By Dr. Mercola
In its newest transfer towards small farmers who dare to function exterior the umbrella of CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) and Monsanto-dominated crops, the U.S. authorities has seized $70,000 from a small dairy farmer in Maryland. The feds did this beneath the “Financial institution Secrecy Act,” which requires that paperwork be stuffed out for any money deposit in extra of $10,000.
The farmers, Randy Sowers and his spouse Karen, made deposits totaling greater than $295,000 from Could 2011 to February 2012, however every transaction was lower than $10,000.
Now they’re being accused of “structuring,” a violation of federal foreign money reporting necessities, because the feds are accusing them of intentionally depositing cash in increments of lower than $10,000 in an try and evade Foreign money Transaction Reporting necessities.
Authorities Seizes $70,000 On What Grounds?
The dairy farmer’s “crime” stems from his weekly gross sales at native farmers’ markets. The gross sales averaged about the identical quantity every week and, dutifully, the Sowers deposited them. They’d reportedly by no means even heard of the Financial institution Secrecy Act or “structuring,” however that was of no curiosity to the feds—the consistency of the quantity the Sowers deposited, at all times lower than $10,000, raised purple flags to the feds, who claimed that this was indicative of against the law.
The federal government promptly seized about $70,000 from the checking account, then issued a warrant for the seizures. As reported by Meals Freedom Information:1
“The Dept. of Justice has since sued to maintain $63,000 of the Sowers’ cash, although they dedicated no crime apart from sustaining their privateness. With out funds, they are going to be unable to make purchases for the spring planting. When an analogous motion was taken towards Taylor’s Produce Stand final 12 months, the feds seized $90,000, dropped the costs, and stored $45,000 of Taylor’s cash.
Figuring out that the majority farms function on a really skinny margin, such abuse of energy wipes out a household’s earnings, and for a bonus, the feds improve the monopoly energy of Monsanto, Huge Dairy and their provide chain.… Former Maryland assistant U.S. lawyer Steven Levin advised the paper [City Paper], “The emphasis is on mainly seizing cash, whether or not it’s legally or illegally earned. It will possibly result in monetary smash for enterprise homeowners, and there is a potential for abuse right here by the federal government.””
The raid on the Sowers was carried out by an company created in 2009 to go after money-laundering criminals. The company began out with a bang by seizing $1.2 billion from an actual cash launderer, however it seems that what it is desirous about now could be making criminals out of small enterprise individuals, together with small farmers.
Why Are Household Farms Underneath Assault?
If they don’t seem to be seizing financial institution accounts, it appears the federal government will discover different methods to assault small farmers. A household farm in rural Michigan—and presumably others—could also be shut down by a brand new state regulation that designates sure breeds of hogs as a menace to neighboring hog breeders and croplands.
Principally, the combat is over the definition of feral hogs vs. home hogs. The dictionary definition of “feral” refers to an animal operating wild. However Michigan authorities have taken it a step additional and prolonged the definition to incorporate enclosed non-public looking preserves and small farms that home what authorities name an “invasive species” of hogs.
There is no such thing as a genetic check to find out whether or not the species on these farms are actually invasive, so authorities are basing their instances towards these farmers solely on visible observations. The Michigan Division of Pure Sources (MDNR) makes use of this obscure description to explain the prohibited hogs, and makes it clear that this does not apply to the home hogs raised on CAFOs:2
“Wild boar, wild hog, wild swine, feral pig, feral hog, feral swine, Outdated world swine, razorback, eurasian wild boar, Russian wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus). This subsection doesn’t and isn’t supposed to have an effect on sus domestica concerned in home hog manufacturing.”
Different descriptions provided by the MDNR embrace such all kinds of traits that just about any pig apart from the acquainted pink home breed raised on CAFOs may doubtlessly be deemed “feral”:
- Erect or folded/floppy ear construction
- Straight or curly tail
- Stable black, wild/grizzled, strong purple/brown, black and white noticed, or black and purple/brown noticed coat colorations
- “Different traits” not at present identified to the MDNR
Curiously, the Huge Pork business has been planning this anti-feral pig marketing campaign for years, and even bragged about it in a 2010 publication.3 It was the identical publication the place they declared a win towards the Humane Society of america (HSUS) in Ohio, the place HSUS was looking for laws to finish the follow of sow gestation stalls (cages so small the sow cannot flip round or transfer).
What this implies for residents of Michigan is that quickly they are going to be unable to buy sustainably and humanely grown meat from the Mangalitsa “wooly” hogs raised on Baker’s Inexperienced Acres farm. This explicit breed is being raised by solely a handful of small farms throughout the nation; whereas greater than 2 million pigs are slaughtered every week in america, solely about 50 of them are Mangalitsas (which have been known as the “it” pig by the New York Instances, as a number of high-end eating places and specialty markets have featured the wealthy, naturally raised meat4).
However, after all, this situation is about way more than pasture-raised pork from a heritage breed … it is about your skill, your proper, to buy and eat pure, unadulterated meals – a proper that continues to be threated for these dwelling in america.
FDA Additionally Threatens Your Proper to Meals Selection …
One other obtrusive instance of presidency going out of its technique to prohibit your entry to pure, unprocessed meals is the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s (FDA) conflict towards uncooked milk. When the Farm-to-Shopper Authorized Protection Fund (FTCLDF) filed a lawsuit towards the FDA over their uncooked milk ban, stating that banning uncooked milk in interstate commerce is unconstitutional, the FDA rebutted with the next extraordinarily regarding and outrageous statements:
- “There’s no absolute proper to eat or feed kids any explicit meals.”
- “There is no such thing as a ‘deeply rooted’ historic custom of unfettered entry to meals of every kind.”
- “Plaintiffs’ assertion of a ‘basic proper to their very own bodily and bodily well being, which consists of what meals they do and don’t select to eat for themselves and their households’ is equally unavailing as a result of plaintiffs should not have a basic proper to acquire any meals they need.”
- FDA’s transient goes on to state that “even when such a proper did exist, it might not render FDA’s laws unconstitutional as a result of prohibiting the interstate sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk promotes bodily and bodily well being.”
- “There’s no basic proper to freedom of contract.”
Since when did the FDA have authority to let you know what you’ll be able to and can’t eat and feed your kids? Apparently they imagine they’ve had all of it alongside. If you happen to go by these assertions, it means the FDA has the authority to ban any meals of their selecting and make it against the law so that you can search it out. If, in the future, the FDA deems tomatoes, broccoli or cashews able to inflicting you hurt (which is simply as ludicrous as their assertions that uncooked milk is dangerous), they might subsequently enact such a ban and legally implement it.
What this implies is that freedom of meals selection is a fantasy when you dwell in america, and this merely just isn’t acceptable. Nobody, and definitely not any authorities company, ought to be capable to prohibit your entry to pure, unadulterated meals, however the dairy business and different industrial farmers that depend upon CAFOs make use of highly effective lobbyists will cease at nothing to influence authorities to take away the small farmers from the market totally. The reality is, if sufficient folks begin demanding naturally, sustainably and humanely raised meat, dairy and produce, the enormous farming monopolies that at present dominate the market wouldn’t be capable to compete.
Their companies depend upon pesticides, CAFOs, genetically modified seeds, development hormones and the like … so after they see all-natural creameries just like the one operated by Randy Sowers and his spouse Karen, or pure farms like Bakers Inexperienced Acres gaining loyal and rising buyer bases, they get nervous – and so they get the federal government concerned in any approach they will.
Please Assist Your Native Small Farms
The healthiest meals decisions are practically at all times those who come from accountable, high-quality, sustainable sources.
For this reason I encourage you to help the small household farms in your space. This consists of not solely visiting the farm instantly, when you’ve got one close by, but additionally collaborating in farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture packages. Now that summer time is nearly right here in america, contemporary produce and different fantastic entire meals can be found in abundance. Not solely is the meals a lot tastier and more healthy whenever you get it from sustainable, non-CAFO sources, however there’s something about searching for contemporary meals in an open-air, social atmosphere that simply feels proper. An artificially lit, dreary grocery store — residence to just about each CAFO meals made — simply cannot compete.
If you wish to expertise a few of these advantages first-hand, listed here are some nice sources to acquire healthful meals that helps not solely you but additionally the atmosphere:
- Different Farming Techniques Data Middle, Neighborhood Supported Agriculture (CSA)
- Farmers’ Markets — A nationwide itemizing of farmers’ markets
- Native Harvest — This Web page will enable you to discover farmers’ markets, household farms, and different sources of sustainably grown meals in your space the place you should buy produce, grass-fed meats, and plenty of different goodies.
- Eat Effectively Information: Healthful Meals from Wholesome Animals — The Eat Effectively Information is a free on-line listing of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, shops, eating places, inns, and lodges, and on-line retailers in america and Canada.
- Neighborhood Concerned in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) — CISA is devoted to sustaining agriculture and selling the merchandise of small farms.
- FoodRoutes — The FoodRoutes “Discover Good Meals” map may also help you join with native farmers to seek out the freshest, tastiest meals doable. On their interactive map, yow will discover a list for native farmers, CSA’s, and markets close to you.
Lastly, for extra info on the continued assaults towards small household farms in america contemplate watching Farmageddon: The Unseen Conflict on American Household Farms, a documentary by Kristin Canty. However I warn you … the injustices it comprises could make your blood boil.
