Right To Choose Healthy Food volunteers, farmers and club members wish to thank
Dr. Aajonus Vonderplanitz
for his tireless work to help us legally obtain raw milk
and other healthy foods.
Aajonus formed Right To Choose Healthy Food Trust in 1999 while waging his campaign to make raw milk legal in Los Angeles County. Medical Milk Commissioners had been gradually banning raw milk over 5 years. They made restriction on it so strenuous that raw milk did not pass certification half the time and finally bankrupt our main California raw dairy farm. In 2001, Aajonus, nearly single-handedly won the Board of Supervisor's vote in favor of raw milk without certification and normal milk restrictions were legislated. It affected the entire State of California and put the Medical Milk Commissioners out of a job.
In 2004, Aajonus began to design a method where leases were made between RTCHF and farmers, and created clubs in which its members were the beneficiaries of the leases. The leases secured members’ ownership of farm animals. Since ownership is not outlawed, members could pickup and transport their raw dairy anywhere without government intervention. (In U.S., we have about 80 years of legal precedence regarding lease agreements but relatively none regarding herd-share agreements.)
Finally in 2005, his method was tested in Los Angeles when the County health department trespassed onto Venice branch of Rawesome Club and cited it for not having licenses and food permits to sell food. Aajonus made calls and issued letters stating that all foods came from animals that members owned and therefore were free of government jurisdiction. It proved to be legally sound. The County, failing to respond to the letter and dropping the citation, was proof that government had no legal jurisdiction.
In 2006, the FDA and Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture cited the Amos and Jacob Miller farms for producing raw milk without licenses and permits. Aajonus wrote the legal briefs for both of them, proving government did not have jurisdiction over the farmers or members’ rights to raise and consume food as they desired. The health departments and deputy city attorney walked out of the courtroom without objections to Aajonus’ Motions to Quash or Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction.
All members of co-op clubs signed under RTCHF are protected owners of food rather than buyers of food. That eliminates any relationship of food sales and commerce (selling to the public). Each member pays a $25 yearly membership fee to RTCHF. Some people ask, how are those funds used? Aajonus has used those funds to pay expenses for office, printing, travel and clerical help for RTCHF-related functions only and about $2,000 dollars for himself for hundreds of hours work yearly.
In 2007, Aajonus and a team of 5 people used most of the donations collect up to 2007 to lobby every congressperson in Washington, D.C. to get a raw-milk bill written. They rented a town house and worked 9-16 hours daily and 6-7 days weekly. RTCHF's team faxed in the morning and evenings, made appointments with congresspersons and kept them from 9 AM to 5 PM in congressional offices. For 2 days, together they rewrote and rewrote Aajonus and Dr. Douglass' "Report In Favor Of Natural (Raw) Milk." They had them printed and bound in spiral notebook form and delivered them to every congressperson. They sat for 20-60 minutes at official offices educating Congresspersons or their executive staff.
They all worked long and hard. Aajonus worked up to 20 hours daily, regularly to accomplish as much as possible to educate D.C. about the marvelous benefits that many people achieve by consuming raw milk. Jeff Slay, RTCHF's' Vice President, stated that he was amazed that 95% of all the congressional people were completely unaware that raw dairy was healthful and that is was not dangerous as they had been brainwashed into believing.
In 2009, volunteer Scott Robinson, Ph.D. spent 3 months scheduling a meeting between Ralph Nader, Congressman Ron Paul and Aajonus to discuss raw milk and garner Ralph Nader's support for our raw-milk bill. Scott confirmed with both Mr. Nader and Cong. Paul three times within 10 days prior to their scheduled meeting. Aajonus flew from Los Angeles and Jeff Slay from St. Louis to DC for the meeting in Cong. Paul’s offices.
Ralph Nader failed to show. Instead a well-dressed attorney was there who made it very clear, several times, that he was not there to represent Mr. Nader. So, we wondered, why was he there? We discussed the raw milk issue and several times were interrupted by the attorney making common rhetorical statements about the dangers of raw milk. He thought that we should completely outlaw it because it carried diseases. He failed to show any proof, only delivering rhetoric. He thought that government should dictate that people cannot drink raw milk.
Well, anyone who knows Cong. Ron Paul, who is also a Medical Doctor, would guess his reaction. Cong. Paul lashed out at him as if Ron were the man's father, telling him we did not need a bunch of government nannies telling us what we can eat. "We are talking about healthy raw milk, not some toxic drug," Cong. Paul said. It completely threw our meeting off course and we did not discuss much of how we could get support for the raw-milk bill.
The bill failed because it was presented at the end of the congressional year and had no co-sponsors. That was disappointing because 46 congresspersons had committed to co-sponsor and/or support the bill if we got another congressperson to write and introduce the bill. But we know most politicians lie to get public support face to face but when your not there, they do the opposite.
However, We continue to wage the battle for raw milk and other raw foods. Additionally, when a farmer is raided and attacked by government agencies and goes to Aajonus for help, he has been there to issue letters barring government agencies from farmers and club members, rightfully protecting them from government jurisdiction.
We thank all of our members for their donations and membership fees
for all of those years that helped fund Aajonus' tireless work to protect farmers from bankruptcy or closure by government's anti-raw-milk zest, and protecting club member's right to own, transport and consume raw dairy and other healthful organic foods, and to educate the public about the benefits that most people attain from consuming raw dairy products.
NOTICE
Any and all lawsuit-funds raised by RTCHF, Aajonus Vonderplanitz and its staff are never used to protect farmers or clubs’ real-estate property. RTCHF activities are restricted to defending farmers’ and members’ rights to healthy food. Depending on the incident, RTCHF will raise and use funds to litigate raids of RTCHF-related farmers and clubs, such as the funds presently being raised to sue USFDA, CDA, LACDHS, City of L.A. and L.A. City Attorney for false arrest, confiscation of food, false warrant, and excessive force on June 30, 2010. We have only $47,000 toward our goal of $300,000. Please donate to RTCHF, POB 176, Santa Monica, CA 90406-0176 or at
www.RawMilk.org. Thank you.
Your donations are to offensively and defensively protect the rights of members to own, distribute and collect healthy food under Constitutional means and for no other purpose. Right To Choose Healthy Food Trust has no investment or equity in any property. Therefore any property problems with government, such as building and safety issues has nothing to do directly with rights to healthy food. To use such donated funds to resolve property and building and safety issues could be considered misappropriation of funds and exhaust funds for defending farmers and clubs rights to healthy food. At the Rawesome Club at Venice, CA, James Stewart built all buildings without permits and may not be permitted to use any of those buildings. His hiring attorneys to handle that situation is not related to Rawesome members' ability to acquire or transport healthy food. Rawesome may function at any location where building permits were obtained.
RIGHT TO CHOOSE HEALTHY FOOD TRUST THANKS
ALL OF ITS FARMERS, MEMBERS AND DONORS
HELPING US HELP YOU.
Judi Dawn
Treasurer
Right To Choose Healthy Food
