All posts by Kathryne Pirtle

Healing and Building Health with Nutrient-Dense Foods, Personal Rights and Food Freedom, Sustainable Farming, Health, Soil and Environment

Book Review: Empires of Food–Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations

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Book by Evan D.G. Fraser and Andrew Rimas (Pub. by Free Press, 2010)

Empires of Food is a fascinating book that certainly reveals the old adage that “history repeats itself.” As we moved away from the hunter-gatherer paradigm to that of civilization, man has often been deceived by the pursuit of progress. From the Mayan, Greek and Roman empires to our present day society, many urban societies have mistakenly sought development through monoculture–an agricultural system that depends on limited crops like wheat, corn and soybeans.

However, these agricultural systems have always suffered grave consequences:
“These societies, these food empires, can only exist if three things happen: Farmers need to grow more food than they eat; they need a means of trading it to willing buyers; they need a way to store it so it doesn’t turn to sludge before reaching its economic apotheosis. When these three premises are met, urban life flourishes. Which is, in itself, the seed of the problem…When a food empire fails, mobs tear apart the marketplace, angry over the cost of bread. Governments raise armies to conquer greener, more fertile valleys. People uproot. Forest creeps back over old fences. Arable land falls into disuse, and society contracts. It happens again and again. And it’s happening now…..”

Reading this summation of agricultural history now as we face alarming governmental interference to thwart the emergence of a truly sustainable system struck me to the core. Inherent problems to all monocultures are the clearing of massive amounts of land ultimately ending in the total destruction of its fertility, disease to crops and climate change, most often in the form of warming and drought.  Also common is the inevitable abuse of governmental power as whoever controls the food, controls the people. Inevitably, urban society cannot ceaselessly survive in this unsustainable structure.

However, the wisdom of our current biodynamic, pasture farming movement is the answer to correcting the serious problems of our depleted food supply. Protecting biodiversity and our precious resources are essential elements of our survival. Furthermore, Fraser and Rimas discuss the importance of saving food surpluses and supporting a global sustainable farming network as insurance for times of shortage.

This book provides an enlightening historical journey through the problematic agricultural practices that led to the destruction of great societies that briefly flourished.  Although today we have stores full of varieties of cheap food never before offered—food that will only grow with fertilizers and insecticides made from petrochemicals—there will be an end to this system. Cheap food is not cheap.

The types of changes we have made with regard to our food choices, sources and our health in relation to the work of Weston A. Price we must also foster in relation to our entire global food system. Can we raise enough awareness and learn from history before it is too late? Can we become a society that chooses according to how our decisions will affect people for the next seven generations? I say we must.

Kathryne Pirtle

Acid Reflux Healing, Asthma and Acid Reflux, Children's Health, Digestive Disorders and Healing Diet, Ear Infections and Acid Reflux, Fermented Foods and Digestion, Healing and Building Health with Nutrient-Dense Foods, Performing Artist's Health, Singer's Health, USDA Dietary Guidelines, Nutrient Deficiencies and Degenerative Illness, Vegetarian Diets

Quenching the Fire—Real Hope for Those who Suffer from Acid Reflux

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After decades of being told by the experts that a diet high in fiber and low in fat is the key to robust good health, why is it that one in every 5 Americans is being treated for Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease, (GERD)?

Studies show more than 60 million Americans are currently being treated by their physicians for acid reflux. Last year there were 470,000 hospitalizations and 1.9 million visits to the emergency room as a result of GERD, commonly known as acid reflux. What’s more, GERD is now being diagnosed in children, birth to four years.

Since 1999 the majority of Americans say they are now following the dietary guidelines recommended by the FDA, eating at least 5 servings of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains each day.  We are also following the advice of the medical community and eliminating from our diets traditional fats,(like butter) and decreasing our intake of protein—especially our favorite food-to-hate—red meat.

What is it, then, that such a large percentage of our population is doing that would promote the massive increase in this ailment? Should our entire nation succumb to popular medications that merely treat the symptoms but do nothing to remedy the underlying cause?

In my e-book, Acid Reflux: A National Epidemic and Precursor to Chronic Illness I pull back the curtain of misinformation to reveal the truth about why we are all chronically ill not only with GERD, but a variety of ailments including cancer, heart disease, allergies, dementia, even autism: see The Healing Diet for Acid Reflux Disease

Much of what we are told about good nutrition today is based on trends and faulty research funded by the Goliath factory farming industry. For 25 years I suffered from debilitating pain and chronic illness. Over that time I also suffered from symptoms of impaired digestion including persistent flatulence and at the age of 42, I was diagnosed with acid reflux that almost ended my career as a professional clarinetist. Even though I diligently followed popular health dictates as outlined in the traditional Food Pyramid and the resulting digestive illness and malnutrition nearly cost me my life.

If the Food Pyramid isn’t the answer, what is?  In Acid Reflux: A National Epidemic and Precursor to Chronic Illness I explain how our bodies actually work to digest and assimilate the food we eat.

Before the 1950s most of our foods came from small family farms. These high quality foods were from animals eating their natural diets.  Cows ate grass, chickens ate bugs and worms, and all fish were caught in the wild.  These are nutrient-dense foods our bodies need for optimal health and digestion, but unfortunately, this is not what we find at our grocery stores today.

Consider how many ads you see for drugs to address chronic health problems like acid reflux, gas, indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea. Pharmaceutical companies expect to earn a whopping $400,000,000 in annual sales from going over-the-counter with the ‘little purple pill. This remedy for acid reflux is nothing more than a slow death.

Current information on so-called healthy eating will not heal digestive disorders and will ultimately lead to nutrient deficiencies, illness, and even death, it behooves us to learn the difference.

The principles of a truly healthy diet are but one aspect found in this exceptional e-book.  Acid Reflux: A National Epidemic and Precursor to Chronic Illness also provides information on where to find nutrient-dense foods, shares delicious recipes and menu ideas, and makes the road to true healing informative and enjoyable.

For more information on healing and building health with nutrient-dense foods and seminars on this subject, see Performance without Pain and The Healing Diet for Acid Reflux Disease

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Autism and Vaccination Choice, Children's Health, Vaccinations

The Truth about Vaccines

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When you can get your vaccines at the grocery store–it should raise huge red flags for every person. These are statements made by MDs about serious problems with vaccines. Think twice.

“The decline in infectious diseases in developed countries had nothing to do with vaccinations, but with the decline in poverty and hunger.” –Dr. Gerhard Buchwald, MD

“Crib death” was so infrequent in the pre-vaccination era that it was not even mentioned in the statistics, but it started to climb in the 1950s with the spread of mass vaccination against diseases of childhood. –Harris L. Coulter, PhD

“It is pathetic and ludicrous to say we ever vanquished smallpox with vaccines, when only 10% of the population was ever vaccinated.” – Dr. Glen Dettman

“Up to 90% of the total decline in the death rate of children between 1860-1965 because of whooping cough, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and measles occurred before the introduction of immunizations and antibiotics.” —Dr. Archie Kalokerinos, MD

“I think that no person would permit anybody to get close to them with an inoculation if they would really know how they are made, what they carry, what has been lied to them about them and what the real percent of danger is of contracting such a disease which is minimal.”—Dr. Eva Snead

“The greatest threat of childhood diseases lies in the dangerous and ineffectual efforts made to prevent them through mass immunization…. There is no convincing scientific evidence that mass inoculations can be credited with eliminating any childhood disease.” –Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, MD

“Official data shows that large scale vaccination has failed to obtain any significant improvement of the diseases against which they were supposed to provide protection” – Dr. Sabin, developer of Polio vaccine.

“There is a great deal of evidence to prove that immunization of children does more harm than good.” – Dr. J. Anthony Morris (formerly Chief Vaccine Control Officer at the US Federal Drug Admin.) 

“My suspicion, which is shared by others in my profession, is that the nearly 10,000 SIDS deaths that occur in the United States each year are related to one or more of the vaccines that are routinely given children. The pertussis vaccine is the most likely villain, but it could also be one or more of the others.” –Dr. Mendelsohn, MD

“The medical authorities keep lying. Vaccination has been a disaster on the immune system. It actually causes a lot of illnesses. We are changing our genetic code through vaccination.” –Guylaine Lanctot M.D., author of the best-seller ‘Medical Mafia’

” You can’t vaccinate believing that your children are protected and then feel that your children are not protected because somehow, some non-vaccinated child is carrying some secret organism that no one else is carrying. It just doesn’t make any sense.” –Dr. Larry Palevsky, board-certified pediatrician

Personal Rights and Food Freedom, Sustainable Farming, Health, Soil and Environment

How to Start a Movement–Be the Change

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I recently received an e-mail that had these three powerful messages as a signature. They capture the essence of the pure positive thought that is moving people to a choose the highest possible guiding principles that will heal our planet. This surely will come to pass as we connect to this change. The “tipping point” is here.

“I am a caretaker of creation.  I don’t own it, but what I’m supposed to do is leave it in better shape for the next generation than I found it.  Period.”

~ Joel Salatin, sustainable farmer featured in the movie FRESH

~~~

“Healing is only found

When in the mirror of the human soul

The whole community is pictured

And in the whole community

The power of the individual soul is living.

~ Rudolf Steiner

~~~

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back.  Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:  that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.  All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.  A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would come his way.  Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Be the change. Who’s your farmer? Connect to sustainable farms.

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Personal Rights and Food Freedom, Sustainable Farming, Health, Soil and Environment

Sustainable farmer in Iowa who is running for Secretary of Agriculture in Iowa–Need Your Help

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Dear Friends,

I have been talking to Francis Thicke, a sustainable farmer in Iowa who is running for Secretary of Agriculture in Iowa. With Monsanto and big agribusiness pouring piles of money to plant candidates in key positions across our country–we need your help.

Francis has been endorsed by both Michael Pollen and the producer of Food Inc.

http://www.thickeforagriculture.com/

See this amazing video!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY29b4o1mJQ&feature=player_embedded#!

Here is a letter to me from Francis:

We have some very good news from our campaign for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture that I want to share with you. We have just completed a scientific poll of Iowa voters to find out what my chances are of getting elected. In the poll results I am trailing the incumbent narrowly (within the margin of statistical error).  The very good news is that when respondents were given basic facts about the incumbent’s and my positions on issues, I passed him by a large margin.

These results are very encouraging because they indicate to us that voters are very favorable to the issues I have been raising, and that if we are able to mount a TV and radio advertising campaign in the final weeks before the election, we have a very good chance of winning.

The bottom line is that we need to raise $200,000 to 300,000 in order to get our message out on the airwaves.

Obviously, large donors would be very helpful, but we are also working hard to get many small and medium-sized contributions.  Thus far, our support has been from many smaller, grassroots contributors.  My opponent is getting large PAC checks from Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, and many other agribusiness interests.

Remember the Who’s from Whoville from Dr. Suess’s Horton Hears a Who? We need all of you Who’s out there to shout loud and clear–every one of you!! Nothing you do is too small–it’s the numbers that matter.

Please pass this message on. To donate, please go to http://www.thickeforagriculture.com/
Best in Health,
Kathryne Pirtle

Breast Health and Cancer Prevention, Healing and Building Health with Nutrient-Dense Foods, Mercury Toxicity

Think Beyond the Pink

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Today it seems that many people are accepting illness as a fate to be expected. Instead of seeking the root cause of health epidemics, the public has been sold on accepting grave statistics as unchangeable as well as settling on some of the most toxic approaches to treatment. With breast cancer this seems to be the case. Beginning in junior high, my daughter has heard the “Think Pink”  message in school-based “educational” outreach initiatives. In fact, for $10, she has been convinced to get a strand of “pink” hair woven into her own as a symbol of this message. Thankfully many people are beginning to recognize the money trail behind the smoke screen of these awareness programs.

However new initiatives are pushing through the darkness of our acceptance-based mind set. People want real answers to prevention. There are many ways we can reduce our risk of breast cancer that involve four basic principles:

  • Improving lymphatic drainage
  • Reducing our toxic load
  • Eating a nutrient-dense diet
  • Improving digestion

There is so much fear around breast cancer that we must know that there are many effective ways of prevention that do not involve the often risky damaging test procedures. Given the possibility that we can attract what we fear–instead of focusing on early diagnosis and a cure, let’s dance  to life-long health and breast health with a nutrient-dense diet and learning the wonderful technique for breast health called Lymphatic Breast Self-Massage. (see www.breasthealthproject.com ) Also, women should know that thermographies are a better way to have the breasts examined as they do not use x-rays.

One of my health goals has been to prevent cancer—three of my mother’s sisters died from breast cancer and my mother had a prophylactic mastectomy. Unfortunately, until I began eating a traditional diet eight years ago, I was probably on the cancer track without knowing it. Like many health seekers, I had rigorously followed a very “healthy” high-fiber, low-fat diet high in salads, grains, fruits and vegetables, and only a little meat, eggs and dairy—and no butter of course. Sadly, this “healthy” regimen left me very malnourished with a severe digestive disorder. Luckily, I learned about the work of Weston A. Price recovered my health and felt sure that I had found the key to cancer prevention.

Despite this, two summers ago I found a painful lump in my breast that really frightened me. How could this be happening with my diet? Was breast cancer inevitable given my family history? After some initial panic, I did my research and learned that most women get these lumps from time to time and that they are cysts. I also learned that regular self-massage will improve circulation, help existing cysts drain, and help prevent them from forming in the future. Within three days of massaging, the cyst had shrunk substantially and it was gone within a week. What a revelation! Unfortunately, because of the media, most women are scared to death when they find a lump and panic. I was so thankful to have learned this holistic, caring information from a project called “The Breast Health Project.”

Here is the site on breast self-care: www.breasthealthproject.com. It says “Women find that this massage reduces breast pain, breast swelling, PMS breast symptoms, cystic issues, calcifications and even fear of breast cancer” and that “The Breast Health Project has created a new model of breast care based on holistic medicine, using the best of eastern and western therapies.”

In addition, wearing your bra loosely so that lymphatic drainage is not curtailed will help to keep toxins from accumulating in the breast tissue. This can be done easily by purchasing a bra extension or cutting and pinning one from an old bra thereby adding more room around the rib cage. You can also buy bras that are slightly larger.

But why did I develop the lump in the first place was my question? What was the root cause? I started to suspect something with heavy metal toxicity. I had all of my mercury amalgams removed about 20 years ago by a leading biological dentist. If you have read my book, you know that I got a cavity in each of my molars at age 16. Had I not had those amalgams replaced with composite fillings, I am certain, from what I know now, that I wouldn’t have recovered from my life-threatening illness. Let me tell you why!

Although I had all my amalgams removed, up until Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, I had one crown on the bottom right side of my mouth over my first molar. I needed that crown after I cracked my tooth on popcorn at age 20! This crown was porcelain with metal at the bottom and it enclosed a mercury amalgam-filled tooth. Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to man and silver fillings can be up to 50% mercury! The mercury in our mouths can travel through our lymph system and accumulate in the breast tissue. If you know anything about bad dentistry–this scenario of a metal-bottomed crown over a tooth with an amalgam filling describes one of them, because when you mix metals, you get what is coined “Dental Galvanism.” In Dorland’s medical dictionary, this is defined as:

“A physiochemical phenomenon in which two or more dissimilar metals that have been used to restore or replace missing teeth produce the flow of an electric current.”

Because amalgam fillings are made of a mixture of metals and people often have other metals in their mouth like gold or crowns made with metal, they can be suffering from severe heavy metal toxicity. Dental galvanism causes an amplification of heavy metal toxicity in the body. In fact, to protect the vital organs, the body will try to displace the toxic metals through neural pathways to less important parts of the body, like the breasts and the reproductive organs, thereby protecting the brain, liver, kidneys and heart.

This is what was happening to me with only ONE toxic piece of dental work in my mouth.The lump was in my RIGHT breast.  I experienced sinus drainage behind my RIGHT eye and eyebrow area and thought it was an allergy–only on the RIGHT side?–Not making sense is it! My RIGHT eyelid had a recurring twitch for years. My RIGHT tonsil and RIGHT ear were sometimes sore. I had shingles on the RIGHT side of my face right over that same area where the crown was years ago during a stressful period of my life–excruciatingly painful. Was this my body’s way of trying to detoxify this ONE piece of bad dentistry left in my mouth? Of course! What else could it be.

Since the removal of my last amalgam and the replacement of my crown my sinuses, muscle twitching and ear pain are all completely gone. The breast lump has not returned either. So if you think that your mercury amalgams are not causing you harm, or your mixed metal crown with a mercury amalgam underneath is just fine, or your root canals are not causing any symptoms in your body that you know of—THINK AGAIN! Read Radical Medicine, by Dr. Louisa Williams or any of the other books on mercury toxicity and think again–it could be the best thing you ever have done to protect your health besides eating a nutrient-dense diet!  If you have any dental work done, it is imperative that you work with a highly qualified biological dentist.

Lastly, eating a nutrient-dense diet that supports healthy digestion and getting our foods directly from organic, sustainable farms will help insure that our bodies are well nourished and can efficiently eliminate toxins.

So empower yourself and others by THINKING BEYOND THE PINK! Paired with a nutrient-dense, traditional diet, lymphatic massage and amalgam removal sheds a refreshing light on the possibilities of truly taking charge our health. For more information on healing and building health with nutrient-dense foods and seminars on this subject, see www.performancewithoutpain.com

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Personal Rights and Food Freedom

Food Freedom and Our Personal Rights: Upholding the Constitution

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On Tuesday, August 24th I attended a key Constitutional Rights rally for raw milk on the capitol steps of Madison, Wisconsin led by Sheriff Richard Mack . Mack is a retired sheriff from Graham County, Arizona and ardent champion of the U.S. Constitution and of states and individual rights. In the mid-90’s, Mack successfully challenged the Brady bill, obtaining a United States Supreme Court ruling that prevented the federal government from imposing an unfunded mandate on the States. Today,  Sheriff Mack travels the country lecturing on the importance of constitutional vigilance.  He educates sheriffs about their ultimate authority in their counties–that their oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution forbids them from carrying out unconstitutional orders from federal and state agencies such as DATCP in Wisconsin (Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.)

Sheriff Mack described eloquently the warnings of our founding fathers who fought and died for our freedom. They knew that the correct role of government should be to protect the basic freedoms of its people and not interfere in their private lives, and that when government gets too big,  this basic role could be threatened. He said that Lady Liberty is ailing and that people today cannot be complacent and uninvolved – that this will be a grave error for our people. Many great nations have fallen by this sword.

Now just as a reminder of why our forefathers had the wisdom to write a constitution that upholds the right of every citizen to bear arms, and why Sheriff Mack worked so hard to challenge the Brady bill, I have a little gun history that may interest you.

  • In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
  • Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
  • China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
  • Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
  • Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
  • Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

You get the idea. Every constitutional right you have is there for a reason. Without these rights, the United States of America would not stand for freedom today. Yet, right now we are facing many challenges to these freedoms that cannot be ignored.

Our country is rooted in a rich agricultural heritage. Small family farms graced our land for hundreds of years. In the last two years, all over our nation, we have witnessed unprecedented, unethical governmental farm raids aimed at jeopardizing these small farms. Wisconsin farmer, Vernon Hershberger and his family were present at the rally and had been recent victims of these tactics that make criminals out of innocent, law abiding people.

Mack called on sheriffs and police officers who have sworn by sacred oath, to abide by the constitution–that it is their absolute duty to protect citizens from unlawful harassment. He asked–“How different would the Rosa Parks case have been if police officers had protected her personal rights, which was their constitutional responsibility?”

As our people have suffered from the far-reaching health consequences of a sixty-year experiment with industrial foods, the demand for nutrient-rich foods that heal and support health from sustainable farms is dramatically increasing. However, even as food safety and quality issues regarding mass-produced food are ever more prevalent, the industrial food system and pharmaceutical giants are trying to deal their power card. Fortunately, people are waking up and the word is getting out. The government has no business in our kitchens or dictating to our small farms–these are private affairs.

Americans intuitively understand our claim to clean water and air, and to sustainable food grown with integrity. We know that we have inalienable rights to life, liberty and security of our person. Another example of overreaching government intrusion is seen with proliferating vaccination mandates. In all states, healthy children are required to receive an unprecedented number of vaccines – 70 doses of 16 vaccines, as a requirement for daycare and school admission. This occurs in the complete absence of any public health emergency, where government has not demanded the scientific research to prove their assertions of herd immunity and the “greater good.”   Yet the government is violating our rights, as Americans and human beings, by withholding important privileges, making the choice to vaccinate no real choice at all.  Parents have always possessed the right, supported by the Constitution, to determine what is best for their own children. Will we protect these rights?

Vaccination choice and food freedom share the common foundational touchstones of health, human rights, and bodily integrity. Our communities are bringing networks and resources together to educate supporters on how our work is part and parcel of the same cause.  If we remain segregated and separate, we will be divided and picked off. The inspiration for solutions will come from integration across our groups, in the creation of a broader movement.

Have we forgotten that our country was founded on the rights of private citizens? Have you read our Constitution recently? In June, I traveled to Washington DC to testify against the “new” USDA Dietary Guidelines. During this trip, I visited the Holocaust Museum. Nazi Germany followed on the heels of a cultured, civilized and sophisticated Weimar Republic. The process unfolded slowly, almost imperceptibly. German citizens were decent, hardworking people, struggling to provide for their families, trusting their government to make the right choices for its people. As the words “Never again” ring in our ears, today we ask how it could have happened. What happens when we abandon vigilance, seek greater protections and safety in exchange for our freedom, and trust government to do the right thing?

We cannot afford complacency. The signs are all there. Be actively involved in the protection of our personal and Constitutional rights. Go to a rally, organize a rally, write letters, contact and meet with your governmental representatives–get involved. Do something. But–you have no time–right? What is the consequence of this attitude. Who will do it then?

Kathryne Pirtle

with

Louise Habakus
Life Health Choices
Center for Personal Rights and
PetitionCoalition for Vaccine Safety

Personal Rights and Food Freedom, Sustainable Farming, Health, Soil and Environment

Urgent – SB S510 Will Allow Government to Put You in Jail for Growing, Sharing, Trading and Sharing Homegrown Food

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We cannot assume that someone else will protect our rights. Each person needs to write a letter. SB S510 is perhaps one of the most scandalous bills to ever have been written that could jeopardize your right to choose the foods you want to eat.

Please send the following senators listed below a sample letter below, or write one and send yours.

Kathryne Pirtle

Dear Congress(wo)man,

I am deeply concerned with your sponsorship of Senate Bill 510. That bill represents another hideous attempt to place more power into the hands of centralized government and robs individual citizens and states. The greatest danger to mankind is that this bill allows complete manipulation of America’s food supply and threatens to strip us of our freedoms to grow, sell, and buy food and make doing any of those natural things crimes punishable by imprisonment. It would be a crime to grow food and share it with my friends and neighbors. The act of generating and supporting this bill is in itself criminal to our Constitution to which you are not immune. Not only remove your sponsorship from Bill S510 but defeat it. Thank you.

Sincerely,

(your name)


Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) is the sponsor of this bill.

Co-sponsors are:
Lamar Alexander [R-TN]

Jeff Bingaman [D-NM]

Richard Burr [R-NC]

Roland Burris [D-IL]

Saxby Chambliss [R-GA]

Christopher Dodd [D-CT]

Michael Enzi [R-WY]

Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]

Judd Gregg [R-NH]

Thomas Harkin [D-IA]

Orrin Hatch [R-UT]

John Isakson [R-GA]

Edward Kennedy [D-MA]

Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]

Ben Nelson [D-NE]

Tom Udall [D-NM]

David Vitter [R-LA]

Senate Bill S510 Will Make It Illegal to Grow, Share, Trade or Sell Homegrown Food
by Steve Green

S 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, may be the most dangerous bill in the history of the US.

“If accepted [S 510] would preclude the public’s right to grow, own, trade, transport, share, feed and eat each and every food that nature makes. It will become the most offensive authority against the cultivation, trade and consumption of food and agricultural products of one’s choice. It will be unconstitutional and contrary to natural law or, if you like, the will of God.” It is similar to what India faced with imposition of the salt tax during British rule, only S 510 extends control over all food in the US, violating the fundamental human right to food.” ~ Dr. Shiv Chopra, Canada Health whistleblower.

Monsanto says it has no interest in the bill and would not benefit from it, but Monsanto’s Michael Taylor who gave us rBGH and unregulated genetically modified (GM) organisms, appears to have designed it and is waiting as an appointed Food Czar to the FDA (a position unapproved by Congress) to administer the agency it would create — without judicial review — if it passes.

S 510 would give Monsanto unlimited power over all US seed, food supplements, food AND FARMING.

History
In the 1990s, Bill Clinton introduced HACCP (Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Points) purportedly to deal with contamination in the meat industry. Clinton’s HACCP delighted the offending corporate (World Trade Organization “WTO”) meat packers since it allowed them to inspect themselves, eliminated thousands of local food processors (with no history of contamination), and centralized meat into their control. Monsanto promoted HACCP.

In 2008, Hillary Clinton, urged a powerful centralized food safety agency as part of her campaign for president. Her adviser was Mark Penn, CEO of Burson Marsteller*, a giant PR firm representing Monsanto.  Clinton lost, but Clinton friends such as Rosa DeLauro, whose husband’s firm lists Monsanto as a progressive client and globalization as an area of expertise, introduced early versions of S 510.

S 510 fails on moral, social, economic, political, constitutional, and human survival grounds.

1.  It puts all US food and all US farms under Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, in the event of contamination or an ill-defined emergency. It resembles the Kissinger Plan.

2.  It would end US sovereignty over its own food supply by insisting on compliance with the WTO, thus threatening national security. It would end the Uruguay Round Agreement Act of 1994, which put US sovereignty and US law under perfect protection. Instead, S 510 says:

COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS.

Nothing in this Act (or an amendment made by this Act) shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization or any other treaty or international agreement to which the United States is a party.

3.  It would allow the government, under Maritime Law, to define the introduction of any food into commerce (even direct sales between individuals) as smuggling into “the United States.” Since under that law, the US is a corporate entity and not a location, “entry of food into the US” covers food produced anywhere within the land mass of this country and “entering into” it by virtue of being produced.

4.  It imposes Codex Alimentarius on the US, a global system of control over food. It allows the United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the WTO to take control of every food on earth and remove access to natural food supplements. Its bizarre history and its expected impact in limiting access to adequate nutrition (while mandating GM food, GM animals, pesticides, hormones, irradiation of food, etc.) threatens all safe and organic food and health itself, since the world knows now it needs vitamins to survive, not just to treat illnesses.

5.  It would remove the right to clean, store and thus own seed in the US, putting control of seeds in the hands of Monsanto and other multinationals, threatening US security. See Seeds – How to criminalize them, for more details.

6.  It includes NAIS, an animal traceability program that threatens all small farmers and ranchers raising animals. The UN is participating through the WHO, FAO, WTO, and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in allowing mass slaughter of even heritage breeds of animals and without proof of disease. Biodiversity in farm animals is being wiped out to substitute genetically engineered animals on which corporations hold patents. Animal diseases can be falsely declared. S 510 includes the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), despite its corrupt involvement in the H1N1 scandal, which is now said to have been concocted by the corporations.

7.  It extends a failed and destructive HACCP to all food, thus threatening to do to all local food production and farming what HACCP did to meat production – put it in corporate hands and worsen food safety.

8.  It deconstructs what is left of the American economy. It takes agriculture and food, which are the cornerstone of all economies, out of the hands of the citizenry, and puts them under the total control of multinational corporations influencing the UN, WHO, FAO and WTO, with HHS, and CDC, acting as agents, with Homeland Security as the enforcer. The chance to rebuild the economy based on farming, ranching, gardens, food production, natural health, and all the jobs, tools and connected occupations would be eliminated.

9.  It would allow the government to mandate antibiotics, hormones, slaughterhouse waste, pesticides and GMOs. This would industrialize every farm in the US, eliminate local organic farming, greatly increase global warming from increased use of oil-based products and long-distance delivery of foods, and make food even more unsafe. The five items listed — the Five Pillars of Food Safety — are precisely the items in the food supply which are the primary source of its danger.

10. It uses food crimes as the entry into police state power and control. The bill postpones defining all the regulations to be imposed; postpones defining crimes to be punished, postpones defining penalties to be applied. It removes fundamental constitutional protections from all citizens in the country, making them subject to a corporate tribunal with unlimited power and penalties, and without judicial review.

For further information, watch these videos:
Food Laws – Forcing people to globalize?
Corporate Rule?
Reclaiming Economies?

Sustainable Farming, Health, Soil and Environment

Have you been kissed by a cow today?

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Recently I met a group of people who are supporting small sustainable farms at Scott Trautman’s beautiful farm for a tour. I  organized this tour as an ongoing project to offer regular pilgrimages connecting people with these farms and their farmers that love the land so much that they are willing to, as Scott puts it, “Ask the animals and the land what it needs–and not the other way around.” Our food is a gift and when we understand how privileged we are to share in the fruits of the land–we will never, never ever turn away from our responsibility of stewardship.

What a concept of faith and gratitude to Mother Earth and its creatures–to ask what we can do to serve. What greater calling can well up in our souls than asking, “How, dearest soil, plant, animal and brother, can I serve you”….Can we turn this planet around–I know all things are possible with spirit as our guide.

When I experience Scott’s farm I am in awe of the effervescent energy and aura alive there. To walk amongst the cows content on pasture, to cradle the chickens who freely roam, to talk to the pigs who are happily free to be pigs, to smell the amazing sweet aroma of fresh grass and hay, to hear the sounds of nature all around you–I know that this is heaven–what a gift.

But then to share this magic with families and children who have been deprived of this perfect plan–who are grateful and all of the sudden–REALLY GET IT once they go! This is God’s plan for us now–we all need to REALLY GET IT. We need to spread the magic. We need to make a pilgrimage to the farm a regular priority. This is life! Are we truly awake yet if we aren’t connected to the stream of life? What do we value?

By going to the farm with this group, Scott said he can now pay his taxes without taking out a loan! Wow, by supporting small family farms, we not only receive the gift of life-sustaining foods–foods that can heal chronic, life-threatening illness and support optimal health for all, including growing children–we keep our dearest farmer, who cares deeply for the land, from suffering great debt. Farmers deserve better in our country. After all–sustainable farms are the only hope of the future health of our people and planet.

One of the most sacred experiences I have at the farm is communing with the cows. I am awestruck by their beauty and spirit. I feel drawn to their eyes and am blessed when I get a kiss. There is nothing like a big fat kiss from a cow! Their tongue is a little prickly like a cat’s, and when they trust you, they might just show that they like you and let you scratch their head. This is heaven.

Connection to mother earth means physically going to the farm where you get your food if possible. Since we can’t all have a farm, the next best thing is to be a part of the excitement of real food by connecting with it.

Don’t miss out on the magic of the farm in your life journey. Have you been kissed by a cow today?

To find sustainable farms in your area see realmilk.com

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

Autism and Vaccination Choice, Personal Rights and Food Freedom, Sustainable Farming, Health, Soil and Environment, USDA Dietary Guidelines, Nutrient Deficiencies and Degenerative Illness

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

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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.