Sometimes it seems as if Pennsylvania Amish farmer Amos Miller is doomed to spend much of his adult life in food regulator hell.
After fighting the U.S. Department of Agriculture for half a dozen years, and finally coming to a settlement this past fall of a dispute over meat slaughtering and inspection, Miller was hit Wednesday by a surprise raid by agents from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, who removed coolers of food and put various products in a large cooler in an “under detention order,” meaning they can’t be removed or sold without regulator approval.
Before the PA raid and USDA struggle, there were multi-year run-ins with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control over raw milk sales and alleged contamination.
According to PA ag officials, the raid Wednesday was related to allegations of tainted raw dairy products with connections to Miller showing up in New York state and Michigan during December. Here is how the Lancaster Patriot described the raid in part:
“The search was conducted by employees of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, with Pennsylvania State Police offering assistance as needed.
“A search warrant was issued on Jan. 3, 2024, by Magisterial District Judge B. Denise Commins and included an affidavit of probable cause completed by Sheri Morris, Acting Bureau Director of Food Safety with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
“The affidavit referenced incidents involving Miller’s products dating back to 2016, with the latest including the claim that on Dec. 19, 2023, Morris was informed ‘by the NY state Department of Health of a confirmed positive case of a foodborne pathogen (STEC – Shiga toxin producing E. Coli) in an underage individual” who had allegedly consumed products from Miller’s private buying club. On Dec. 28, 2023, Morris was allegedly notified about a similar incident in Michigan.’ ”
Miller’s law firm, Barnes Law, issued a statement that said, in part, “the state unlawfully obtained a search warrant, based on materially false statements in an affidavit by a high ranking state official in an agency with a known grievance against independent farmers like Amos, and, after the raid and finding no evidence of wrongdoing, then illegally ordered detained every item of food in one of Amos Miller’s coolers…” It’s unclear how Barnes Law knows the regulators found “no evidence of wrongdoing,” since presumably they need to carry out lab tests for e.coli O157:H7, and that will take some days.
In any event, it looks as if a new front has opened in Amos Miller’s regulatory odyssey. It could be the unfortunate price a farmer like Miller pays for selling farm-fresh dairy and meat products privately to buyers around the country–essentially operating in a gray area of food rules and regulation.
All I have to say is …Cease Fire in Palestine immediately! Peace begets peace.
“In 1970, 1 in 10,000 children had some sort of autism or verbal/social anomaly; today’s it’s 1 in 34 and in 8 years, at current trajectory, it will be 1 in 2. In other words, half of all boys and half of all girls will require special social/daily/verbal care. That should scare the pants off us.
‘In 1970, the phrase “food allergy” did not exist and neither did “gluten free.” In 1970, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget came 100 percent from taxpayers; today half of it comes from pharmaceutical companies. In 1970, NIH and its staff owned no drug patents; last year alone it garnered another 240; the upper level NIH staff involved personally get $150,000 per year for the lifetime of the drug, even inheriting these royalties to their heirs. Many have purchased homes, boats and other luxuries with this personal largesse.”
https://www.thelunaticfarmer.com/blog/1/29/2024/rfk-jr
article posted October 23 2024 by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, a Canadian professor and researcher specializing in food distribution and policy, is a senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast. He is frequently cited in the media for his insights on food prices, agricultural trends, and the global food supply chain.
Professor Charlebois’ comment was prompted by the news of dismissal of my court case, at the bottom
The current prohibition on raw milk sales is driven solely by the dairy lobby’s self-interest
A recent peer-reviewed study revealed that Canadian dairy farms dispose of between 600 million to one billion liters of milk on-farm annually. This staggering waste, which should be inconceivable under a supply management system designed to balance production and demand, has brought renewed attention to the long-standing debate over the legalization of raw milk sales.
Since 1991, selling raw milk in Canada has been prohibited under the Food and Drug Regulations. While illegal here, raw milk is legally sold in various regions worldwide, including parts of the United States, Europe, and Asia.
In Europe, raw milk is not only available in health food stores and delicatessens but also from vending machines – a stark contrast to Canada’s strict regulations. While raw milk cheeses are permitted under stringent conditions, selling raw milk directly from farms to consumers remains banned.
The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) have long championed the belief that raw milk poses significant health risks. Their campaign has been effective, with many Canadians now perceiving raw milk as inherently dangerous.
Meanwhile, other countries have moved forward, enabling raw milk sales under controlled conditions. The DFC has also succeeded in convincing Canadians that foreign milk, particularly from the U.S., is inferior in quality – claims unsupported by evidence. This underscores how a powerful dairy lobby can shape consumer choices without providing them with real options.
To be clear, raw milk isn’t for everyone. It poses real risks for consumers with compromised immune systems, seniors, and pregnant women unfamiliar with it. The scientific consensus on its nutritional and health benefits remains inconclusive, and the risks of foodborne illness are genuine. Despite investing millions in research, Canada’s dairy sector has largely ignored waste reduction and the potential for safely commercializing raw milk.
Yet, reducing on-farm waste and allowing more flexibility within the dairy industry is not out of reach. A viable solution could involve introducing a special quota system for raw milk producers. This would permit dedicated raw milk farms to sell directly to consumers without mixing their product with other farms’ supplies, bypassing the processing chain. Ontario’s Artisan Dairy licenses could be adapted to regulate and support such a model. This system would empower dairy farmers who want to put their surplus to use and respond directly to consumer demand.
An exemption for small-scale, regenerative farms operating with minimal environmental impact and striving for zero waste would also be worth exploring. These farms could be ideal candidates for more flexible regulations around raw milk sales. Based on estimates from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, around nine per cent to 10 per cent of Canadians would likely purchase raw milk regularly. While this isn’t a majority, it represents a significant market.
Most importantly, this approach would give Canadians a choice. Legalizing raw milk sales in Canada requires more than the dairy lobby acknowledging its waste problem – it demands that they relinquish control over consumers’ options. Environmentally, the carbon footprint associated with the waste of up to a billion litres of milk is equivalent to adding 350,000 cars to the road each year. This is unsustainable.
Canada’s dairy industry needs to embrace consumer choice rather than dictate it. Canadians are increasingly frustrated by being told what they can and cannot consume, especially when those decisions are influenced by a lobby that appears more invested in protecting its interests than promoting sustainability.
It’s time for the dairy industry to trust consumers and take responsibility for its environmental impact. The path forward starts with acknowledging the problem and exploring meaningful solutions – legalizing raw milk is one of them.
Published Oct 21, 2024
B.C. man fails in third attempt at overturning province’s raw milk ban
Gordon Watson continued his decades-long ‘campaign for real milk’ — which at one point included a ‘cow share’ program — even though a constitutional challenge failed.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge says a longtime raw milk advocate who once tried to circumvent regulations through a “cow share” program can’t try to overturn the provincial ban on unpasteurized milk again after two previous unsuccessful attempts.
Judge William Veenstra says in a ruling posted online Monday that raw milk activist Gordon Watson’s latest attempt to change raw milk regulations can’t succeed because the matters have already been heard and decided by the court more than a decade ago.
The ruling says the idea behind cow sharing, in which participants are offered fractional ownership in a cow, was to exploit a legal loophole allowing farmers to consume raw milk from their own herd.
Veenstra’s ruling says Watson was involved in a “cow share” program in the early 2000s that was eventually shut down when the Fraser Health Authority obtained a court injunction in 2011 due to raw milk being considered a health hazard under the Public Health Act.
It says Watson’s decades-long “campaign for real milk” continued even though his constitutional challenge failed and after he was found in contempt of court for operating a raw milk operation in Chilliwack, B.C.
The ruling says Watson characterized the raw milk from the “cow share” program as “dividends from our jointly-held asset in the form of fluid milk labelled ‘Enzymatic Bath Lotion’.”
Watson filed another constitutional challenge in April 2024, trying to restrain “the government from enforcing the Public Health Act in respect of raw milk,” but Veenstra’s ruling issued in Vancouver says his latest claims were barred because of the earlier rulings in 2011 and 2013.
Once again Mark’s dairy has an Ecoli outbreak. This time with his cheese. So far 10 people in 4 states are ill. 4 hospitalized and 1 with HUS.
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/02/raw-farm-cheese-linked-to-multi-state-outbreak-of-e-coli-infections/#more-236589
For those who tend to ignore gut health and a strong immune system the following video featuring world renowned microbiome researcher Dr. Sabine Hazan describing the effect on Bifidobacteria and gut health following covid injections is worth listening to…
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=190154983759489
Why Are Governments Attacking Farmers?
Mary
Don’t believe everything you read.
There are zero people in the hospital that ate our cheese. That is CDc data. The one HUS patients parent totally denies that the child ate raw cheese !!
50% of the ten cases deny consuming raw cheese. All of the milk that was used in that cheese was tested negative for ecoli pathogens. All of the cheese made from pathogen free milk was tested before it was released. All negative. State of California tests for that cheese all negative. This is very old news. It was months ago.
If there had been ecoli in the 60 day aged FDA approved cheese, you would have seen a huge number of raw milk illnesses In California. There are zero. That same milk was sold in 600 stores in California over the last 4 months.
The FDA and CDC Whole Genome Sequence data does not match. Not even close. This is fecal data not raw cheese data.
Funny this all happens in the middle of pasteurized cheese recall with listeria that spans the USA.
We are awaiting cheese test data before making any official statements or taking any actions. It is way premature and incomplete. The FDA is ignoring volumes of ecoli isolates and picking and choosing. There is zero link to our cheese. 50% of the cases deny consuming our cheese!!
This narrow-minded knee jerk response is predictable Mark…
The CDC including the FDA are cesspools of corruption… Anyone that puts their faith in these agencies to provide appropriate and beneficial guidance for a healthy lifestyle are living in a fool’s paradise!!!
In the meantime, I will continue to consume my untested, unadulterated raw milk/living food.
One more very revealing comment.
On the CDC FDA recall press release, there are multiple hot links to anti raw milk webpages. They attack Rawmilk…even though they have an issue with raw cheese. This was a raw cheese recall and raw milk was not and is not implicated at all
Compare the FDA press release for pasteurized cheese recall with our recall.
Massive and inflammatory bias.
When all of the data is in from the hundred tests being done on cheese right now. We will have an official comment.
The FDA and CDC have no links to our cheese. No cheese has tested positive for ecoli. None.
First round of raw cheese product testing has been completed by the department of public health in California. Negatives. All negative on a large number of samples. Not a hint of ecoli !
Next we hear back from Utah and Colorado.
Step by step. Data drives decisions.
Mark
Mark, I must say you never learn. The best thing to say is, “We are horrified to hear illnesses have been linked to our Raw Farm cheese and send our deepest condolences those who have been hospitalized, especially the HUS case which is most likely a child. Our company is fully cooperating with the investigation.”
Here are the investigation details. https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/raw-milk-cheese-2-24/details.html
10 ill, 4 hospitalized and 1 with HUS
4 states are involved: California (4) Colorado (3) Utah (2) and Texas (1)
Illnesses range from Oct. 18th-January 29th
Age Range: 2-58 (my guess is the 2 year old has HUS)
8 of the 10 were interviewed. 6 of the 8 (75%) reported eating Raw Farm Cheese. 2 people may have refused to be interviewed or they are still in the process of interviewing.
This is an outbreak has happened over a 3 month period of time. People eat in friends and families homes and could have been served the cheese. This can explain why some may not know they consumed the Raw Farm cheese. If Raw Farm’s current cheese has tested negative for E.coli 0157:H7 then that only means your current production is not contaminated. This has nothing to do with cheese that was consumed over the last 3 months.
Here are the lots that are being recalled. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/raw-cheddar-cheese-voluntary-product-recall
Recall was UNFOUNDED and is now LIFTED
Kaleigh Lutz — February 26, 2024
No Evidence to Support Raw Cheese Recall
RAW FARM Immediate WITHDRAWAL of Voluntary Cheese Recall
*This process also revealed damaging and unusual treatment with severe bias from FDA/CDC against RAW FARM and all its products
February 26, 2024
After an investigation and thorough review of hundreds of product samples and testing, no pathogens were found by FDA, multiple state health agencies or private laboratory testing.
RAW FARM was urgently pressured into issuing a Voluntary Recall with no evidence of adulterated product connecting to any consumer illness. On Thursday February 15th, 2024, RAW FARM was provided 30 minutes notice before a urgent conference call demanded by the FDA and CDC. In an preemptive preliminary abundance of caution, RAW FARM issued the Voluntary Recall on February 16, 2024. During this last 10-day Voluntary Recall period, RAW FARM acted in complete cooperation with the FDA and CDC and yet was treated with biased, brand-defaming, and inappropriate actions taken by the FDA and CDC.
Included in those actions:
1) FDA notified media, consumers, and retailers (Consignees) 3 hours before the deadline they gave to RAW FARM for issuing the Voluntary Recall, thereby issuing a de-facto mandatory recall outside of the FSMA administrative process requirements of section 402 of the FD&C Act.
2) FDA failed to comply with FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) guidelines for following a Voluntary Recall (including not following the Firms’ guidance) under section 423 (d) of the FD&C.
3) FDA exposed bias against raw cheese in using “forever directives” in their guidance which stated: “do not eat, sell, or serve RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar Cheese”. This guidance failed to limit the recommendation to specific date codes which would have set time sensitive limits to the recall. Standard procedure for pasteurized brands or product brands would have set date code limits to start and stop recall guidance. FDA failed to respond to multiple pleadings from RAW FARM to update their guidance to comply with standard procedures for all Voluntary Recalls.
4) FDA posted links on their cheese recall guidance that show biased and misleading information on raw milk, a product not implicated in the recall.
5) Dr. Stic Harris, Director at FDA, posted a biased and brand defaming image along with a statement on his FDA LinkedIn account showing anti-raw milk agendas unassociated with the ongoing investigation.
6) FDA has exposed its strong bias against raw cheese in its failure to respond to multiple requests for information and failure cooperate during the ongoing investigation.
Raw Farm is now publicly announcing that the Voluntary recall was UNFOUNDED and has been RETRACTED. All raw cheese product date codes are CONFIRMED safe to consume. We now direct all stores, consignees, and consumers to freely consume our products with confidence. This includes any product inventories which have been quarantined as subject to Voluntary Recall. Please release all product quarantines and resume all normal product sales and consumption.
Background:
On February 15, 2024 RAW FARM was contacted by the FDA and CDC regarding the “epidemiological possibility” (via PULSENET) that RAW FARM raw cheddar cheese might have caused some illnesses within a date range of October 18th 2023 and January 31st 2024. This included the verbal statements that about half of the ill people denied consuming any RAW FARM products. RAW FARM received no evidence of adulterated products on February 15, 2024 but reluctantly issued the Voluntary Recall on February 16, 2024 in full cooperation with the FDA/CDC and CDPH in a preemptive preliminary abundance of caution.
Investigation Findings:
1) RAW FARM assumed that the FDA/CDC would issue guidance that corresponded and supported RAW FARM’s Voluntary Recall, as per FSMA 423 (d) of the FD&C.
a. Instead of the FDA and CDC issuing guidance that followed the Voluntary Recall issued by RAW FARM, the FDA and CDC issued guidance that did not have a specific BATCH LOT ID or specific cheese product to be recalled and therefore did not correlate to RAW FARM Voluntary Recall.
2) The FDA recall guidance was a “forever directive” to throw away and never eat or consume RAW FARM cheese products.
a. This same FDA guidance overreached and advised consumers to never consume raw milk. Raw Milk was not and is not subject to recall.
b. The FDA does not regulate raw milk (state laws do) yet it directed consumers to never consume legally produced, inspected, and compliant raw milk.
3) In addition to this over-reaching and unfounded guidance, the FDA and CDC has failed to provide any evidence of an adulterated cheese product or any presence of a pathogen, required for a recall under the FSMA.
4) RAW FARM subsequent and thorough internal investigation of cheese subject to the Voluntary Recall confirms:
a. No root cause can be found.
b. No adulterated products leaving the facility, as confirmed by Food Safety Net Services AOAC PCR testing.
i. COA from 168 batches ranging from make date 2023-9-12 to 2023-12-19 (current cheese being cut) confirmed all negative pathogen results from FSNS PCR testing.ii. CDFA testing of all products, including raw cheese, have revealed zero E coli 0157:H7 during the same date range.
c. No breaches in food safety protocols.
d. No violations of Critical Control Points.
e. No violations of Process Preventative Controls or FSMA (unrelated 9-day FDA inspection in January 2024 showed full compliance)
f. No violations of the Hazard Analysis.
g. No illnesses have been directly reported to RAW FARM.
h. No product testing has resulted in positive pathogen findings.
i. No environmental monitoring testing has resulted in a positive pathogen.
j. CDPH and UDPH have confirmed 24 total (15 CA, 9 UT) product samples taken from random “multiple state retail” consignees have tested negative by their State independent labs.
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. HELP OUR FAMILY BRAND FIGHT BACK FROM THIS SEVERE BIAS FROM THE FDA/ CDC AGAINST RAW FARM AND PRODUCTS.
View original post
RAW FARM usa
RAW FARM, LLC, 7221 South Jameson Avenue, Fresno, CA, 93706, United States
Raw Farm self reporting. Sounds like the 2006 playbook all over again.
Mary, I think Mark has bent over backwards in an attempt to accommodate this unrelenting germ focused mentality… That said, it is near impossible to accommodating and satisfy people who ignore the root cause of disease and who focus rather is on a manipulative and unsustainable path geared towards the destruction and/or exclusion of essential microbes.
https://rawfarmusa.com/blog/recall-was-unfounded-and-is-now-lifted
Let the facts speak for themselves.
This morning a local news reporter asked the FDA director for a comment or response.
Their comment was “no comment. But… never drink raw milk!! “
Says it all. The fda does not regulate raw milk. Raw milk not implicated or associated with their possible concerns.
Wow. Most of our stores are ignoring the fda and depending on our food safety data. Because the fda has zero data. Nothing.
Mark
below is the classic “guilt by association’ smear tactic. No wonder Americans have lost confidence in the lame-stream / legacy press.
…………………
from the Business Journal
An E. coli outbreak continues at a local raw milk dairy.
According to a food safety alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Raw Farm brand cheddar cheese products have been linked to an E. coli outbreak in four different states.
The contaminated flavors include original and jalapeno, include all sizes of blocks and shredded packages, and are sold nationwide.
The outbreak is believed to have cause 10 illnesses and four hospitalizations.
Raw Farm has agreed to recall its products is cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration.
This is not the first time the local raw milk producer has been linked to an outbreak.
In October 2023, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency linked nine cases of salmonella illness to unpasteurized raw milk products from Raw Farm.
The milk was distributed to retail stores including Bristol Farm’s, Lassen’s Natural Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market and more.
According to a news release from the Fresno County Department of Public Health there were no confirmed cases of salmonella in Fresno County during the October outbreak.
The CDC alert advises to throw away or return any Raw Farm brand cheddar cheese and wash items and surfaces that may have touched the contaminated cheese using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
The CDC notifies businesses to not sell or serve Raw Farm brand cheddar cheese.
Symptoms of E. coli include diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, bloody diarrhea and excessive vomiting
Now 2 with HUS. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/02/raw-farm-lifts-recall-of-unpasteurized-cheese-despite-ongoing-e-coli-outbreak/
so … not a scintilla of evidence connecting Raw Farm to these illnesses, yet you’re still riding that one-trick pony, now 18 years later
news flash for you, Mary ; there are many more sources of salmonella in the natural world, than REAL MILK
most likely in the present cases = a children’s petting zoo
Hey everyone
Raw Farm withdrew its “voluntary recall” after a week of investigation.
The FDA did not place a mandatory recall !!! To replace our lifted voluntary recall.
Zero evidence of any products contaminated. Zero!! The state of California Department of Public Health tested 60 samples. So did Utah. Nothing positive. All clear.
More than 200 pathogen tests all negative.
More importantly in 2016 the FDA performed a huge study of raw cheese. One of their findings was that Whole Genome Sequencing accuracy is flawed!!!! It is very subject to interpretation and does not accurately connect products to illnesses or even ill people to one another. That was a FDA finding !! Similar WGS was found to be not so similar!! None of the WGS of the patients match. Just like the FDA 2016 study.
The FDA is about to be publicly humiliated. Their bias is so over the top.
There is no recall at this time. Stores have decided to sell our raw cheese based on the facts and not FDA unfounded anti raw dairy scare tactics.
The FDA has lost its objectivity and now has lost its credibility with stores and the public.
Mark
“Now They Are Targeting the Amish”
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/now-they-are-targeting-the-amish-5598468?src_src=OP_article_free&src_cmp=opinion-2024-03-06-ca&est=LggB%2BXFzbA3LvLaSq0a1lya%2BuTAG3a8zbq%2Be7aBfKP8O9zp1yfl%2B5ujqvraHi0To9fyhUw%3D%3D
“What will save the food supply in this country is less government oversight and bullying and more of the free market that the Amish practice. It is highly dangerous for government powers to be deployed in harassing these people and thus further poisoning the food supply. I’m happy to admit that I was wrong on this subject for most of my writing career. But the COVID response taught me a thing or two. I learned that we cannot trust government oversight in any aspect of human health, particularly not that which affects our food.”
Back in 2011, the issue of the 60 day rule for aging raw milk cheese was discussed. E.coli 0157:H7 can live past 60 days.
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/02/is-the-60-day-rule-still-valid-for-raw-milk-cheese/
After nearly six weeks and hundreds of tests no pathogens found. None…
Today the FDA and CDC declared the outbreak over.
Weird. Not one pathogen found. Not one. Shoot first….ask questions later.
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/03/cdc-declares-outbreak-linked-to-unpasteurized-cheese-over/
After drinking raw milk for a lifetime, raising nine children on it and selling it to numerous families who raised their children on it without complication, I agree with Sally in the article below… It is the medical profession and its irrational disproportionate focus on germs and contamination, coupled with its resulting use of toxic immune disrupting modalities that needs to be scrutinized and vilified.
“In a December 2023 article, Claire Panosian Dunavan, a UCLA professor emeritus, questioned the appeal of raw milk, citing historical efforts to reduce infant mortality through pasteurization and expressing concerns over the risks of illness from pathogens in raw milk.
‘Sally Fallon Morell refutes claims about the heightened risk of illness from raw milk, pointing to data and analyses suggesting that the dangers are grossly overstated.”
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2024/03/28/got-raw-milk.aspx?ui=951cbd15371b1971775f4f53a24fc224c94efd6ee3d45899cddd34a4bfb2667b&sd=20111201&cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1ReadMore&cid=20240328&foDate=true&mid=DM1549464&rid=2080997559
Raw Milk Institute
·
????????????AVIAN FLU AND RAW MILK: A COMMON SENSE APPROACH: There is a concern among dairymen and biosecurity experts about a multistate outbreak of avian flu that is affecting cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Idaho. Various Federal and state government agencies are using this cow illness outbreak as a stage to warn consumers against drinking raw milk.
However, when a mother becomes infected by a virus or bacterial infection, she will produce antibodies in her raw milk that will provide her young with protection from the illness. This is part of why breastfed babies are known to have stronger immune systems than babies raised on formula. Antibodies in raw milk are one way that Nature assures the strength and survival of the next generation.
The CDC readily acknowledges that mothers should continue to breastfeed their infants because “flu is not spread to infants through breast milk.” They know that breastmilk contains “antibodies and other immunological factors that can help protect her infant from flu.” Similarly, studies performed at the UC Davis dairy lab during found that exposing a cow to coronavirus resulted in antibodies to coronavirus in her raw milk.
The warnings against raw milk related to avian flu are clearly fearmongering. The FDA acknowledges that “there is limited information available about the transmission of bird flu in raw, unpasteurized milk.” Then they go on to use the same fearmongering tactics they’ve been using for decades against raw milk, despite the fact that there is now ample evidence that raw milk can be carefully produced as a low-risk food.
Conscientious raw milk producers already monitor their herds for illness and ensure that raw milk from unhealthy animals is not used for direct human consumption. Additionally, biosecurity measures such as maintaining a closed herd and quarantining any new animals are implemented. These are common sense measures that are already recommended by the Raw Milk Institute and used by diligent raw milk farmers.
LEARN MORE HERE ????????????: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/…/avian-flu-and-raw…
The problem with the human reaction to microbes, including viruses, is that common sense and objective science is often usurped by fear, superstition and a reductionistic dogmatic approach to disease and illness.
judge flips the script = rules Lancaster County farmer Amos Miller can sell out-of-state
Fri, April 12, 2024
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – A judge on Friday struck down a request by the Pennsylvania Department of Ag. trying to prevent Lancaster County farmer Amos Miller from selling his product out-of-state.
Judge Thomas Sponaugle wrote in an order that the Pennsylvania law which regulated milk sales is for the Commonwealth and that does not apply to Miller selling out-of-state.
“While Plaintiff may be correct that the Pennsylvania General Assembly meant to prevent any sales of raw milk without a permit to both in Commonwealth and out of Commonwealth buyers, Pennsylvania law regulating milk sales references within the Commonwealth… at the same time other applicable regulations do not indicate ‘within the Commonwealth’,” Sponaugle wrote.
The Department of Ag. recently requested the court to extend an injunction that was filed in March that would have prevented Miller from selling his products to anyone, regardless of location.
Sponaugle J. also wrote that the court will not “blur the line” regarding raw milk sales in Pennsylvania and out-of-state.
Miller’s Organic Farm, located at 648 Mill Creek Road in Bird-in-Hand, was raided in early January by the state’s Agriculture Department officials after two food-borne illnesses, one in Michigan and another in New York, were reported to have originated from Miller’s products. Later in the month, he was sued by the Department of Ag. for selling his product out of state when he was not licensed to do so.
……………. quite a bit more about latest round in Amish Amos (c) contest ……from commentary by Sally Oh:
https://www.sallysreallife.com/p/amos-miller-and-food-freedom
Is Miller’s Organic Farm dangerous because it’s not following “food safety rules”?
APR 15 2024
In case you are not familiar with Miller’s Organic Farm (MOF), it is a large and prospering Amish farm in rural PA. The Millers provide real, clean, raw, unadulterated food to its members across the US.
It has been harassed for years because it is not following the rules set by federal and state regulatory agencies who, of course, only have our best interests at heart.
Can you tell I’m lying about that “best interests” thing? If you can’t, know that I am. Regulatory agencies work for the corporations they are supposed to control. Turns out that the only thing they want to control is our freedom to choose the foods we know are best for us. Their job is to funnel us into conventional foods and medicines for the best interests of those corporations.
MOF is a PMA: a Private Membership Association which operates outside the jurisdiction of the federal government. How? By contract. Contract law is enshrined in the US Constitution.
Of course, that tiny detail has NOT stopped US government agencies (the USDA, in this case) or state agencies (the PDA, PA Dept of Ag, in this case) from bulldozing right over that right.
The Millers harassment has been going on for years and is based on the simple fact that MOF is not following the rules. The Highwire has been good about providing basic facts surrounding the harassment:
This segment from 8/24/23 episode includes a phone interview with Amos Miller: Amish farmer faces jail time (23 min)
This segment from the 2/29/24 episode: The fight for food freedom rages in PA (11 min)
Why Miller’s farm is so important: Man heals autoimmune disease with raw food — this is the story of Max Kane who after decades of debilitating gastrointestinal issues, he discovered the incredible health benefits from consuming raw dairy and made a complete recovery. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF STORIES OF HEALING WITH FOOD.
Max is a friend, we are both members of the Weston A. Price Foundation, the largest and oldest organization promoting and educating humans on clean, real food. Our local food buying club uses Max’ FarmMatch as our order site.
Why Miller’s Organic Farm? Because:
It’s the largest purveyor of real food in the US and ships across state lines. If MOF gets away with serving real food to the people, the end is near for commodity grains, CAFOs and conventional farming. Can’t have that.
MOF is owned by the Amish. The Amish are notorious for not fighting back and for not hiring an English attorney. (There are no Amish attorneys.) If you are going to fight English rules in an English court, you better have an English attorney and a good one. Without an attorney, this would have been an easy win for the gov. Fortunately, the Millers realized what losing would mean to the real food community and hired an attorney.
Barnes on what to expect as the case moves to trial in 2024
Why this post today?
Because my friend and former food-freedom colleague, Liz Reitzig, has been condemning Miller’s Organic Farm for not following the rules. This is yesterday’s podcast (I watched at 2x speed). She and Mike Kovach, board member of the PA Farmer’s Union, discuss Miller’s refusal to follow the rules and agree that he should be forced to do so.
That’s it, that’s the gist of the problem and how it should be resolved: Miller should be forced to follow the rules set in place by gov agencies… I can hardly believe it. when I asked “What am I missing?” below, I’m hoping there’s an answer.
On her post, you’ll see links to Liz’ other articles about Miller. I’ve disagreed with those as well, but this is the first time I’ve spoken up.
My rebuttal:
Just listened to this podcast. While I agree with Liz on more issues than not, her beef with Amos Miller, the Amish farmer who ships his food all over the country and has been targeted by first the USDA (who lost) and now the PDA (PA Dept of Ag) is that he’s not following the food safety rules put in place by those 2 agencies.
Really?
No mention of the agency-approved poison available nationwide and crammed onto conventional grocery store shelves. No mention of the fact our fruits are irradiated for safety, juices and milk are pasteurized for our safety, glyphosate is not banned, Apeel and Agri-Fresh are allowed on our fruits and veggies with no label or notice (even organic)… no mention of the broccoli that kills or the other tragedies that happened on farms following the rules… Honestly, the list of agency-approved food-poisonings is too long for a post.
Liz and Mike mention that several of Miller’s customers have allegedly gotten sick from his food, but no mention of the fact that since we’ve had a USDA, an FDA and a CDC, not to mention all those state departments of agriculture run by politicians who get large campaign contributions from corporate Big Ag farmers… since we’ve had all these “keep us safe and healthy” agencies, Americans are fatter and sicker than they’ve ever been.
Besides, when you are hurt by a product and can prove it, you sue the maker. This is why we have a tort system: to protect consumers. Regulations and inspections are pre-crime actions. They don’t increase protection. They just increase costs.
People are literally dying from pharmaceuticals (particularly vaccines which are protected from liability) and conventional food all approved by those 3 agencies, but Miller needs to be taken to task and shut down, driven to bankruptcy, for not following their “food safety rules”?
I feel like I’m in upside down world here… What am I missing?
And, most importantly, no mention of the liberty aspect, the personal responsibility for our food choices. Millers represents TRUE food freedom: I get to eat what I want from whomever I want regardless of the “rules” put in place by gov agencies. I get to investigate how safe the food is, whether or not risks are involved, then make my informed choices.
Redding (head of PDA) may be a stand up guy but he works for an agency bent on controlling our food choices using the time-honored combo of fear + gov-sanctioned safety.
Liberty is messy and there are risks, as the Founders knew. I‘ll take liberty over safety any day.
I’ve known Liz since about 2010, we blogged together for a time, and have attended food freedom events together. She is a powerhouse, very active politically, lives close to DC and is there often working with legislators on food freedom issues. Right now, the Prime Act is her focus. Liz and I agree on LOTS. MOF is one of the rare instances when we don’t.
This is Liz and I in 2013 at Mark Baker’s farm in MI where a couple hundred farm food freedom advocates gathered to protest the Bakers persecution by state “authorities”.
About Mark & Jill Baker’s 4-year long brush with gov agencies:
Mark on a 2020 podcast telling the story
Farm to Consumer worked with Mark during the debacle
David Gumpert’s report in 2015
Bakers stopped commercial farming and went another direction
The Baker’s “Anyone Can Farm” website today
The microbes will undoubtedly adapt, that adaptation however will not be pleasant for some, perhaps many, due to the interference of our symbiotic relationship with impacted microbes and resulting effects on our overall health.
“Effects of radiofrequency field from 5G communication on fecal microbiome and metabolome profiles in mice”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53842-2
“In summary, the results suggested that altered gut microbiota and metabolic profile are associated with 4.9 GHz radiofrequency exposure
Food safety news is a yellow FDA puppet sleeze rag. No facts. Self promoting Ambulance chasing insurance scam.
No pathogens ever found in hundreds of tests. No adulterated product ever found. None.
Speechless. Only in America.
Mark, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matching fingerprints of pathogens found on your farm. So much for your RAMP program.
https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/california-department-of-public-health-announces-largest-salmonella-and-other-pathogens-outbreak-linked-to-raw-milk-in-a-decade-well-no-it-did-not/
Today the senate of the Delaware legislature voted 14 to 5 in favor of legalization of raw milk in Delaware.
The standards they have adopted will be world class. No more driving to Pennsylvania to get Rawmilk. Next step is the assembly and then the governor.
Congrats to the 13 dairymen that are left in Delaware! Congrats to the consumers in Delaware for working so hard on this. The Raw Milk Institute has worked closely to assist with the standards development and the testing requirements behind the bill. On farm labs are going to be part of the standard!
Fresno CA
A federal judge handed down a decision against the FDA DOJ finding that they had no evidence or grounds to reopen a 2010 judgement against Raw Farm on a series of claims that the FDA had against Raw Farm. The judge found that Raw Farm was in compliance with the law and the 2010 judgement. Giving the FDA nothing.
It’s a good day.
This about sums it up.
https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/mark-you-are-as-full-of-shit-as-your-milk-is/
Dr. Casey Means was a Stanford-educated surgeon. Her brother Calley was a lobbyist for pharma and the food industry. Both quit their jobs in horror when they realized how many people were being killed by the systems they participated in. This is an amazing story.