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 crammed 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 purple flags to the feds, who claimed that this was indicative of a criminal offense.
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 the same motion was taken towards Taylor’s Produce Stand final 12 months, the feds seized $90,000, dropped the costs, and saved $45,000 of Taylor’s cash.
Realizing that almost all 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. legal professional Steven Levin instructed the paper [City Paper], “The emphasis is on mainly seizing cash, whether or not it’s legally or illegally earned. It could 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 curious about now’s making criminals out of small enterprise individuals, together with small farmers.
Why Are Household Farms Beneath 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 risk to neighboring hog breeders and croplands.
Mainly, 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 searching preserves and small farms that home what authorities name an “invasive species” of hogs.
There is no such thing as a genetic take a look at to find out whether or not the species on these farms are actually invasive, so authorities are basing their circumstances 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, 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 purple/brown, black and white noticed, or black and purple/brown noticed coat colorations
- “Different traits” not at present identified to the MDNR
Apparently, the Huge Pork trade has been planning this anti-feral pig marketing campaign for years, and even bragged about it in a 2010 e-newsletter.3 It was the identical e-newsletter the place they declared a win towards the Humane Society of america (HSUS) in Ohio, the place HSUS was in search of 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 referred to as the “it” pig by the New York Occasions, as a number of high-end eating places and specialty markets have featured the wealthy, naturally raised meat4).
However, in fact, this concern is about rather more than pasture-raised pork from a heritage breed … it is about your capacity, your proper, to buy and devour pure, unadulterated meals – a proper that continues to be threated for these dwelling in america.
FDA Additionally Threatens Your Proper to Meals Alternative …
One other obvious instance of presidency going out of its option 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-Client 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 may be no absolute proper to devour or feed kids any explicit 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 devour for themselves and their households’ is equally unavailing as a result of plaintiffs don’t 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 rules unconstitutional as a result of prohibiting the interstate sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk promotes bodily and bodily well being.”
- “There may be 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 imagine they’ve had all of it alongside. When you go by these assertions, it means the FDA has the authority to ban any meals of their selecting and make it a criminal offense so that you can search it out. If, sooner or later, 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 due to this fact enact such a ban and legally implement it.
What this implies is that freedom of meals selection is a delusion in the event you reside in america, and this merely just isn’t acceptable. Nobody, and definitely not any authorities company, ought to be capable of limit 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 fully. 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 of compete.
Their companies rely upon pesticides, CAFOs, genetically modified seeds, progress hormones and the like … so once 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 means they will.
Please Help Your Native Small Farms
The healthiest meals decisions are almost at all times people who come from accountable, high-quality, sustainable sources.
This is the reason I encourage you to assist 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 participating in farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture packages. Now that summer season is nearly right here in america, contemporary produce and different fantastic complete meals can be found in abundance. Not solely is the meals a lot tastier and more healthy while you get it from sustainable, non-CAFO sources, however there’s something about purchasing for contemporary meals in an open-air, social surroundings 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 assets to acquire healthful meals that helps not solely you but additionally the surroundings:
- Various Farming Techniques Data Middle, Neighborhood Supported Agriculture (CSA)
- Farmers’ Markets — A nationwide itemizing of farmers’ markets
- Native Harvest — This Web page will allow you to discover farmers’ markets, household farms, and different sources of sustainably grown meals in your space the place you should purchase produce, grass-fed meats, and plenty of different goodies.
- Eat Nicely Information: Healthful Meals from Wholesome Animals — The Eat Nicely 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 can assist you join with native farmers to seek out the freshest, tastiest meals doable. On their interactive map, you could find 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 Struggle on American Household Farms, a documentary by Kristin Canty. However I warn you … the injustices it incorporates may make your blood boil.
