Category Archives: Personal Rights and Food Freedom

Powerful Words from Gandhi–How to Turn Anger into Effective Action

Wise words from Gandhi teach us that the best use of our anger towards the injustices we see or experience is to be actively involved in creating solutions to the problem and practice non-violent resistance. This principle can be applied to anything in our lives. It takes great insight and self-control to use our energy in this way.

I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power that can move the world.
– Mahatma Gandhi

From Eknath Easwaran’s Thought for the Day

Mahatma Gandhi provides a perfect example of how anger can be harnessed. As a young, unknown, brown-skinned lawyer traveling in South Africa on business, he was roughly thrown from the train because he refused to surrender his first-class ticket and move to the third-class compartment. He spent a cold, sleepless night on the railway platform.

Later, he said this was the turning point of his life: for on that night, full of anger because of this personal injustice, as well as the countless injustices suffered by so many others every day in South Africa, he resolved not to rest until he had set those injustices right. On that night he conquered his anger and vowed to resist injustice, not by violence or retaliation, but through the loving power of nonviolent resistance, which elevates the consciousness of both oppressed and oppressor.

We may never be called on to liberate a people or lead a vast nation, but Gandhi’s example can apply in a small way in our own lives, when we decide to return good will for ill will, love for hatred, in the innumerable little acts of daily life.

The Obstacle in Our Path…

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King’s’ wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Today, what can you do to help make positive change happen? We need every person. We can change our food supply, our environment, our government… anything we can see clearly we can change. What can you do today?

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

The Irony of Governmental Raids on Small Family Farms in the Name of “Food Safety”

The raids on small family farms, like the Hershbergers–in the name of inspections for food safety and the like –are totally ludicrous as we all know. They are big agri- business’ and government’s desire to control the food supply in support of our arcane industrial farming industry–where farmers can’t make a decent living except through joining the ranks of super sized, subsidized farms for our fast food nation.

Below is a poignant letter I received talking about just how ridiculous regulating small farms in the name of protecting people from “bacteria” really is–as if monitoring small farms for bacteria count in their milk is really a big problem…. In our germaphobic and immunity compromised population, real food from small family farms is our only hope for building people’s health and repairing our destroyed food supply.

I’d like to see the corresponding numbers as to the food that is ‘monitored’.  We seem to have no rules of hygiene for the many foreigners and folks who decide to sell their own food in PUBLIC restaurants. The people who check these things out should have a sincere learning of bacteria and foods, with server’s finger nails, jewelry and facial hair.   It’s disgusting.  I would prefer buying milk or food from someone I know, someone who is not bamboozled by big corporations.

I have seen fast food restaurants where servers lean over the food and their dirty apron touches it; drinks and ice cream handed to you with hands that have dirt under the nails.

I was in a meat market where food dropped on the floor was picked up and packaged… by the manager! The workers and delivery people come in and walk all round the meat handlers…. their shoes have stood next to toilets, walked on the sidewalks and streets where people spit, and sometimes blow their nose, and where dogs pee. Those same shoes walk around the fresh meat tables, and the meat that has fallen to the floor gets every chance of being contaminated.. yet is put back with the rest of the meats.

Hand gels do not disinfect. Only hot water and soap can get near disinfecting. In Chicago, I saw water dripping through the ceiling tile onto the counter and it was ignored!! The clerk walked around the drip to hand me a sandwich… which I then refused. I was almost served by a man who decided to scratch himself beneath his belt and continue to handle fried chicken… right in Northbrook, IL.!!

Doesn’t ANYone take general science anymore?

I recently wrote an article about how Doctors and Nurses have long hair that constantly needs to be stroked back over the ears to keep it out of the eyes… and then handle a suture; a fresh cut. I abhor mustaches and beards around food or on Doctors. The hair is a magnet for the dangerous bacteria that drops out of a nose, or the saliva that lands on the beard. One nurse who chatted with me before a procedure was holding the needles, and tapping at the open cold-sore that was on her nostril. I actually watched the blood pressure on my monitor go up!

When I see a chef or cook wear rings and bracelets while they are sticking their hands in meats or salads, or stroking a smooth steak or raw salmon, I cringe. Where is the governing of our health here? On the other hand, you guys raid a small farm business for selling raw milk, robbing us of our choice of wholesome milk or shelved, stored contaminated milks and cheeses. Spend our tax money on things that really counts!! Let the small farms produce things that we can choose to use or not use. Stop forcing the consumer to buy things we know are unhealthy!

Judi Klinsky

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our nee-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

News Video–Wisconsin State Ag Admits it Has No Jurisdiction Over a Private Buying Club

The raid on Vernon Hershberger’s farm in Sauk County, Wisonsin is yet another demonstration of unconstitutional governmental interference in the private rights of law abiding citizens. When you listen carefully to the video link below, you will hear that the State Ag department admits it has no jurisdiction.

http://www.channel3000.com/localvideo/index.html?v=29206

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has been on the farm of Vernon and Erma Hershberger (Grazin’ Acres) three times in the past week. The Hershbergers have been selling products of the farm at their on-farm store to members of a private buying club. DATCP is trying to shut down their operation and has referred the matter to the Sauk County District Attorney even though there have been no complaints against Grazin’ Acres nor any record of food produced at the farm ever making anyone ill.

The Hershbergers need your help in order to continue to provide healthy food to the many members of the buying club.

ACTION TO TAKE
1.  DATCP has referred the Hershbergers’ case to the Sauk County District Attorney, Patricia Barrett, for potential prosecution. Everyone is urged to contact Barrett’s office and request that she not prosecute the Hershberger case.  Sauk County residents are especially encouraged to contact the District Attorney and inform her that you will not vote for her the next election if she pursues the Hershberger case. The District Attorney has already taken so many calls on this case that they are no longer accepting them; but you can still contact the DA’s office by email, fax and/or postal mail. Here is the contact information:

Patricia Barrett, Esq.
Sauk County District Attorney
Sauk County Court House
515 Oak Street
Baraboo, WI  53913
Phone (608) 355-3207
Fax (608)355-3282
patricia.barrett@da.wi.gov

2. Contact the Sauk County Sheriff’s office and urge them not to participate in any investigation of the Hershbergers.  Here is the contact information:

Randy Stammen, Sheriff
Sauk County Sheriff
Law Enforcement Center
1300 Lange Court
Baraboo, WI  53913
Admin Phone (608) 355-3207
Fax (608) 355-3598
rstammen@co.sauk.wi.us

3. Use the talking points at the end of this alert to persuade the County DA and the Sheriff not to pursue the Hershberger case.

4.  Enlist others to join in this campaign to help the Hershbergers and farms like Grazin’ Acres.

BACKGROUND
On June 2, DATCP officials, Jacqueline Owens and Cathleen Anderson along with Sauk County Health Department officials and deputies of the County Sheriff descended upon Vernon and Erma Hershberger’s dairy farm, Grazin’ Acres in Loganville, to execute a “special inspection” warrant. DATCP inspectors taped freezers in the Hershbergers’ farm store and placed a hold order on thousands of dollars of food in the store, mostly raw milk and raw milk products. Under the hold order, the Hershbergers were prohibited from selling or even moving any of the food in the taped freezers. DATCP sent inspectors out to the farm because the Hershbergers had refused to comply with an intrusive request by the agency for documents and information going back over seven years.

The Hershbergers’ on-farm store sold products only to members of the private buying club. Vernon told reporters that under the Constitution, he was allowed to enter into private contracts and that DATCP had no jurisdiction over his operation. DATCP has referred the matter to the Sauk County District Attorney.

On June 8, Owens and Anderson returned to the farm without a warrant, attempting to conduct another inspection of the farm store. Vernon refused the request for an inspection and the officials left his premises. Before leaving, they served Vernon a ‘Special Order’ which could subject him to fines of up to $5,000 per violation if he is not in compliance with Wisconsin food and dairy laws.

On June 10, Owens and Anderson again returned to the farm, this time with a warrant but the store doors were locked; so, again they left without searching the store.

POINTS TO MAKE
1. The County DA and Sheriff should not be spending taxpayer money, pursuing cases like this in which there is no victim or injury. There has been no complaint filed by anyone against the Hershbergers.

2. The only injury in a case like this occurs when the farmer or food distributor is prosecuted and consumers who were obtaining foods they deem best for their health and the health of their families have now lost their source of those foods.

3. The right of consumers to obtain the foods of their choice from the source of their choice is a political issue; cases like this in which there has been no injury do not belong in the courts nor should the Sheriff be participating in any investigation of them. The County DA and Sheriff should exercise their discretion not to get involved in these cases.

4. With the tough economic times and all the cutbacks in government spending, the County DA and Sheriff should not be using their remaining enforcement dollars pursuing victimless crimes.

5. Let the County DA and Sheriff know how food direct from farms has benefited your health and the health of your family.

The Hershberger farm has been providing high quality pastured foods and raw milk to a members-only buying club. These private lease buying clubs and Herd lease/cow-share programs will save the small family farm from bankruptcy across our nation, take back our constitutional rights and transform our damaged food supply.

Who’s your farmer?………….

To locate a cow-share/private buying club in your area, see www.realmilk.com

Thanks for your help in saving this small family farm!
Kathy

The Canary in the Mine–The Autism One Conference and the American Rally for Personal Rights

Chicago was the central think tank and activism center of the world for autism and vaccination choice last week during the Autism One Conference and the American Rally for Personal Rights. The Autism One conference and the American Rally for Personal Rights were strategically connected into one week as they partnered to create a massive exchange of solutions to our most serious health issues—damage to the human body through toxic overload. Continue the article at: http://hartkeisonline.com/2010/06/02/autism-one-conference-and-the-american-rally-for-personal-rights/#more-6548

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Farmer May Go to Jail for 180 Days

An unbelievable story–what will the government resort to next–don’t they have better things to do? Undercover agents for raw milk–this is an unfathomable abuse of power against an innocent farmer and his honest partnership with his co-op members. This must be stopped. What country do we live in? Please read the entire story at http://wp.me/phmll-12v

FDA Steps up Enforcement Against Raw Milk–Take Action

action alert farm to consumer legal defense fund

In This Issue
The Raid
The Interstate Ban
FDA’s Strategy
Raw Milk & Your Freedom of Food Choice
Take Action
Mr. Sheehan’s Contact Information


April 26, 2010

THE RAID
On April 20, two FDA agents, two federal marshals and one state trooper descended on the Kinzer, Pennsylvania farm (Rainbow Acres) of Dan Allgyer to execute an administrative search warrant against Allgyer’s premises.  The group set foot on the farm at 5 a.m. to conduct the inspection even though the warrant called for the inspection to take place “at reasonable times during reasonable business hours.”  The warrant allowed the FDA agents to inspect “all portions of Rainbow Acres facility (except for the private residence located therein) and all things therein, including all equipment, finished and unfinished materials, containers and labeling therein.”  The warrant also called for the “use of reasonable force” to gain entry to any area the agents were authorized to search.

Later that day after the agents reported their findings to officials at FDA’s Philadelphia district office, Philadelphia District Director Kirk Sooter sent Allgyer a warning letter stating that FDA had determined that “you are causing to be delivered into interstate commerce, selling or otherwise distributing raw milk in final package form for human consumption, such distribution is a violation of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, Title 42 United States Code, Section 264(a), and the implementing regulation codified in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 1240.61(a).”

THE INTERSTATE BAN
The regulation [21 CFR 1240.61(a)] issued by FDA in response to a 1988 court order provides, in part, that “no person shall cause to be delivered into interstate commerce or shall sell, otherwise distribute, or hold for sale or other distribution after shipment in interstate commerce any milk or milk product in final package form for direct human consumption unless the product has been pasteurized.”

The statute [42 USC 264(a)] authorizing FDA to issue the regulation prohibiting raw milk for human consumption in interstate commerce provides, in part, “The Surgeon General, with the approval of the Secretary, is authorized to make and enforce such regulations as in his judgment are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases…from one state or possession into any other state or possession.”  In FDA’s view all raw milk is a communicable disease and is “adulterated”; so, a product that is legal to sell under the laws of two neighboring states is a “communicable disease” and illegal when it crosses from one neighboring state into another.  The federal ban on raw milk is a prohibition on a product that is legal to sell or distribute in at least twenty-nine (29) states and legal to consume in all fifty (50).

FDA’S STRATEGY TO TARGET FARMERS & ACHIEVE STATE-BY-STATE BANS
In spite of the booming demand for raw milk, FDA’s position has not changed.  The agency is at the center of the opposition to raw milk and wants a complete ban on the product’s sale and distribution.  In the Chicago area, the FDA has targeted for enforcement (one at a time) twenty (20) different buying clubs the agency suspects of having obtained raw milk from out-of-state sources.  FDA has a similar strategy for the states, with the plan being to pressure one state at a time to ban raw milk sales.    If the food safety legislation currently before Congress passes, FDA will have increased leverage over the states so this threat will be greater; the agency does not have the manpower to conduct the inspections mandated by the food safety bill(s) and will in effect be putting state agriculture and health department employees on the federal payroll to carry out its workload.

In taking action against farms, like Rainbow Acres, whom FDA suspects of transporting raw milk across state lines, the agency is attempting to deny the people’s right to obtain the food of their choice from the source of their choice.  FDA allows Vioxx, Avandia, melamine, aspartame, and genetically modified foods on the market but is now trying to take off the market a food that has benefited human health for thousands of years.  Interestingly, there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution nor in any Supreme Court decision that specifically mentions freedom of food choice.  Freedom of food choice is ‘the rights issue’ of the twenty-first century; ultimately, consumers will be the ones to win the fight.

RAW MILK & YOUR FREEDOM OF FOOD CHOICE

Raw milk is at the heart of the battle for food freedom.  The key to securing the right to obtain raw milk from the source of choice is to overturn the federal ban; without the ban, FDA will not be able to put the pressure on states that it currently does to make raw milk sales and distribution illegal. Efforts are being made to overturn the ban.  In February of this year, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in federal district court seeking a court ruling that the federal ban is unconstitutional as applied to its members and other individual plaintiffs. Congressman Ron Paul last year introduced HR 778, a bill that would effectively overturn 21 CFR 1240.61.

Readers can do their part to help by contacting FDA and asking that the agency not harass farmers like Dan Allgyer whom the agency suspects of transporting raw milk across state lines.  John F. Sheehan, the Director of FDA’s Division of Plant and Dairy Food, is the official most responsible for carrying out FDA’s agenda of completely banning the sale and distribution of raw milk.  Sheehan has stated:  “Raw milk should not be consumed by anyone, at any time, for any reason.”

TAKE ACTION
Call, fax and/or write Mr. Sheehan at the contact information provided below, telling him to leave Dan Allgyer alone.  Here are some points to make:
1.  FDA should respect the right of consumers to obtain the food of their choice.
2.  FDA has no business trying to deny consumers the right to drink raw milk since consumption of raw milk is legal in all fifty states.
3.  Consumers are perfectly capable of making food choices for themselves and their families and don’t want FDA dictating what foods they should and should not consume.
4.  If FDA has no choice but to “enforce the law” then the agency should advocate for overturning that law.
A sample letter to Mr. Sheehan can be found at
Click Here for Sample Letter
NOTE:  FDA has never taken action against any individual obtaining raw milk for their own consumption from another State; but it is possible that FDA could interpret the ban to include prohibiting even consumers from crossing state lines to get raw milk.  FTCLDF strongly disagrees with this interpretation and takes the position that people have the right to cross state lines to obtain the foods of their choice.

MR SHEEHAN’S CONTACT INFORMATION

John F. Sheehan, Director
Div. of Plant and Dairy Food
Office of Food Safety
CFSAN-FDA
Bldg. CPK-1, Rm. 3D-055
5100 Paint Branch
College Park, MD  20740

Main phone for Office of Food Safety
1-301-436-1700

(If the receptionist refuses to put you through to Mr. Sheehan, respectfully leave a message.)

Fax 1-301-436-1700

Thanks,

Pete Kennedy, Esq. – President

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Which Country Would you Choose?

  • What if we lived in a country where basic decisions about policies were based on how much profit could be made?
  • What if we lived in a country where policy decisions could be bought and sold?
  • What if we lived in a country where the foods that our children ate largely had no nutrition whatsoever?
  • What if we lived in a country where our schools had vending machines and lunch programs that offered children absolutely no nutrition?
  • What if we lived in a country where the majority of the advertising focused on foods that had no nutrition whatsoever?
  • What if we lived in a country where chronic illness was rising at exponential rates?
  • What if we lived in a country where there was an exponential growth of the numbers of children suffering severe illness and brain disorders?
  • What if we lived in a country where infertility was experienced by the majority of females?
  • What if we lived in a country where prescription drugs and drug therapies were considered the answer to our serious health problems?
  • What if we lived in a country where prescription and over-the-counter drugs were advertised as an answer to our health problems?
  • What if we lived in a country where the right to choose to purchase foods that could provide optimal nutrition from small farms was in jeopardy?
  • What if we lived in a country where the basic right to choose what the quality of food we put in our mouth was at risk?
  • What if we lived in a country that did all of the things on this list?

Do you think this kind of country would be facing a financial and health disaster?

  • What if we lived in a country where basic decisions about policies were based on how these decisions would affect the well-being of our population for generations to come?
  • What if we lived in a country where policy decisions could not bought and sold?
  • What if we lived in a country where the foods that our children ate had extraordinary nutrition based on traditional methods of agriculture?
  • What if we lived in a country where our schools had vending machines and lunch programs that offered children nutrient-rich food?
  • What if we lived in a country where the majority of the advertising focused on foods that had optimal nutrition?
  • What if we lived in a country where chronic illness was almost never seen because people’s diets protected them from disease?
  • What if we lived in a country children rarely suffered severe illness and brain disorders?
  • What if we lived in a country where infertility was unusual and most children were born healthy?
  • What if we lived in a country where prescription drugs were considered unnecessary?
  • What if we lived in a country where prescription and over-the-counter drugs were considered poor solutions to our health problems?
  • What if we lived in a country where the right to purchase foods that could provide optimal nutrition from small farms was never an issue and industrial raised foods were obsolete?
  • What if we lived in a country where the nutrient quality of food we eat was at the basis of all decisions we made about food policies?
  • What if we lived in a country that did all of the things on this list?

Do you think this kind of country would be protected from a financial and health disaster?

Visualize the country you would like to have. Vote with your pocketbook. Support real food.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Do You Value the Freedom to Choose the Food you Eat?

Do you value the freedom to choose what you would like to eat. Do you value the freedom to choose the foods you want your family to eat? Max Kane may be going to jail for helping people to obtain a healthy source of food. See this link to an important website and video. rawmilkparty.com.

Please send this on to others.

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Our Rights to Real Food/ Small Farm’s Rights to Produce Real Food

The right of both consumers to quality foods and small family farmers to produce these foods is a primary issue today. Industrial farming and pharmaceutical giants with deep pockets to maintain power are behind the legislation that is aimed and literally criminalizing our rights to this basic freedom. Mahatma Gandhi said: Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. This video represents the work we have ahead of us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLJ_ThE02Hg

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle