Raw Milk Freedom Riders after crossing into Maryland. Photo, David Gumpert

On Tuesday, Nov. 1st, a caravan of moms (and a few dads, grandmas & grandpas) picked up unprocessed (raw) milk from a farm located in Pennsylvania. These folks came from all over the US and even Ontario, Canada, all to partake in a defiant act of civil disobedience. What was this terrible activity for which they risked arrest? Transporting that same milk across the state line into Maryland.

You might wonder what the big deal is, so I’ll tell you. Well, way back in 1987 a bill was passed into law which made it illegal to transport raw milk across state lines when intended for “human consumption”. This meant that for every mom out there wanting to provide the very best in nourishing foods for her family, she would either have to live in a state where raw dairy was available, own her own dairy animal(s), or become a criminal. For most, the latter is the only option.

So here we stand now faced with a real dilemma due to our government’s belief that it knows best. As well we see through almost weekly headlines, this “Big Brother” attitude and government controls have not protected the public at all judging by the number of deaths and illness caused by our industrial food supply.

Furthermore, I am not the “public”, nor are you, unless you decide to shop where thousands of others shop for their family’s food. When purchasing food in a supermarket I would expect the government to have oversight to protect the safety of the publicly accessible food. But when we choose to purchase farm-fresh foods locally and privately, we do not fall under the “public” domain.  And we do not subject ourselves to the inherent problems with an industrial food supply. Instead, we assume the risk ourselves, accepting the consequences if and when a problem should occur.

The funny thing is, in my family’s experience we have never, ever experienced any problem with our locally produced foods, but we have in fact become quite ill from eating foods purchased at a local store and a restaurant or two. How effective was “Big Brother” then?

There is also the question of the constitutionality of these laws which deny private citizens the access to not only raw milk, but also many other farm products. Furthermore, we are being denied freedom of choice in health care, education, birthing options, etc.

Our founding fathers must be rolling in their graves, for they never could have conceived of such government control of the people, or protection of corporate profits and bureaucratic charge.  Was this not a part of what they were trying to avoid-government tyranny?!

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and many others of our early fathers were farmers. They expected to produce foods on their farms and to have the freedom, without government restraint, to earn an honest income from their product. They bought and sold freely within their communities and yet today not only is this not allowed, but our uber-intelligent governing bodies also try to control how our food is produced. But there-in lies yet another problem…

So here we are in 2011, wondering where we are headed. Like thousands, if not millions, of others like ourselves, my husband & I have decided that we must do something. Thus I write, teach, and do everything possible to educate and motivate others towards reforming our laws, reforming our government towards what it was originally intended to be: a protector of the people, and of the private citizenry.

I urge you to do the same. Consider these thoughts and, whether you wish to consume fresh milk direct from the farm or make other important decisions for yourself and your family, stay informed about what is happening within our nation and communities. Establish contact with your local politicians. Speak up at “Town Meetings” and other public forums. Let your law and policy makers know how you feel and demand to be heard, and have your concerns considered; this we must do, or we sink in apathy.

Michael Schmidt addresses the crowd. Photo courtesy Kimberly Hartke

On Tuesday our caravan of moms was met at FDA headquarters by dozens of police officers and denial of access to the bureaucrats within, but also about 150 additional protesters. Cookies and (raw) milk were served to everyone in attendance including law enforcement, and many voices were heard. Amongst those speaking to the crowd were David Gumpert, Joel Salatin, Mark McAfee, Sally Fallon Morell, Max Kane, Liz Reitzig (one of the organizers of the event), Kristin Canty, Jonas Stoltzfus, and my own personal hero, Michael Schmidt (on day 33 of his hunger fast). We all understand the importance of personal responsibility both for our families and our government, and were encouraged by the wise words of each of these passionate people. And that very day the effectiveness of our efforts was confirmed when the FDA issued a clarification of their policy, stating that they will not enforce the law when it involves an individual transporting raw milk for their own personal use. While this is encouraging, affirming that our efforts are not in vain, it is not enough. We must continue to work towards real change. Our farmers should not be raided by our government agencies, but should be free to profit from their hard work, and consumers should not be denied the right of freedom

Please don’t sit back in apathy, relying on others to fight your battles for you; each of us involved in the activities of November 1st are very busy, with many responsibilities. We have jobs, take care of our children, participate in churches and communities, etc. But we set aside a little time throughout our days and weeks to write letters, make phone calls, and show up at a rally now and then to show support for our causes. Without this we can not expect any changes for the better but can instead expect more control, more prosecution and farm raids, further loss of freedom.

Now go take charge of your and your children’s future; they depend on it!

Maureen Diaz is a homeschooling mother of 9, a WAPF chapter leader, and a certified LW Nutritionist. She also has produced 3 cooking DVD’s including her latest, Liberation Wellness Home Cooking. Check out & order her DVD’s on her website, www.nourishingtraditionalcook.com  and at FilmBaby.com

Before I go on it must be said that, while good food does cost more in the short term, a diet rife with processed, devitalized “food” is far more expensive in the long run when one considers where it leads in terms of poor health, disease, and loss of production due to low energy and illness. It is for this reason that our family is committed to a healthy diet, no matter what!

This past winter is an excellent case in point. My husband is a very talented, self-employed high-end designer and carpenter who does not always get paid on time. In fact, when facing unexpected obstacles on a job, he may not get paid for weeks or months at a time, which is exactly where we found ourselves this year. We had very little money trickling in and found ourselves falling way behind on everything. Week after week we would have only a few dollars, if any, that we could spend on food, and so we had to be very frugal and creative to make every penny and every morsel count!

The main thing that got is through this tough period was bone broth. Do you have any idea how much you can do with this wonderful food?! By itself it is a wonderful, warming breakfast with a little egg mixed in. Add vegetables that are past their prime (CHEAP!) or leftover and you have an endless variety of soups! A little rice or brown rice pasta, beans (soaked for 24 hours with a little vinegar, of course) and you have a filling meal. I was able to empty my freezer of garden leftovers as well as purchase wilting or scarred organic produce, slice it up, toss it in the pot, and then puree everything into one delicious concoction, meal after meal. No need to throw away any veggie peels (nutrients!)  as my Kitcehn Aide stick blender works wonders for this. Add a little potato, or arrow root flour if you want your soup to be thicker. Sometimes I would even pour in souring cream or milk. Nothing need go to waste!

It is of the utmost priority to us that we have raw dairy daily in the form of fresh, raw milk, yogurt, and cheese. Thankfully at this point in time we have our own family cow to supply most of this, but even in times past when things have been rough we

"Lady" gives us plenty of fresh milk, cream and butter

have always made sure to have enough raw milk on hand to make yogurt and kefir, as well as for drinking. We might have a limit as to how much is available for general consumption, but we will have our raw, grass-fed milk, even if it means searching for pennies in the sofa! And raw milk cheese is a relatively inexpensive, filling source of nutrients that we always keep on hand. As with the fresh milk, quantity may be limited, but it is always available.

We can make a big pot of chili and really stretch it out by using a lot of beans (I prefer pinto) and less meat. Top it off with some of that cheese and some homemade sour cream and you have another cheap but nutritious and filling meal. I just made a stock pot full yesterday as a matter of fact, and it has already fed my large brood 3 times with still more left for later!

Making your own bread using whole grains is a great way to stretch the food dollar. I also make biscuits and muffins for my crew often, which helps them feel satisfied and pleased with their meal.

Eggs are a relatively cheap source of protein, and I work our supply into quiche, frittata, and scrambled eggs daily. By varying the form in which I serve eggs my kids don’t often get bored with the same old thing. Cheese of course helps with this as well, and having several varieties on hand changes flavors dramatically. We almost always keep Montery Jack and Cheddar on hand, but also Blue and Parmesan. The Blue & hard, Italian cheeses I find at the supermarket or Trader Joe’s in the specialty cheese aisle, where I always look for lack of the word “pasteurized” in the ingredient list. These are more expensive and so I can’t always purchase them, but a little goes a long way so a 1/2 lb. block can actually last for several weeks if I’m careful (and the kids don’t raid the fridge ).

I make stock pots full of pinto beans about once a month and keep them in quart jars to pull out for an easy, and cheap!, meal. They may go with Mexican-seasoned ground beef and be served over rice; or stuff a tortilla, along with cheese, to make quesadillas. Filling, quick, nutritious, and inexpensive! We enjoyed many such meals this past winter and never grew weary of them!

Potatoes are nourishing and cheap, so once the supply from our own garden ran out I sought organic potatoes in bulk direct from the farm. Appearance does not matter once food is pureed, put in a casserole, or simply in your mouth, so seconds are fine and again a money saver.

Don’t forget to have lots of butter and other good fats on hand, as I did, to help satiate and nourish. We will not be without butter or olive & coconut oils, but I take advantage of sales and “Bent-and-Dent” stores to load up on these important foods.

Buying all of these ingredients in bulk always saves you money, often lots of it, and stocking up in times of plenty helps pull you through the lean months. Because this is how we normally buy food, we did have quite a lot of staples in storage to see us through most of the winter.

We are currently working on a very full garden and plan to dehydrate, ferment, and freeze large quantities of vegetables to see us through next year. Even if all you have is a patio there is much that you can grow in containers which helps to stretch the food budget immensely, so go for it! Otherwise produce such as cabbage and potatoes are penny savers and can be fermented and/or stored for long periods of time with no loss of value.

Also, even in the city one can often raise a few chickens for eggs and/or meat. You can check your local regulations and may be surprised to find that it is perfectly legal to raise hens, at the least! But even if it is not technically legal, with understanding and friendly neighbors you may be able to get away with more than you think… We are raising the majority of our own poultry this year, both for meat and eggs.

One method of acquiring food not to be overlooked is by barter. At one point when we were without two pennies to rub together, quite literally, I was able to trade some of my home made goods for meat and bones with a farmer friend (Thanks so much, Jonas and Judy!). If you have a product or service to offer you may be happy to find a farmer who would be thrilled to make a swap!

Also, because we try to treat our farmers well, they have become our friends. Our family has a great deal of respect, admiration, and love for these fine, hard working people! And so from time to time when one has known we are struggling, or because they also know that I am willing to take what others reject and make something good of it, we will be sometimes be offered extras or freezer overload. This winter we were blessed with more good beef bones, dried beans, rice and a few other things which added up to a lot. It pays to treat people well! I am so grateful for our farmers and friends!

One thing which I haven’t addressed is the fact that much of what I mention is rather high-carb. This was problematic for me over the winter months, and I am still working on taking off a few of those extra pounds which I picked up from too much rice and beans. I will say that, generally speaking, I was able to avoid much of the carb-rich foods by just eating everything else, but at times this just could not be helped. So for those of you needing to restrict your carbohydrate intake for one reason another, bear in mind that if you can load up more on non-starchy vegetables and plenty of fat, along with the bone broth, you will fare much better. I am making sure to have far more vegetables, bones, and inexpensive cuts of meat in the freezer for next year. (We would have had much more meat in the freezer this past winter, had it not wondered off on four legs shortly before time to butcher )

Our family can not thank the Weston A Price Foundation and Sally Fallon Morell enough for the education which we have received that has helped get our family through this very rough time. Without Nourishing Traditions, Wise Traditions, or the opportunity to learn from others at events such as the annual conference, I would not have known the virtues of bone broth, real milk, fermented foods, or pastured eggs! How would I have known to replace soda with kombucha, or “whole grain” bread with sourdough? And would I have realized the importance of nutrient-dense, sacred foods, even when it was most difficult to acquire them? No, all of this information was acquired from hours spent with Sally and others in books, lectures, workshops, videos, and one-on-one. These lessons are far beyond any tangible value I could assess, and we are grateful!

Now don’t let money, or lack-there-of, be an issue in how you feed your family or yourself; if our family can survive and thrive on a tiny food budget, so can yours. I say, “Go for it!”!

Maureen Diaz is a homeschooling mother of 9, a WAPF chapter leader, and a certified LW Nutritionist. She also has produced 3 cooking DVD’s including her latest, Liberation Wellness Home Cooking. Check out & order her DVD’s on her website, www.nourishingtraditionalcook.com 

Sally Fallon Morell – The Politics of Food

Monday 2PM EST on Blog Talk Radio – The Politics of Food

Who Should Attend Wise Traditions?

Doctors, nurses, nutritionists, dietitians, parents, students, food writers, food providers, farmers, public servants, teachers, patients, activists, agriculture professionals, people interested in nutrition, people with no interest in nutrition, people who love to cook, people who hate to cook, people who like to eat, Baby Boomers concerned about their health, grandparents concerned about their grandchildren, couples who want healthy babies, people who want answers, people who love controversy. . . and You!  Wise Traditions 2010

Sally Fallon Morell, MA (President and Treasurer), is a journalist, chef, nutrition researcher, homemaker, and community activist. She is the author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. This well-researched, thought-provoking guide to traditional foods contains a startling message: Animal fats and cholesterol are not villains but vital factors in the diet, necessary for normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease and optimum energy levels

Kevin Brown is President of Liberation Wellness and co-author of the Liberation Diet. He serves as a Fellow on the National Board of Fitness Examiners, and is president of Visionary Trainers. Kevin and his wife Tracy are Chapter leaders for the Weston A. Price foundation, a non-profit organization that is helping restore real food to its rightful place in the American diet.

Thank you to the many people who have called or emailed their Senators to urge them to amend or oppose S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act! The bill continues to be delayed and its future is unclear. But it still poses a threat to producers of local, nutrient-dense foods.

ACTION TO TAKE
If you have not yet called your Senators, please do so now! I cannot stress how important it is to make your voice heard on this issue. Urge them to support the Tester-Hagan amendments to exempt small-scale and direct marketing producers from the most burdensome provisions of the bill. Also encourage them to support the Senator Feinsteins proposal to ban Bisphenol A (BPA) from food containers because this endocrine-disrupting chemical has no place in our food.

You can find your Senators contact information at www.Senate.gov or by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or toll-free at 877-210-5351.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Several members have received responses from their Senators extolling provisions in the bill that allegedly help or exempt local food producers. Its very important that we continue to educate these Senators about the real impacts of the bill. Check out the questions and answers below for more information.

QUESTION: Does S. 510 help small farmers and local food producers?

NO! The bill does include provisions to try to reduce the burdens that will be imposed on small producers, such as providing for longer deadlines for compliance and directing FDA to consider various issues facing organic farms and small businesses. But none of these actually prevent FDA from imposing new, burdensome requirements. The provisions essentially tell FDA to be nice to local food producers, but do not create enforceable limits on the agency’s power.

The only enforceable limit is that FDA’s new regulations cannot contradict the regulations for certified organic producers. But many local food producers are not certified organic. And even certified organic can still be subject to additional regulations by FDA imposing impractical or unfair burdens, so long as the regulations dont directly contradict the organic regulations.

While the industrial food system is in need of reform, the well-publicized problems with food safety have not come from the sustainable, local food system. No one has demonstrated any need to have local producers regulated by FDA more than they already are! The Tester-Hagan amendments are a reasonable method for protecting local food producers from unnecessary and unfair regulations.

QUESTION: Are direct marketing farms exempt from the bill?

NO! Under the bill as written, all farmers raising produce are subject to the produce safety standards (section 105 of the bill) regardless of how they market their fruits and vegetables. The Tester-Hagan amendments are needed to protect direct marketing produce farmers from being told how to grow and harvest their crops by FDA bureaucrats.

QUESTION: Are direct marketing food processors exempt from the bill?

NOT CLEAR! Based on FDAs guidance documents, food processors who market directly to consumers might be exempt from the requirements for HACCP-type programs. But the language is far from clear, and subject to change any time FDA chooses.

The bills provisions for traceability and HACCP-type requirements are dependent on the definition of facility under the 2002 Bioterrorism Act. That Act exempted farms and retail food establishments from being categorized as facilities, but it did not define the terms. So the scope of these exemptions is defined by FDAs regulations and guidance documents, which can be changed by the agency without Congressional approval.

In addition, the current definitions do not appear to address the majority of our local food producers. Under FDA’s guidance document, a “retail food establishment” is an establishment that sells food products directly to consumers as its primary function. However, the FDAs definition of consumer excludes end users such as restaurants, local grocers, and schools. So many food producers who provide healthy, safe foods to these institutions would be subject to HACCP-type regulations under the bill and current definitions.

Moreover, the specific examples of retail food establishments are establishments such as grocery stores, convenience stores, and vending machine locations. Not only are farmers markets, farm stands, and CSAs not listed, but they may not qualify because they typically sell food at a different physical location than where the food is held, packed, or processed. Consider the typical example of a small-scale processor who buys local ingredients and makes jams, breads, cheeses, etc. to sell at the farmers market. It may be that the farmers market itself qualifies as a “retail food establishment” — but the commercial kitchen where the goods were prepared would not qualify, because the main purpose of that location is to process food, not sell to consumers. Different physical locations may mean different requirements under the FDAs definitions.

“Farms” are also exempt from registration requirements. But the definition of “farm” specifically excludes any place that manufactures or processes food, unless that food is consumed on location. Take a typical farm that processes some of its own fruit into jams. Farmer Joe argues that he is exempt from registration as a “farm.” FDA points to the fact that, if he’s selling any of that jam, he’s a facility because of the limitation on the definition of farm. While Farmer Joe might fit under the literal terms of the “retail food establishment” definition, FDA has a very strong argument that Congress wouldn’t have acquiesced in the narrow definition of farm if it intended these locations to be exempt.

The bottom line is that some direct marketing food processors would be exempt from the requirements as “retail food establishments,” but the FDA’s definitions do not appear to cover many of our local food producers, and FDA can change the definitions at any time. Local food processors are already regulated by the local and state authorities, and FDA regulation is not needed. The Tester-Hagan amendments are a reasonable way to protect small-scale businesses from overly burdensome and unnecessary regulations.

QUESTION: What is BPA?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in the linings of cans and in polycarbonate plastic, including some sports bottles, food-storage containers and baby bottles. It has potential links to a wide range of health effects, including an increased risk of diseases or disorders of the brain, reproductive and immune systems. A recent CDC study showed that more than 90 percent of Americans have BPA in their urine, suggesting that exposure to BPA is likely prevalent and ongoing. In January, the FDA changed its position on the safety of BPA, voicing some concern about its effects on children and infants, but stopped short of calling for a ban. Previously the agency had said trace amounts of the chemical that leach out of food containers are not dangerous, only later admitting that it relied on a small number of industry-sponsored studies

Kevin Brown is President of Liberation Wellness and co-author of the Liberation Diet. He serves as a Fellow on the National Board of Fitness Examiners, and is president of Visionary Trainers. Kevin and his wife Tracy are Chapter leaders for the Weston A. Price foundation, a non-profit organization that is helping restore real food to its rightful place in the American diet.

I received this the other day from my friend, Edwin Shank, an area organic, grass based raw dairy farmer.

Edwin and his family are doing things right, here in South Central Pennsylvania.  The farm is gorgeous, the jersey herd beautiful, and the products wonderful!

Below read the week’s newsletter wherein Edwin seeks to follow the logic behind the purported dangers of consuming unpasteurized dairy products.

Hello Friends,
Okay, so last week’s Fresh Thoughts on Fresh Food stirred your thinking a little.  Many of you liked it and passed it on to friends, but some of you had further questions… questions particularly about the ‘building of immunity’ approach to health instead of ‘kill all bacteria’ approach to health. Permit me to explain a little further.
As I stated last week, these are my answers, not necessarily the answer or your answers.
Let’s start with an analogy. According to the CDC, there are nearly 3800 drowning deaths per year in USA. That works out to a little more than 10 deaths by drowning per day. For every death caused by drowning there are another 4 near-drownings involving hospitalization, and many times permanent brain damage.
These are sobering facts. This is reality for some families somewhere in America every day. It is only normal for parents and others who care for the health and well being of our communities to ask the obvious question. What can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from a similar tragedy?
Since all drowning occurs in water, we might quite logically conclude that water is the enemy and that the best preventive would be to prohibit people from getting into water. Make laws. Pass regulations. Establish a Federal Drowning Prevention agency to enforce the laws. The FDP would arrest anyone who dared to violate the law which obviously was established for public welfare.
You see where I’m going with this. The alternative drowning prevention is to learn to swim and to teach your children to swim. The ability to swim makes you and your loved ones practically immune to drowning while avoiding water like the plague only leaves your family more vulnerable. More vulnerable since you can be sure that sometime in your life, in spite of your best attempts, and those of the FDP, you or your children will find yourselves unexpectedly in water without the least idea how to save yourselves.
Swimming does not make one 100% immune to drowning of course, so the FDP will always publicize a few highly emotional stories per year (complete with videos) in which those who were experienced swimmers still drowned. Parents who dared to risk their children’s lives by attempting to teach them to swim could be prosecuted for willful endangerment and their children taken from them. After all, they were willfully, carelessly, callously ignoring data from the CDC which irrefutably documents thousands of deaths per year caused by water.
I know this analogy is not perfect, so don’t drag me through the coals to tell me so, but there are many parallels.
About 5000 people die per year in America of food borne illness. These also are sobering facts.  And it is only normal for parents and others to ask the obvious question. What can we do to protect ourselves?
Many well-meaning people have concluded that bacteria are the enemy and so have set out to kill… set out to sterilize themselves and their environment. Kill all the bacteria! Fight BAC!  Buy Purell… put a dispenser in every room. Get antibacterial soap. Anti-biotics for every sniffle. Outlaw unpasteurized cider. Pasteurize nuts and almonds too. Outlaw raw milk and raw milk cheeses. These foods may contain pathogens!
There is only one problem with these bacteriaphobic actions and reactions. In spite of our best attempts, in spite of living in constant fear of the microbe and in spite of government efforts to pass food safety regulation… If we chose to live this way, we and our children will someday find that a stray bacterium has penetrated into our sterile bubble… and our artificially protected, flabby immune systems will have no defense against it.
The alternative defense against foodborne illness is to embrace bacteria as a part of a larger eco-system within which we humans try to integrate ourselves.  We focus on life instead of killing. Pro-biotic instead of Anti-biotic. This is what raw milk, raw kefir and raw cheese and raw kombucha tea are all about… building immunity and health!  We learn to swim and teach our children to swim.  Instead of fearing the water we relax and enjoy life as God created it!  We embrace living whole foods. Whole foods full of immunity building probiotic bacteria, living foods full of nutrient absorbing living enzymes. Whole living foods full of unadulterated, unprocessed, unmessed-with, cell-nourishing, cell-repairing raw fats and protein.
Only living foods give life. Only living foods full of a diversity of natural microflora from our local, natural environment can provide the education and information that our immune systems desperately need to actually protect us as God designed it.
God has designed the entire eco-system to live in harmony with bacteria. The sooner we drop our hubris and accept this humbling fact the wiser we will be.
God bless you all, Edwin Shank

Maureen Diaz is a certified Liberation Wellness Nutritionist, Educator, and Cooking Instructor. She works from home where she oversees the education and daily life of her large family. Maureen has also produced 3 cooking DVD’s including her latest available now, the Liberation Wellness Cooking DVD. For purchasing information email Maureen at: mamasfollies@gmail.com or visit her website, NourishingTraditionalCook.com, which is (sigh) still currently under construction.

Dear Friend of Nutrient-Dense Food,

Here in America, we all have the right to purchase and consume the foods of our choice, foods we need for our own health and the health of our families, right? Not according to the FDA! The FDA’s response to our current legal challenge shows us exactly what we are up against — and why the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund needs your continued financial support.

On February 19 of this year, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (the Fund) filed a lawsuit against the FDA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services to challenge federal regulations banning the transport and sale of raw milk across state lines. On April 26, FDA filed its response to the lawsuit, providing a public record of what the agency’s views on food freedom of choice really are.

Here are some of FDA’s shocking claims:

• “There is no absolute right to consume or feed children any particular food.”
• “Plaintiffs’ assertion of a ‘fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for
  themselves and their families’ is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish.”
• “There is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds.”

Fortunately, we have the Fund to defend our farmers
and consumers, and with a large membership and diverse financial support, the Fund will have the resources to protect your right to healthy food.

Three years ago, on Independence Day, July 4, 2007, the Weston A. Price Foundation helped launch the Fund to defend the rights and broaden the freedoms of family farms and to protect consumer access to raw milk and other nutrient-dense foods.

Here are some of the ways the Fund has put your money to work:

1. Challenging the FDA to Increase Our Access to Raw Milk
The Fund has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn two federal regulations banning raw dairy products for human consumption in interstate commerce. The suit is asking the court to declare FDA’s prohibition as unconstitutional and beyond its statutory authority. FDA is at the center of the opposition to raw milk, pressuring the states to outlaw its sale and distribution. Overturning the ban is key to securing access to raw milk throughout the U.S. The FDA’s response to the lawsuit has made it clear that this case is about more than just raw milk; it’s about keeping government from interfering with our food
choices.

2. Fighting NAIS to Preserve Our Family Farms
In 2008, the Fund brought a federal lawsuit challenging USDA’s implementation of the National Animal Indentification System (NAIS), the plan to require the electronic tagging and detailed tracking of all livestock. Although the judge dismissed the case, the lawsuit served to educate the public and the media about the problems with NAIS, as well as warn USDA and the states that they faced an organization prepared to challenge them in court. Thanks to these efforts, along with the activism of many other groups, USDA announced that it was dropping NAIS in February; but the agency is still talking about an animal traceability system, so we are watching developments carefully.

3. Defending Our Farmers in Court
Gone are the days when farmers stood alone in the courthouse to defend their principles. Now, the Fund’s legal team and the entire organization are there to stand beside our farmers in court. The Fund is leveling the playing field, making it more difficult for government agencies to use administrative and judicial proceedings to grind down farmers and drain their resources. Board member Tim Wightman remembers a time when farmers fought these battles alone. Just nine years ago, after a severe government action in Wisconsin, he lost his farm, restaurant and financial wellbeing running back and forth to Madison to defend himself, leaving farm partners and family at home to cover for him. What a difference the Fund is making for farmers subjected to legal actions these days!

4. Defending Our Farmers in Parking Lots
The Bechard Family Farm was sued by the Missouri Attorney General for having the audacity to distribute raw milk in a parking lot. I think we all feel for the Bechard’s teen daughters caught in this “sting operation.” Undercover agents allegedly purchased raw milk from the daughters, leading to the charges filed against the Bechards. The State is claiming that deliveries can only be made directly to the customers’ homes, even though a central delivery point is more convenient for both the Bechards and their customers — another example of the type of government intrusion we are up against.

5. Protecting Our Buyers Clubs, Food Co-Ops, and Cow-Shares
Cow-share operators, buying clubs and food co-ops have found a friend in the Fund, to help them navigate the sometimes tricky legal waters involving direct distribution of raw milk and other nutrientdense foods. Around the country, the Fund is working to protect the closer ties forged by farmers and consumers. The Fund consults with farmers on local, state and federal regulations along with labeling and contract issues, and advises members about their rights.

6. The Fund Is In It for The Long Haul
Fund General Counsel, Gary Cox, Esq., has been fighting the Meadowsweet Dairy, LLC case on behalf of Steve and Barb Smith in New York for nearly three years to uphold the right of the LLC members to obtain raw milk and raw milk products from the dairy without government interference. The Fund is appealing a court ruling that anyone who makes raw milk available to consumers must get a permit, with the court finding that “consumers” are those who “consume something” — conceivably meaning that dairy farmers would even need permits to consume raw milk from their own cows. Gary recently won a victory for the Smiths when he persuaded a judge to throw out a two-and-one-half-year-old search warrant that a state agency wanted to execute against the Smiths.

7. Sounding the Alarm About Draconian Food Safety Legislation
The Fund’s timely action alerts and thorough, thought-provoking analyses have provided activists and media outlets with highly credible, accurate and footnoted articles about the dangers for farmers hidden in Congressional legislation HR-2749 and S-510. If passed in the current form, this legislation would severely hobble or even halt small farm sales and artisan production.

8. Handling Farm Legal Emergencies 24/7
The Fund receives a number of calls daily for advice ranging from labeling issues to emergency situations. The Fund takes emergency calls 24/7. These calls often begin, “An inspector is on my farm, what do I do?” The Fund attorney then walks them through a contentious inspection — over the phone — and talks directly to the inspectors if requested.

9. Respecting the Values and Beliefs of Farmers of All Faiths
When the Fund heard that members of Anabaptist faith couldn’t join the Fund, due to religious beliefs that prohibit them from joining organizations that engage in litigation, the Fund created a new tier of services, called “Non-Member Consulting Agreements,” to provide those farmers with valuable legal counsel.

10. Putting Your Money to Work
Thanks to your support, the Fund is able to stand by the Bechards and Smiths as well as many other farmers including Chuck and Diane Phippen, of Breese Hollow Dairy in New York, Wayne and Kay Craig of Grassway Organics and Mark and Petra Zinniker in Wisconsin, John and Jackie Stowers of Manna Storehouse in Ohio, Mark and Blaine McAfee of Organic Pasture’s Dairy and Ron Garthwaite and Collette Cassidy of Claravale Farm in California. The Zinniker family says that without the Fund’s free legal representation for them, the financial burden would have been too much to bear, and the oldest biodynamic farm in the country would have folded.

I encourage you to join or renew your membership in the Farm-to- Consumer Legal Defense Fund — if all the members of the Weston A. Price Foundation also became members of the Fund, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund would be a force to be reckoned with! And, if you can, please make a donation. If you want your donation to be tax-deductible, you can make your check out to the Fund’s sister organization, the Farm-to-Consumer Foundation, which provides charitable relief, education and support for public interest litigation.

I look forward to writing you again next year, with another progress report. Thank you in advance for your support.

Yours in good health and farm freedom!

Sally Fallon Morell, President
The Weston A. Price Foundation

P.S. Please join me at a special event for those who donate $250 or more to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. The Benefactor Appreciation Event will be held at Polyface Farm in Swoope Virginia on Saturday, September 11, 2010. It will feature a two-hour hay wagon tour of Polyface Farm by Joel Salatin and a festive farm lunch with the Polyface family and interns.

P.P.S. Joel’s newest book, The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer, will be released September 1. We are happy to offer a free book to anyone who donates to the Fund at the $100 level by September 1, 2010.

Kevin Brown is President of Liberation Wellness and co-author of the Liberation Diet. He serves as a Fellow on the National Board of Fitness Examiners, and is president of Visionary Trainers. Kevin and his wife Tracy are Chapter leaders for the Weston A. Price foundation, a non-profit organization that is helping restore real food to its rightful place in the American diet.

http://register.holisticmoms.org/

Kevin Brown is President of Liberation Wellness and co-author of the Liberation Diet. He serves as a Fellow on the National Board of Fitness Examiners, and is president of Visionary Trainers. Kevin and his wife Tracy are Chapter leaders for the Weston A. Price foundation, a non-profit organization that is helping restore real food to its rightful place in the American diet.

Kevin Brown is President of Liberation Wellness and co-author of the Liberation Diet. He serves as a Fellow on the National Board of Fitness Examiners, and is president of Visionary Trainers. Kevin and his wife Tracy are Chapter leaders for the Weston A. Price foundation, a non-profit organization that is helping restore real food to its rightful place in the American diet.