Category Archives: Sustainable Farming, Health, Soil and Environment

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

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

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

• 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