USA Farmer Faces Over 2 Years Jail, $10K Fines for Feeding Community

[goodsamaritan]

To our American friends.
How and when will idiotic laws like these  be changed / fixed / destroyed?

Food rights activists from around North America will meet at the Sauk County Courthouse in this tiny town on May 20 to support Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger and food sovereignty. Hershberger, whose trial begins that day, is charged with four criminal misdemeanors that could land this husband and father in county jail for up to 30 months with fines of over $10,000...

The Wisconsin Department of Agricultural Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) targeted Hershberger for supplying a private buying club with fresh milk and other farm products.

DATCP has charged Hershberger with, among other things, operating a retail food establishment without a license. Hershberger repeatedly rejects this, citing that he provides foods only to paid members in a private buying club and is not subject to state food regulations.

Hershberger says:

    There is more at stake here than just a farmer and his few customers -- this is about the fundamental right of farmers and consumers to engage in peaceful, private, mutually consenting agreements for food, without additional oversight.

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/05/farmer-faces-over-2-years-jail-10k.html

[eveheart]

Yes, "there is more at stake here than just a farmer and his few customers -- "

IMO, Herschberger is a small fish that got caught in a net intended for the big fish. Th US is a very large country, and most food transactions do not occur between "just a farmer and his few customers..." With a rural population of under 18%, "farmers and consumers [do not get to] to engage in peaceful, private, mutually consenting agreements for food, without additional oversight."

What the oversight means to me, in California's third largest city, is that some farmer cannot sell diseased product to the buyer at a grocery chain at a terrific price [wink, wink] and pass the savings on to me, lure me into their store, sicken me and my family. I like laws that protect me by creating transparency and oversight.

Breaking the law, or blatantly trying to sneak around it, weakens the natural farmer's position. By ignoring the law, he is declaring that he is putting his self-interest above the rest of the country. He is rubbing salt in the wound by claiming that he did it for the benefit of his customers.

Changing a law by legal means is a lengthy process, but it is possible. As far as I am concerned, farmers like Herschberger take one step backwards for all of us when they give the wholesome food movement a bad name.

[cherimoya_kid]

Your fears have precedence over the life of an honest man, who has the ability and desire to provide a safe and healthy product to people he knows personally?

I find all the excessive libertarianism around here pretty ridiculous, but...unleashing a police state on an honest, competent farmer seems a bit worrisome.  The laws are to protect people from the bad guys.  Hershberger's not one of the bad guys.

[eveheart]

I look at the title "honest man" and I cannot see how to apply that to a person who is breaking a law, even using wording to make himself appear honest. I am all for civil disobedience, but in the case of civil disobedience, the lawbreaker admits to the act and takes the punishment.

I am all for changing or eliminating stupid laws, but I do not agree with the method used by this farmer.

[svrn]

There is nothing honest about following the law.

[cherimoya_kid]

I look at the title "honest man" and I cannot see how to apply that to a person who is breaking a law, even using wording to make himself appear honest. I am all for civil disobedience, but in the case of civil disobedience, the lawbreaker admits to the act and takes the punishment.

I am all for changing or eliminating stupid laws, but I do not agree with the method used by this farmer.

States are a patchwork when it comes to raw milk legislation.  If he moved to Pennsylvania, where I believe this is totally legal, would that make you happy?

I personally think we need a good test case like this to take to the Supreme Court. I doubt those ignorant cowards would be willing to hear it, but health departments has no business regulating sales of raw milk.  I'm cautiously accepting of farm inspections and testing of product, within reason, but...do you really propose that he deserves jail for something that is totally legal in another state?  Something that involves the free choices of adults?

[eveheart]

According to the information, he is a proponent of his private buying club, not of legal raw dairy products. I think his is the wrong approach.

[goodsamaritan]

What is wrong with having a private buying club?

[eveheart]

Nothing is wrong with a private buying club, per se, but there would be no issue if raw dairy products were legal. How will Herschberger advance the cause of raw dairy if he skirts the main issue? Same thing happened recently in my city with the "goat shares" farmer, who insisted that his goats were "owned" by his customers because he had a signed contract with each customer. That piece of paper didn't make it so, and the money spent in his defense didn't help the cause one bit.

[goodsamaritan]

I must come from a 3rd world country with a totally different culture but I've just got to say this:

Why raw dairy products are ILLEGAL in the USA is stupid.

What is even more stupid is actual judges taking this stupid anti-raw dairy seriously.
What is even stupider is police force / sheriffs taking anti-raw dairy seriously.
Don't these people have better things to do?

I buy raw French cheese... must be illegal in the USA too.

It's time to repeal those anti-raw dairy products laws.

[svrn]

I must come from a 3rd world country with a totally different culture but I've just got to say this:

Why raw dairy products are ILLEGAL in the USA is stupid.

What is even more stupid is actual judges taking this stupid anti-raw dairy seriously.
What is even stupider is police force / sheriffs taking anti-raw dairy seriously.
Don't these people have better things to do?

I buy raw French cheese... must be illegal in the USA too.

It's time to repeal those anti-raw dairy products laws.

the last thing i would call raw milk prohibition is stupid.

it is part of a very ingenious and calculated anti human depopulation agenda.

it is genius not stupid.

[Projectile Vomit]

Why raw dairy products are ILLEGAL in the USA is stupid.

Not really. In the United States, the average gallon of milk is of such low quality and is produced in such unsanitary conditions that to drink it without pasteurization creates a high risk of the consumer getting sick. Raw milk, on a large scale, needs to be illegal and most milk producers know this.

There are a few milk producers in the US who aren't satisfied with delivering low quality milk produced in unsanitary conditions, and these very few producers who could safely sell their milk unpasteurized are trying to find ways to do that. The challenge from a regulatory standpoint is to figure out how to create opportunities for safe raw milk to be sold by respectable producers while preventing unsafe raw milk from being sold by unscrupulous producers who want to cash in on the higher price per gallon that raw milk typically fetches.

I'm in no position to judge whether Vernon Hershberger was or was not offering high quality milk. He might have been, or he might not have been. Either way he attempted to skirt the law and got caught, and now he gets to face the consequences.

[RogueFarmer]

Yes, "there is more at stake here than just a farmer and his few customers -- "

IMO, Herschberger is a small fish that got caught in a net intended for the big fish. Th US is a very large country, and most food transactions do not occur between "just a farmer and his few customers..." With a rural population of under 18%, "farmers and consumers [do not get to] to engage in peaceful, private, mutually consenting agreements for food, without additional oversight."

What the oversight means to me, in California's third largest city, is that some farmer cannot sell diseased product to the buyer at a grocery chain at a terrific price [wink, wink] and pass the savings on to me, lure me into their store, sicken me and my family. I like laws that protect me by creating transparency and oversight.

Breaking the law, or blatantly trying to sneak around it, weakens the natural farmer's position. By ignoring the law, he is declaring that he is putting his self-interest above the rest of the country. He is rubbing salt in the wound by claiming that he did it for the benefit of his customers.

Changing a law by legal means is a lengthy process, but it is possible. As far as I am concerned, farmers like Herschberger take one step backwards for all of us when they give the wholesome food movement a bad name.

You are so wrong. In this country we have the right of private contract. Period. That is the law in most states, but corporate tyrants try to overrule this law. This is supposed to be the land of the free, we are supposed to be able to put whatever we want into our own bodies.

[RogueFarmer]

I must come from a 3rd world country with a totally different culture but I've just got to say this:

Why raw dairy products are ILLEGAL in the USA is stupid.

What is even more stupid is actual judges taking this stupid anti-raw dairy seriously.
What is even stupider is police force / sheriffs taking anti-raw dairy seriously.
Don't these people have better things to do?

I buy raw French cheese... must be illegal in the USA too.

It's time to repeal those anti-raw dairy products laws.

In the USA generally the justice system takes every shot they can at honest law abiding people. They support drug cartels and dealers, corporations, private prisons, rapists, lawyers, black market smugglers and wall street bankers because that is where their paychecks come from, if they convicted all the criminals then they would be out of a job.

[RogueFarmer]

Not really. In the United States, the average gallon of milk is of such low quality and is produced in such unsanitary conditions that to drink it without pasteurization creates a high risk of the consumer getting sick. Raw milk, on a large scale, needs to be illegal and most milk producers know this.

There are a few milk producers in the US who aren't satisfied with delivering low quality milk produced in unsanitary conditions, and these very few producers who could safely sell their milk unpasteurized are trying to find ways to do that. The challenge from a regulatory standpoint is to figure out how to create opportunities for safe raw milk to be sold by respectable producers while preventing unsafe raw milk from being sold by unscrupulous producers who want to cash in on the higher price per gallon that raw milk typically fetches.

I'm in no position to judge whether Vernon Hershberger was or was not offering high quality milk. He might have been, or he might not have been. Either way he attempted to skirt the law and got caught, and now he gets to face the consequences.

The only reasons for this is because of government regulations which support the production of dangerous dairy products. If the government would get out of agriculture then the food factories would collapse literally in less than a year.

[svrn]

Did he break the LAw or did the law break him?

According to the constitution any unconstitutional law is not only null and void but is a crime in and of itself so the criminals are those who put him in jail.

[LePatron7]

the last thing i would call raw milk prohibition is stupid.

it is part of a very ingenious and calculated anti human depopulation agenda.

it is genius not stupid.

I've heard of this depopulation agenda theory. Just out of curiosity, is it believed that these depopulation people are eating all the healthy foods while everyone else gets sick? Or are they just as susceptible to sterility and illness as everyone else? I mean, they're obviously not raw dieters, right?

[svrn]

I've heard of this depopulation agenda theory. Just out of curiosity, is it believed that these depopulation people are eating all the healthy foods while everyone else gets sick? Or are they just as susceptible to sterility and illness as everyone else? I mean, they're obviously not raw dieters, right?

its not like they keep all the healthy foods for themselves because we could easily grow healthy food as well if it was legal. All the british royalty for example get all their food from farms they own with serfs who grow their food just like they did in the middle ages. There is no gm food allowed in the monsanto cafeteria. All the big political confrences (g20 g8 cfr bilderberg type stuff) only serve organic food (as well as the best prostitutes payed for by our tax dollar, not to mention lots of underage ones)

as far as the raw food goes I dont know how much raw meat they eat but I know they always have lots of meat at their functions including lobster and all of the best animal foods to eat as much as they want of. I do know for example that queen elizabeth is obsessed with raw dairy though and wont go anywhere without it. She even had it smuggled in for the prince while he was in college where it was illegal.

http://www.naturalnews.com/034747_raw_milk_Queen_Elizabeth_Canada.html

the caste system for food is alive and well believe you me. Thats why i spend so much more money on food than anyone else. Because the real food is so expensive.

[svrn]

also, they have access to very high level medical technology so eating raw may not be even necessary for them.

remember that while all of that medical knowledge is being used to kil the regular person right now, its all being put towards healing the higher classes.

angelina jolies recent mastectomy is quite the pickle though. Eithershe was not that high level (strange since she is a cfr spokesperson) to recieve the advanced medical technology or perhaps she sacrificed her breasts (quite common in occult circles, such things can be seen for example in nicholas schreck cutting off his own ear as a sacrifice) to achieve higher status. Or perhaps its all just a show for us.

i definitly dont believe george bush sr.'s recent hospitalization for one second, going to common poples hospital and all. I know for a fact that military hospitals have much better doctors and technology and as former head of the CIA he has no business staying in a commoners hospital.

Bill Clintons bullshit disease story is especially revealing. We are supposed to believe that he cured his diabetes by becoming a high carb vegetarian?!?!?LOL.. This should set of red flag for everyone on this forum. I dont believe for one second that this guy is vegetarian either. Simply being used to push the agenda once again. And why is bill clinton going to commoner hospitals as well when he also has access to the military doctors at least, as well as higher levels.

basically, we get all these stories about politicians getting sick all the time and it always stinks to high heaven. And these people always say that vegetarianism is what cured them.

[raw-al]

Nothing is wrong with a private buying club, per se, but there would be no issue if raw dairy products were legal. How will Herschberger advance the cause of raw dairy if he skirts the main issue? Same thing happened recently in my city with the "goat shares" farmer, who insisted that his goats were "owned" by his customers because he had a signed contract with each customer. That piece of paper didn't make it so, and the money spent in his defense didn't help the cause one bit.

It's tres unusual that I disagree with you, but on this one I have to.

There is a snowball's chance in you know where, that the vested interests will give up their milk monopoly. The other farmers don't want it, because they want to continue producing low quality milk. (possibly laziness or financial gain) Dairy's don't want to lose the business as they know that given a chance, small operations like his, will skyrocket. It's the way of the future and they know it. Farmers tend to be kapha (Ayurvedic designation for heavyset people who are set in their ways and want tomorrow to equal yesterday)

TOD,
I can't imagine anyone having a mastectomy for any reason other than they are at their wit'send. AJ may be rich and famous, but I doubt she put's her pants on two legs at a time.

There are so many cancer cures out there that really do work, but bear in mind that in order to find this stuff out, takes time, energy and a bit of dedication and the average Joe is too busy to try and frequently too stuck in their preconceived notions of "quackery". Doctors are very good at pulling out the snob card, calling people idiots for going to other health care providers. Steve McQueen showed that.

I and many others have a cornucopia of different ways of staying healthy, and to ditch cancer, diabetes, etc. but people do not want to listen or take it seriously, as they are so sucked in by the drug companies BS advertising and the ongoing efforts of their PR firm Quackwatch. http://www.bolenreport.com/feature_articles/Doctor's-Data-v-Barrett/quackwatch-fails-to-respond.htm

Re diabetes, there are ways of curing it without changing your diet, but you can also beat it with diet. A vege diet can be useful in certain cases, for a period of time, provided it is done correctly. Certain herbs help.

There have been studies with aboriginals in Australia and Canada who returned to their ancestral diet and way of life and dropped all their diseases/medications after not that long. Their ancestors had adapted to a feast or famine diet and so when us honky's came in and introduced the steady diet, they could not deal with it and disease set in.

BC is rather famous for his poor diet. Now whether this was just the media or not, I heard it was a habit http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/us-presidents-favorite-snacks.aspx#/slide-9 He is a jogger, so he is capable of a somewhat healthy way of life. People change

GB senior- People do things for reasons that transcend the obvious. I doubt he would donate his life to prove a point, although at times people do.

[svrn]

Ritual amputations are actualy quite popular all around the world. Just look at the jews whos every child is given to rabbi for genital mutilation followed by a brief bloody blowjob from the rabbi. Nicholas schreck of the church of satan  is quite popularly known to have cut off his ear solely for ritual purposes. The amazons are also said to have cut off one of their breasts for archery and other weapons use. I know that actors and such usually dont get access to this type of higher medical technology but all of angelina jolies involvement in world government/gun control issues/"womens health" issues(abortion)/"humanitarian aid" and her prominent involvement in such high level elite organizations such as the cfr led to believe that she must be a higher level operative. I may be wrong about this. She is also a (at least) second generation actress which would mean she may be part of a very old acting family. Anyway, theres many more suspicions I have about AJ but they are just musings, she isnt really that important in the long run even though shes definitly being used. This whole mastectomy thing may just be one huge psyop.

as far as GB and BC (his wife as well recently hospitalized) go. Its just a show to make us think that they are just like us. Nothing could be further from the truth. They live in a COMPLETELY different world from us, they believe they are a higher evolution of humanity than we are and a completely different species. They go through endless charades to convince us they are the same but dont be fooled. They are all closely related. Just the examples of George Bush sr and junior and bill clinton all looking the same as the royal family is so obvious. all thes people look completely the same and it can be backed up through genealogical records that go back a very long time. Most of our presidents were related, all of royalty is related around the world!

must stop ranting now...too much information too little that anyone would read....

[LePatron7]

TOD, you sound kind of crazy. I mean, believing the government is in cahoots with Monsanto and the pharmaceutical industry is one thing, and completely understandable. But do you really think there is better medical care for the elite and wealthy? Look at Steve Jobs. Dead.

Here's a list of presidents and how they died - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States_by_date_of_death

Seems like all of them died from serious illnesses.... Where was their "elite medical care?"

[goodsamaritan]

I think Steve Jobs died from all their electromagnetic experiments with their computer technology.  Wifi - 3G and its predecessors and future technologies.

"They" don't know everything.  I believe a bunch of the elite are raw paleo dieters like us.  Some of our members must be the elite in disguise.

One of my real healer friends has been invited in Hong Kong to serve only an elite club of friends in Hong Kong.

[LePatron7]

"They" don't know everything.  I believe a bunch of the elite are raw paleo dieters like us.  Some of our members must be the elite in disguise.

One of my real healer friends has been invited in Hong Kong to serve only an elite club of friends in Hong Kong.

I was thinking something like that. Like with Queen Elizabeth and her raw milk and their organic foods. Maybe in some parts of the world those really high up eat raw diets like us. Unlikely, but possible.

[raw-al]

I think Steve Jobs died from all their electromagnetic experiments with their computer technology.  Wifi - 3G and its predecessors and future technologies.

"They" don't know everything.  I believe a bunch of the elite are raw paleo dieters like us.  Some of our members must be the elite in disguise.

One of my real healer friends has been invited in Hong Kong to serve only an elite club of friends in Hong Kong.

It's also possible that SJ is not dead.

In order to make a lot of money someone has to have a few clues so if they are so inclined they may indeed do other bright things in their life. Each one of us is at a different level of the tree of life Grasshopper.