Farmageddon — A New Moovie Premiere

A new movie called Farmageddon is now being released and screened in LA, DC and New York–and we have a four-minute preview below. Kristin Canty, the producer, became so concerned at the government raids on small farms, she decided to capture the heart and heartbreaks of individual cases for the whole country to see.

The Journal has followed state and federal regulatory and enforcement actions since its inception and has posted over 60 stories. I have interviewed many of the victims of these raids and legal actions–all small, family farmers. The Farm War is a secret war– rarely do local, state or national media pick up on these atrocities. Thus, it is important for all those who love real food and farmers to stand up and do their part.

Internet Radio: Mr. Augie on Raw Milk and Food Freedom

Federal and state food safety police agencies are on the hunt for those people who consume raw milk and the farmers that produce it. However, the Milk Wars are not about safety at all and you will hear why in this 30-minute broadcast.

Mr. Augie (that’s me) will be on Ohio Public Square radio this evening (Thursday, June 9) at 6 pm EST or anytime after in the archived edition. The topic is farm fresh milk vs. regular store milk and food freedom. Ohio Public Square radio covers Ohio-specific and national  liberty news and issues.

Here is the direct link to the show. You can call in with your questions if you like.

If you are interested in finding safe raw milk locally and economically,  consider ordering our ePaper instant download.

Court Verdict on Manna Storehouse Food Coop; Results of a SWAT-like Team Raid on a Family Mini-Farm

The SWAT-like team raid in December 2008 of a food coop called the Manna Storehouse near LaGrange, Ohio (Lorain County) was heavily covered here at the Journal. Sheriff deputies and agents from Ohio Department of Agriculture and the county health department stormed the home while homeschool was in session with several children and were held at bay in a room for seven hours while agents confiscated food, computers and records. They did not obtain a food service license after it was requested by the health department.

FDA Dragon Slayer Speaks Out on Amish Raw Milk Sting

Attorney Jonathan Emord has brought down FDA eight times in federal court, six on grounds of First Amendment rights, including cases on health claims on dietary supplements. Congressman and Dr. Ron Paul calls Jonathan “a hero of the health freedom revolution” and says “all freedom-loving Americans are in [his] debt . . . for his courtroom [victories] on behalf of health freedom.”  I asked permission to post his article published today at Newswithviews.com and he immediately responded positively. Coincidentally, the rally in support of the Amish family busted was held today on Capitol Hill in D.C. Even a cow was brought in and raw milk from across the state line was enjoyed by all in defiance of FDA’s sting.–Augie

FDA Sting on Amish Rainbow Acres in Pennsylvania

Stepping across state lines to purchase raw milk is a federal offense already– even if it is legal in both states. The FDA is using this Amish family to prove their point. I think it might be time to start calling all these busts on families that produce fresh, nutritious, unprocessed milk to those that need it to maintain their health– religious persecution. – Augie

A new resource called Finding Your Safe Local Raw Milk  is an instantly downloadable $7 ePaper to help you find dairies in your area quickly. Read more about the $7 ePaper.

Yesterday’ story was on the FDA-led SWAT-style 80 man army storming a health supplement business in Oregon. Our story tonight on the Amish FDA sting was in the Washington Time yesterday.

A yearlong sting operation, including aliases, a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and surreptitious purchases from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania, culminated in the federal government announcing this week that it has gone to court to stop Rainbow Acres Farm from selling its contraband to willing customers in the Washington area.

The product in question: unpasteurized milk.

It’s a battle that’s been going on behind the scenes for years, with natural foods advocates arguing that raw milk, as it’s also known, is healthier than the pasteurized product, while the Food and Drug Administration says raw milk can carry harmful bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria.

“It is the FDA’s position that raw milk should never be consumed,” said Tamara N. Ward, spokeswoman for the FDA, whose investigators have been looking into Rainbow Acres for months, and who finally last week filed a 10-page complaint in federal court in Pennsylvania seeking an order to stop the farm from shipping across state lines any more raw milk or dairy products made from it.

The farm’s owner, Dan Allgyer, didn’t respond to a message seeking comment, but his customers in the District of Columbia and Maryland were furious at what they said was government overreach.

“I look at this as the FDA is in cahoots with the large milk producers,” said Karin Edgett, a D.C. resident who buys directly from Rainbow Acres. “I don’t want the FDA and my tax dollars to go to shut down a farm that hasn’t had any complaints against it. They’re producing good food, and the consumers are extremely happy with it.”

Read the full story in the Times. (and the many comments)

Take this FDA!

A word about this “dangerous” substance called fresh, whole unprocessed milk (targeted to be banned nationally by HHS/FDA/CDC by 2020)

A new resource called Finding Your Safe Local Raw Milk  is an instantly downloadable $7 ePaper to help you find dairies in your area quickly. Read more about the $7 ePaper.

Beware of Chinese Food-like Substances

Back in the day, purchasing an import meant luxury and affluence, including food; but not nowadays. Shopping for fish Saturday, cod was wild caught in Russia and processed in China, $4.99 a pound. I could have chosen (Agent) Orange Roughy from Vietnam or Gulf (Oil) Shrimp, but elected a frozen cod from New England. Food is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna to get– unless you know your food and your farmer.

Certified Organic Milk Is Not What It’s Whipped Up to Be

I grabbed another story today put out by Rady at her great blog called Food Freedom. Tom Philpot comes down on Horizon certified organic milk in this piece. It is rather easy to note the deceptive labeling of these products and that consumers are being skimmed for sure.

I had taken my shot at Organic Valley late last year when they banned raw milk sellers and herdshares and canceled some contracts nationally. At a meeting I attended last week, two OV reps and I discussed the action by the OV board. It is strictly a matter of liability and a tarnished public perception that could cream their sales should there be an sickness outbreak from an OV producer (ya know, how the national and state media outlets run crazy when two or more people get diarrhea for the raw milk). This is similar to the Whole Foods decision to take all raw milk off its shelves a month earlier. All of this has increased the demand for real milk from those who decide to deal in the true white stuff. Well, enough of my intro and on to tonight’s post giving Horizon milk a good whipping.–Augie

Despite Horizon brand, dairy giant Dean Foods really doesn’t get organic

By Tom Philpott
Grist

Dean Foods is by far the largest U.S. dairy processor. According to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Dean processes 40 percent of fluid milk consumed in the U.S., which it distrubutes in a dizzying array of brands. Its dominance extends to organic milk, too — Dean’s Horizon brand is the largest supplier of organic milk.

Dean’s Horizon organic milk generates plenty of controversy. For years, Horizon has been sparring with the watchdog group Cornucopia over its farming practices, like use of conventionally raised heifers on its certified-organic farms. Cornucopia also goes after Dean for putting additives in its “organic” products. The latest dust-up is over a new Horizon product called “Fat-Free Milk Plus DHA Omega-3.”

How the New Federal Food Safety Law Affects Farms and Food

Here is attorney Gary Cox’s analysis of the new Food Safety Control law. –Augie

Recent Food Safety Legislation – Part 1

By David G. Cox 

In November 2010, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Bill 510, the so-called “Food Safety Modernization Act” (the Act).  On December 21, the House voted to pass the Senate version of the bill, House Resolution 3082, which was signed into law by President Obama later that month.  

So, how exactly does Act affect the majority of small farmers and food producers?  Beginning at Section 6101 of H.R. 3082, the Act generally amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and expands the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate “articles” of food.  Specifically, the Act, in part, provides for the following: 

(1)   It narrows the definition of “facility” that must register with FDA under the Act yet eases the conditions under which FDA may “suspend” a facility’s registration status;

CAFOnated Meats, Eggs and Dairy

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are a highly destructive method of food production and is simply animal slavery. Chances are,  in CAFO-concentrated Ohio, CAFO expansions and new construction will likely double in the next five years . . . unless something is done quickly. The turning point for me was to see the video on the 32,000-cow confined dairy in Indiana. I would be much in favor of implementing massive DeCAFOnation programs setting those animals free.

Read DeCAFOnated Meats, Eggs and Dairy at the new Journal.

Anniversary of the Journal and ARMi– iShop and Living Food has Launched

Take our 30-second survey and tell us about yourself!

Hello Readers,

Me

We launched a special email management service called MailChimp for Alliance for Raw Milk Internationale (ARMi) and the subscription to the Journal.  A free sample of Living Food bulletin is available to those completing our easy 30-second survey. You can then proceed to enter your email address. You will then be able to:

• Subscribe freely to the Journal and make sure you get the Updates (if you subscribe already, please do take the survey also)
• Get a free sample of Living Food (both issues)
• Join up with the ARMi in your state– also free– and post your farm food freedom stuff there, or stuff related to the focal point, real milk.
• Help Annie and I make our system more efficient and effective, saving us time so we can keep developing it even faster. THANKS !!!

We converted to the MailChimp service to have better control of 1500 subscribers and to eliminate duplicate emails of Alerts and Posts (triplicate, in some cases). It is more problematic for those 10,000 estimated to be in the ARMi system not getting Alerts in their emails via Facebook messaging or getting to many duplicates.

December 12 marked our second anniversary of the Journal. I cannot tell you the great joy I have had providing my readers with information on real farm and real food– some my original articles and some by contributors. Having an outlet of expression has helped me immensely also.

Christmas Day marks the first anniversary of the ARMi with the opening of the Wisconsin Alliance for Raw Milk on Facebook and within a day I think we had over 500 members. Then Anji Sandage and I added ARMi units for all 50 states. Today, we probably have 10,000 fans all together, with another 14,000 in the Raw Milk Facebook site. (It sounds like a strong ARMi, but the response rate is not that good) The average state is about 200 fans with a high of 1600 in WI and the International site. Most need an Officer or two to keep the action up on the front, pages that is.  Unlike the real Army, ARMi is fun and easy. Join up with your state ARMi when you take the short survey!

The Journal has now clocked 280,000 page views in the 2 years with some days as low as 200 with highs over 800—with 2700 being the highest day yet. They come mainly from the US, Canada, UK and Australia but readers have come from all countries in the world except inner Africa. Thank you to all readers that have left comments.

The most successful venture (and the most fun and rewarding) is the launch of Living Food paper bulletins. I get to visit and learn about our sponsors all over Ohio and asking for their support of the bulletin by advertising. We also have at least 30 distributors also–mainly in the Canton Ohio area.

In the past two months we have put up an iShop (an online store) for health and nutrition eBooks and more! I am turning more of my attention to recovery and prevention of autism/neurological disorders, but I will be posting other topics such as food freedom and regulatory actions, and of course vaccination awareness.

From time to time, I will post some recipes and other hard-hitting, and unique commentary on the real food moovement, too. I will also write about new products and books and generate some revenues to help sustain our operations! I thank everyone who have purchased something already– before the grand opening.

Merry Christmas and a Great New Year!

Augie — David Michael Augenstein, M.S., P. Eng.

Take our 30-second survey and tell us about yourself!