There is lots of pressure to deny us access to nutrient-dense foods direct from farmers–I was reminded of just how much pressure when I received updates on a couple of long-standing legal cases from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund this week.
First, the judge in the administrative case launched by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture against Alvin Schlangen put a hold on the agency’s attempt to score a quick legal victory against the farmer. The MDA filed a motion in a state administrative court for summary disposition against Schlangen, growing out of MDA administrative hearings earlier this year in which Schlangen was declared in violation of Minnsesota dairy and food licensing regulations by distributing food to members of his food club.
As part of these latest proceedings, the MDA (via the Minnesota Attorney General) asked the judge in the case to rule in its favor because Schlangen hadn’t filed the requisite responses in the agency’s administrative case earlier this year by the required deadlines. Schlangen’s FTCLDF lawyer, Nathan Hansen, argued that the farmer didn’t have proper legal representation to handle the paperwork. Several days ago, the judge denied the MDA’s request to penalize Schlangen for being late in filing his papers, and asked some pointed questions of the MDA.
So now the judge has to rule on what to do next–whether to grant the MDA’s request to rule in its favor or hold a hearing– and once he gets into the meat of it, as it were, via a hearing he may wonder about the MDA’s failure to reveal the shortcomings of its undercover officer who supposedly purchased products from Schlangen, but didn’t actually pay for them or obtain delivery (as described in my recent post). In a memorandum accompanying his denial of the request to penalize Schlangen, the judge, Manuel Cervantes, indicated his irritation with, and maybe even mistrust about, the MDA’s approach, when he inquired, “…was the Erickson (undercover agent) transaction a sale? If not, what additional evidence of food sales by Respondent (Schlangen) does the current record contain…?”
If you look at the MDA’s filing for summary disposition against Schlangen, you see it was filed Sept. 28, just eight days after a Minneapolis jury acquitted Schlangen of three misdemeanor charges, which are essentially the same ones the MDA is trying to get the administrative judge to rule in its favor on. The MDA has thus made absolutely clear its intention to find any way possible around the jury acquittal of Schlangen, even if it means filing less-than-truthful affidavits in its campaign to destroy the farmer.
Second, there’s the nearly forgotten case of Morningland Dairy. This is the Missouri cheese maker that was implicated in the Rawesome Food Club legalities during the summer of 2010, when a few samples of its cheese seized in a raid on the food club were found to contain listeria. Morningland fought efforts by the Missouri Milk Board to force disposal of more than $200,000 worth of its cheese, and eventually lost in state court. The FTCLDF appealed the case to an appeals court, where a three-judge panel affirmed the lower court ruling a few months back.
Now, the FTCLDF is trying to get the case heard by the Missouri Supreme Court, arguing that the cheese in question hadn’t been tested in Missouri when it was condemned. Moreover, the FTCLDF argues that the trial judge didn’t properly apply Missouri law to the case.
The odds are way against the FTCLDF, but I have to admire its willingness to explore every possible avenue to gain a full hearing in the bitterly contested case.
Indeed, I am very thankful that the FTCLDF is pursuing these cases on behalf of small farms and food producers as fully as possible. I join Ingvar, Deborah, Sylvia and others in extending best wishes to everyone here for the Thanksgiving holiday. And D. Smith, maybe a few glasses of raw milk will speed your recovery from all your festivities.
I just hope the we all get a chance to provide a case and evidence in a federal court in CA. The last time that the FDA was in front of a federal judge in CA on issues related to OPDC raw milk and interstate commerce… they got publically spanked. The facts stand with raw milk!
Insider information tells me that several of our federal judges and their families drink OPDC raw milk!!!
Market building, and incessant teaching is working and things are evolving.
My thanksgiving prayer:
Let the Isreali oppressive choke hold on Gaza be lifted. We are all part of gods humanity and no group of people is more or less essential or important than any other. If peace is ever going to be part of the middle east or earth, those with power must realize the they must respect and protect the rights of those that have little power. An oppressed people will always fight to right the wrongs practiced against them.
I was in Isreal in 1969 as a youth for most of a year and know how they treat Palestinians. It begs upheaval. In this world…give to others what you expect yourself.
Blessings to all on this thanksgiving.
I agree with your sentiment, however some human beings can be rather harsh and unforgiving with themselves and it is logical to assume that they will be likewise with others.
Christ preached the only viable way, namely to love one another as I have loved you and to love our enemies.
Ken
perhaps you can resolve the apparent contradiction, between the nice words Xians love to trot-out, versus what the Bible says … “God hates all the workers of iniquity . God is angry with the wicked every day” Come Judgement Day, Jesus Christ is the same One who says : “Bring mine enemies here before me, that I may slay them”. If there’s anyone who’s ‘harsh and unforgiving’, it’s this same One, the Messiah of Israel, who carries a grudge against the Amalekites for 3700 years, then wreaks vengeance, as described in the book of Obadiah.
Thanks for reminding me about the milk, however, because I have to try and find some – soon!
The wedding was lovely, the weather was too hot for me but the scenery was serene (I’m not really an ocean person – I prefer mountains and pine trees and snow) but it was still a great time. So, all in all, the “festivities” coupled with the irritations came out about even, I’d say. Now that we’re home and I have a few days off and can catch my breath I can finally relax! Happy turkey day!
We are not God.
The parable is a picture of God’s future judgment and there is no reason to interpret that parable as a command to Christians to execute judgment.
Jesus who is God will indeed judge us based on his commandment of love.
When he spoke to his followers, he told them to turn the other cheek, which is exactly what they did and paid the ultimate price doing so.
When confronted with our own childrens iniquity how will we judge them? I cant see myself experiencing anything other then extreme sadness with an intense desire to forgive them and reach out to them in the hope that they will change their ways. This is why God sent Jesus to earth.
I do not share Mother Teresas faith in Catholicism however I do appreciate her wisdom. She states, If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
Ken
as I waded through the waste-land of licenced ( so-called) Churches I heard all those sappy excuses for perverting the faith once delivered to the saints, for over 30 years. Oh, sure, the pulpit-parrots in their Baal-barns will hold up the Bible as though it means something to them, then tell you ‘the first half is irrelevant’ what a sick joke … you cannot begin to understand the New Testament until you understand what the Old attests-to
that is no “parable” … it’s revelation directly from our God, foretelling the future … whereas you say : ‘there is no reason to interpret that parable as a command …’, go read your Bible = and ALL of it = notice the part in the ancient scriptures [ upon which the Apostles relied for their theology ] God Himself commands believers “Judge righteous judgment”
the tragic situation in which we now find ourselves, is the near-bottom of the classic cycle of the Israelites, as we – nationally – are reaping what we sowed for having despised our heritage, ie. those scriptures and ALL of them.
of course this proposition is laughable, to those whose spiritual eyes are closed … but those who are pressing-in to the Kingdom will harken to me preaching that = even as the night of fascism is falling upon the land, the Campaign for REAL MILK is a glimmer of light = white people re-awakening to our true identity, starting with the agricultural and food laws
Again, I hope all here have a wonderful family-style Thanksgiving.
440 cows on 10 acres? OMG I wouldn’t want anything from that farm.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2236219/GM-corn-variety-regarded-safe-Dr-Gilles-Eric-S-ralini-hits-critics.html
http://rt.com/usa/news/monsanto-insurance-ge-contamination-272/
Govt is bought and paid for, we see whose bed they are sleeping in.