By Dr. Mercola
In its newest transfer in opposition to small farmers who dare to function outdoors 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 forex reporting necessities, because the feds are accusing them of intentionally depositing cash in increments of lower than $10,000 in an try and evade Forex 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 crimson 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 identical motion was taken in opposition to Taylor’s Produce Stand final yr, the feds seized $90,000, dropped the fees, and stored $45,000 of Taylor’s cash.
Understanding that almost all farms function on a really skinny margin, such abuse of energy wipes out a household’s revenue, and for a bonus, the feds improve the monopoly energy of Monsanto, Massive Dairy and their provide chain.… Former Maryland assistant U.S. lawyer Steven Levin instructed the paper [City Paper], “The emphasis is on principally seizing cash, whether or not it’s legally or illegally earned. It will possibly result in monetary damage for enterprise homeowners, and there is a potential for abuse right here by the federal government.””
The raid on the Sowers was performed 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 excited by now could be making criminals out of small enterprise individuals, together with small farmers.
Why Are Household Farms Underneath Assault?
If they are not seizing financial institution accounts, it appears the federal government will discover different methods to assault small farmers. A household farm in rural Michigan—and probably 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.
Mainly, the battle is over the definition of feral hogs vs. home hogs. The dictionary definition of “feral” refers to an animal working wild. However Michigan authorities have taken it a step additional and prolonged the definition to incorporate enclosed personal searching 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 circumstances in opposition to 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, Previous world swine, razorback, eurasian wild boar, Russian wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus). This subsection doesn’t and isn’t meant 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 probably be deemed “feral”:
- Erect or folded/floppy ear construction
- Straight or curly tail
- Strong black, wild/grizzled, stable crimson/brown, black and white noticed, or black and crimson/brown noticed coat colorations
- “Different traits” not presently recognized to the MDNR
Curiously, the Massive Pork trade 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 in opposition to the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) in Ohio, the place HSUS was looking for laws to finish the apply 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 specific 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 the US, solely about 50 of them are Mangalitsas (which have been referred to 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, in fact, this challenge is about far more than pasture-raised pork from a heritage breed … it is about your capability, your proper, to buy and eat pure, unadulterated meals – a proper that continues to be threated for these dwelling in the US.
FDA Additionally Threatens Your Proper to Meals Selection …
One other evident instance of presidency going out of its solution to prohibit your entry to pure, unprocessed meals is the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s (FDA) battle in opposition to uncooked milk. When the Farm-to-Shopper Authorized Protection Fund (FTCLDF) filed a lawsuit in opposition to 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 specific meals.”
- “There is no such thing as a ‘deeply rooted’ historic custom of unfettered entry to meals of all types.”
- “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 do not need a basic proper to acquire any meals they want.”
- 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 possibly can and can’t eat and feed your kids? Apparently they consider they’ve had all of it alongside. For those who 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, at some point, 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 may subsequently enact such a ban and legally implement it.
What this implies is that freedom of meals selection is a fable when you dwell in the US, and this merely isn’t acceptable. Nobody, and positively not any authorities company, ought to be capable to prohibit your entry to pure, unadulterated meals, however the dairy trade and different industrial farmers that rely 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 presently dominate the market wouldn’t be capable to compete.
Their companies rely 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 – they usually get the federal government concerned in any approach they will.
Please Help Your Native Small Farms
The healthiest meals selections are almost 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, in case you have one close by, but in addition collaborating in farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture packages. Now that summer season is sort of right here in the US, recent produce and different great entire meals can be found in abundance. Not solely is the meals a lot tastier and more healthy once you get it from sustainable, non-CAFO sources, however there’s something about purchasing for recent meals in an open-air, social atmosphere that simply feels proper. An artificially lit, dreary grocery store — house 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 in addition the atmosphere:
- Various Farming Techniques Data Middle, Group Supported Agriculture (CSA)
- Farmers’ Markets — A nationwide itemizing of farmers’ markets
- Native Harvest — This Website will make it easier 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 lots 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 motels, and on-line retailers in the US and Canada.
- Group 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, you’ll find a list for native farmers, CSA’s, and markets close to you.
Lastly, for extra data on the continued assaults in opposition to small household farms in the US contemplate watching Farmageddon: The Unseen Struggle on American Household Farms, a documentary by Kristin Canty. However I warn you … the injustices it comprises could make your blood boil.
