Animal Farm 2009– Ohio Issue 2

Animal Farm 2009

by Augie

There are three cute videos below– including Animal Farm, The Meatrix and Store Wars which help to get the Vote NO on Issue 2 message across.

An Ohio constitutional amendment will be on the November ballot to create a Board for Livestock Care Standards. It will develop farm animal care and feeding standards to create rules to be enforced by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) The board will also consider agricultural best management practices, biosecurity on livestock farms, animal disease prevention, food safety and food production economics. See our entire series on the potential Animal Care and Feeding laws.

According to a number of sources, Issue 2 is meant for all farm animals and all farms. But is it meant for the Factory Farms and CAFOs? Not really.

Based on what is known, it seems like this could be “one small step for Little Chicken, one giant leap for Big Pig”— after all, as in George Orwell’s Animal Farm:

“all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”.

Manna Storehouse Raid Trial–to be Videotaped by CVN

UPDATE (10/7/09)– THE TRIAL WAS POSTPONED TODAY AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED TOMORROW, AT WHICH TIME THE NEW DATE WILL BE POSTED HERE.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Manna Storehouse/Farm Raid Trial Begins–to be Video Recorded by CVN

October 6, 2009 – Cleveland, OH – Courtroom View Network (CVN) of New York City has announced that it will video record the trial of Stowers vs. Ohio Department of Agriculture and Lorain County Health Department, according to today’s Journal of Whole Food and Nutritional Health. The trial will be held on October 8 and 9  (date pending) at the Lorain County Courthouse, 226 Middle Avenue in Elyria, Ohio.

The court case is the result of a before-Christmas 2008 Lorain County SWAT-team raid on The Manna Storehouse, an organic food coop in LaGrange, Ohio owned and operated by John and Jackie Stowers. The Stowers and their ten children and grandchildren were detained in one room of their home for six hours while the sheriff’s team confiscated sixty boxes of fresh farm food, computers, phones and business records. The food included USDA-certified meat from the Stower’s children’s mini-farm and the nearby Amish community. The Stowers were suspected of not having a retail food license, and the raid was instigated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Lorain County Department of Health. Son Chad, father of the baby and toddler and wife Katie also present during the raid, was serving with the Navy Seabees in the Operation Iraqi Freedom at the time of the incident.

The Stowers are charging the state and county with 119 complaints including unlawful search and seizure, illegal use of state police power, taking of private property without compensation, failure to provide due process and equal protection, and denied their inalienable rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including their right to grow and eat their own food and offer it to others. 

Rise and Expansion: Ohio, Los Angeles and Northern Virginia Connections to Whole Food and Nutrition

Before we get to the main article, which is to be published in the Winter issue of the prestigious international journal called Wise Traditions by The Weston A. Price Foundation, I will offer you a special treat. Together with Ohio chapters of WAPF, Ohio Connections has developed a statewide integrated network for communication and event announcements. Of course, Ohioans are welcome to join.

Ohio statewide group, Ohio Connections at http://wholefood.meetup.com/165

Canton Connections at http://wholefood.meetup/160
Cincinnati Connections at http://meetup.com/realfood
Cleveland Connections at http://meetup.com/clevelandconnections
Dayton Connections at http://meetup.com/dayton-nourishing-connections
Columbus Connections at http://meetup.com/columbus-nourishing-connections

We have added three new cities to the Meetups in the past month and are expecting to add three or four additional cities in the near future. Now to the story on Ohio, Los Angeles and Northern Virginia.

Ohio Farm Wars Start: Why 12 Major Sustainable Small Farm Orgs Oppose Ohio Issue 2– Animal Care and Feeding Laws

Please go directly to one of the Ohio Issue 2  Command Operations Centers for the latest, including an electronic Hot Button for you to use and an arsenal of posters, signs and flyers.

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Here is why food, farm and freedom groups all across the state and nation are opposed to Ohio Issue 2. Directly below is a Food and Water Watch release. This was passed on by one of our readers. Other statements follow. Then, on to the Animal Farm theme and hard-hitting commentary that follows.

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Dear Shareholders,

Grab the Issue 2 Hot Button. Spread it like manure.

Many of you have been asking where we stand on Issue 2 in Ohio,

please see below with attachments. Please pass on to family and friends
and please, please, please, get out and vote!
Thank you and God bless,
Dan Kremer
E.A.T. Food for Life Farm
www.eatfoodforlife.com

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We, the undersigned, oppose Issue 2, which would amend the Ohio state
constitution to create a Livestock Board with unchecked power over
livestock rules and regulations. We believe that this is an
inappropriate use of the Ohio constitution, and would set a dangerous
precedent by creating a permanent place for special interests in the
constitution.

*We further oppose Issue 2 for the following reasons:*