Travel IH-10 West from San Antonio and you will eventually pass through Fort Stockton, Texas. Continue on and you will notice grass-covered mountains coming into view on the left side of IH-10. These mountains are the Barrilla Mountains. They blend with the Davis Mountains and others that stretch south of the highway for more than a hundred miles to the Rio Grande; mountains covered with rich, rocky, volcanic soil that can’t be plowed; mountains good only for ranching—the bigger the better. Water in these mountains is scarce and deep except for an occasional spring. Ranchers there are totally dependent upon rainfall to produce the protein-rich gramma grasses for which the mountains are known.
Opposite the mountains and to the right of IH-10 west, the land is level and stretches miles north, checker-boarded by farms sitting atop good soil and an aquifer that supplies water for crop irrigation or sprinklers or cienegas.
Thunderheads bring rain to both sides of this stretch of IH-10. They form naturally in the west and northwestern sky and move east, raining on rancher and farmer alike. The ranchers watch these thunderheads and hope for rain. The farmers watch these thunderheads and hope it doesn’t.
The hardest drought ever to hit West Texas began in the 1950s. Southwest Weather Research, a company that seeded clouds, began to dissipate forming thunderheads to eliminate the possibility of hail north of IH-10.
Ranchers in the Davis Mountains asked the farmers to not do this. They needed the rain. Many were teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and one more dry summer would push some over the edge. They were running out of water and grass and watching livestock die as springs and dirt tanks went dry.
The farmers said no. Lines were drawn. Thunderheads would form, the cloud seeding planes would arrive, and 20 minutes later the cloud would be dissipated. In desperation, some individual(s)—no one is quite sure who—climbed atop their windmill(s) in the afternoon when the thunderheads formed and seeded them with lead when the planes arrived.
They never downed any, but seeding pilots began discovering an occasional bullet hole during preflight checks. Protests were lodged with local gendarmes.
“You get a look at who it was ashootin’ at cha?”
“Hell no. I was too busy flying.”
“You sure someone was ashootin’ at cha?”
“Hell yes I’m sure. I got a bullet hole right here in my plane you can stick a finger in.”
“Well, see if you can get a good look at who it is that’s ashootin’ at cha, and where he was ashootin’ at cha from, and we’ll go talk to him. Otherwise, ain’t a whole lot we can do.”
Or words to that effect.
Pilot enthusiasm for seeding clouds above the Davis Mountains faded. More
W.R. McAfee Sr. (c) copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
______________________________________________
On April 7, 2001, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ignored state and federal law in the name of the ESA and stopped water to more than 200,000 acres and some 1,400 canal-irrigated family farms near Klamath Falls, Ore., plunging the community toward bankruptcy and devastating families.
Why? Because the bureau said two species of bottom-feeding suckerfish and a Coho salmon, in a reservoir the farmers depended upon, might be “affected” if water was released during the current drought.
The ESA had already been used to cut off water to a group of California farmers, causing their crops to dry up.
In Colorado, the forest service threatened another agricultural operation with a by-pass flow that would have resulted in an 80-percent loss of the dry-year water supply from a key reservoir, with a direct economic loss of between $5 and $17 million.
They also attempted to impose a “by-pass flow” that would have taken some 50 percent of the dry-year water supply provided from a Colorado municipal water storage facility.
In Idaho, a federal permittee was told he would have to bypass water to protect aquatic species or obtain an alternate source of water at a cost of $120,000.
In Arizona, where state law requires water rights be held by the person making the beneficial use of the water, the regional forester had demanded that water rights owned by grazing permittees be transferred to the feds – rights long established under state law for livestock purposes.
Federal agencies nationwide are using the ESA to try to override established water rights, state laws and the McCarran Act. More
Debbie Coffey (c)copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
____________________________________________ “8) Glaringly omitted in this DEIS was the “NEED” for this GDP. The “necessity” was not discribed. Perhaps this water, which will be taken from farmers and ranchers, is to be used for Las Vegas’ many golf courses, fountains and new development projects, and Henderson’s need for watering grass in city parks, etc. “____________________________
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) wants the rights to pump billions of gallons of water annually from rural central Nevada and Utah toLas Vegas. This will be catastrophic for farmers and ranchers in central Nevada and Utah. SNWA would drain the groundwater below the existing vegetation of about 19,000 square miles (about the size of Vermont). More
The Department of Agriculture has proposed costly regulations to force ranchers, related business, and livestock agencies to tag and track animals that cross state lines.
USDA’s animal traceability rule is a solution in search of a problem. USDA says the rule is to protect animal health. But, the rules don’t identify any specific problems or diseases of concern.
These regulations will harm rural businesses, waste taxpayer dollars, and do little to deal with animal disease, food security, and food safety.
Send your comments today to make sure USDA’s final rule works for farmers and ranchers, and is paid for by the meatpackers that will benefit most.
At a time when farmers and ranchers face significant economic challenges, the last thing they need is more burdensome rules hindering their operations.
You can read more information about the proposed rule on WORC’s website.
The year was 2002, and while the majority of Americans were completely obsessed with the so called “War On Terror” and other devices of distraction, something much more real and decidedly prophetic was going on in our southern hemisphere. Argentina was in the midst of total collapse, driven by banker fraud and extreme currency devaluation in tandem with government mismanagement and corruption. First, cities exploded with rioting and violence as Argentinian police and military attempted to crush all dissent. Soon after, displaced refugees from population centers along with roving bands of thieves flooded into the countryside, wiping out isolated farms, murdering families, and hunting down any small group of survivors weaker than themselves and flush with supplies. The authorities (and I use the term loosely) were too busy trying to suppress civil protests to bother protecting those who were caught unprepared.
This behavior is part and parcel of economic destabilization, regardless of the time or place in which it occurs. Only nine years ago, a very modern and technologically savvy nation of people, nearly cannibalized itself. Those who survived and thrived did so through family aid and substantial existing wealth, or, the tactical building of communities for the purpose of mutual defense and alternative trade. Farmers armed themselves and formed regional groups along with security measures. City dwellers formed neighborhood watches and barter networks when the mainstream economy disappeared. The bottom line; lone wolves and isolated country families were nothing more than tempting targets at the onset of the breakdown in Argentina. READ MORE
“The farmers and ranchers know they won’t be able to truly tell, until the passage of time, if there IS interconnectivity between the valleys. If there is interconnectivity, it will be too late to stop what could be disastrous effects on their farms and ranches. “
____________________________________________
Part 3
Mining companies are buying up ranches left and right, just to get the water rights. Then all they have to do is get a permit to change the use from irrigation to mining. Once appropriated, the water rights are not available for any other development, even if the mine never opens, unless the mine is willing to sell the water rights.
At a Nevada Division of Water Resources hearing in December, 2010, an admirable group of Nevada farmers and ranchers, who’ve had water rights in their families for generations, protested the appropriation of water rights of Kobeh Valley Ranch, owned by mining company General Moly. General Moly wants to change the use of water rights on Kobeh Valley Ranch from irrigation to mining for their Mt.Hope mine. This is in addition to other water rights General Moly has already purchased from other farms surrounding the valley.
To give you some background, General Moly is 25% owned by Hanlong USA Mining, a subsidiary of Sichuan Hanlong Group, a Chinese “private enterprise.” Sichuan Hanlong Group recently received a $1.5 billion loan from the Export-Import Bank ofChina (China Eximbank) to support its investments in overseas mining opportunities, with $745 million towards General Moly. The Export-Import Bank of China is fully owned by the Chinese government and under the leadership of the State Council. It’s a “government policy bank.”
BlackRock Trust Company, which is associated with billionaire George Soros, seems to be the 2nd top owner of shares in General Moly. BlackRock Trust is also the 5th top owner of shares in agricultural company Monsanto. More
Marti Oakley (c)copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
_________________________________________
‘A problem arises as a result of family farmers and ranchers not having the bags of cash needed to dump into USDA and FDA to buy access as the bio-pirates do.”
___________________________________________
While Homeland Security continues to claim that we must not centralize agricultural production because some terrorist might then poison vast quantities of our food supply, the USDA and FDA continue to rig the system in favor of corporate agricultural producers who are doing that very thing. Maybe they get away with this because what these global corporations are producing can’t really be classified as food, or at least not as food we would recognize as fit for human consumption.
Let me make this perfectly clear: there is no unnamed terrorist in a cave on the other side of the world salivating over the idea of contaminating a corn field in Iowa. We know who the terrorists are, and they all have the word, “Corporation” attached to their names. And they aren’t in caves either; many have very nice and spacious offices right inside the USDA and FDA.
While biotechnology is touted as being the answer to the world’s food requirements, no one has stopped to ask why all this tampering with, mother nature was necessary in the first place. Biotechnology has not caused an increase in food supplies as the bio-pirates claimed it would. In fact, supposedly a world-wide food crisis is building and a larger percentage of people around the world suffer from hunger and starvation. Now, one of two things has to be true here if there is actually a food shortage.
Biotechnology does not increase production as claimed or,
Food is being intentionally withheld from various populations.
Neither thought bodes well for the bio-pirates. More
Food is a market that will always exist. Many people are turning away from industrial farmed food, seeking healthier choices and getting back to the basics.
Victory gardens in America produced up to 40% of all vegetables consumed during World War II. Over 20 million home gardens, apartment rooftop plants and community plots produced 9-10 million tons of produce; equal to the amount of commercial production at that time. The population during the war years increased from approximately 132 million people in 1940 to 140 million in 1945. Current US population is approaching 311 million people.
A family in Pasadena, California is making a living from selling produce grown in their yard to neighbors and restaurants. They grow 6,000 pounds of produce on 1/10th of an acre of cultivated land per year.
While organic food accounts for only 1%- 2% of all food sales worldwide, the organic market expands up to 20% per year. We believe that the organic market is small right now because of lack of education about health dangers of GE (genetically engineered) food and the lack of labeling of GE food. Most Americans don’t realize that about 75% of their diet is GE. As Americans awaken, the demand for pure non-GE foods is increasing. Organic farming is not only healthier but yields can increase, pollution decreases and water use can be decreased (click here for an example).
Some Americans barter or sell produce grown in their yards to neighbors, farmer’s markets, church communities, etc. You can earn extra money selling produce grown in your yard. Because there is a wealth of information on the Internet about how to grow produce in your yard, we will explore some other innovative ideas and suggestions for creating markets. There will always be a market for food.
Some Americans barter or sell produce grown in their yards to neighbors, farmer’s markets, church communities, etc. You can earn extra money selling produce grown in your yard. Because there is a wealth of information on the internet about how to grow produce in your yard, we will explore some other innovative ideas and suggestions for creating markets. There will always be a market for food. More
Lynn Swearingen (c) copyright 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Not content with raising taxes 66%, attempting to track down those crazy homeschoolers so they can be “helped”, and sheltering Wisconsin’s missing Democrats (we hear that Indiana’s Dems are on the run as well) Illinois actually has HB 1166 sitting in Committee right now which will criminalize individuals who own 7 or more “companion animals”.
As usual, one has to dig around a bit to find out just what the terminology contained within the proposed Law means and what the effect might be:
(510 ILCS 70/2.01a) Sec. 2.01a. Companion animal. "Companion animal" means an animal that is commonly considered to be, or is considered by the owner to be, a pet. "Companion animal" includes, but is not limited to, canines, felines, and equines. (Source: P.A. 92‑454, eff. 1‑1‑02.)
A person must obtain a permit from the Board to possess 7
or more companion animals, as defined in the Humane Care for
Animals Act. Failure to receive a permit for the possession of
7 or more companion animals is a violation of this Section and
a person is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. A second or
subsequent violation is a Class 4 felony with every day that a
violation continues constituting a separate offense.
Who is “The Board” referred to in the above change? More
Marti Oakley (c)copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
__________________________________________
Apparently the plan is to defile the land, livestock and food supplies and then starve us into accepting some food-like product that has no nutritional value and that may also be a hazard to our health.
__________________________________________
A shortage of food is being intentionally staged around the world. Apparently, if we resist the theft and seizure of food production and supply by bio-pirates and facilitated by government puppets, we will be intentionally starved into submission. Threats of the food shortage are constantly launched into “lame stream media” as a warning to the rest of us that we had better comply or face the fate of those poorer nations where millions are suffering from famine or death from lack of food. More
This small group of our farmers and ranchers didn’t sell out for money offered. They’re standing strong. They use words like “community” and “our future” when talking about this issue. If you’d like to support them:
Attend a meeting on Dec. 9 and 10, 2010 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at Nevada Dept. of Water Resources, 901 S. Stewart Street, room #2002, Carson City, NV 89701
“It’s ironic that this mining deal involves the words hope and liberty, because what this really represents is that we are losing both for our country. You can see it on the faces of the farmers and ranchers at this meeting.” More
Comment: As most of you know, S.510 the fake food safety bill which had nothing to do with food safety, passed the Senate this morning. This bill, which will go down in history as one of the greatest weaponless assaults on the States by the central government, is intended to knock the knees out from under what little is left of our economy.
________________________________________________
Section 404 of the bill, forces the subjugation of the citizens of the States to unlawful trade agreements, international organization demands, and will reduce operating standards across the board for bio-piracy corporations in order to maximize their profits and to end as much competition in those markets as possible. These unlawful agreements and the mandates from such odious organizations as the World trade Organization, Codex Alimentarius committees, and other foreign principals have unlawfully usurped US laws and sovereignty, forfeiting our right to self determination and governance.
The bill, which expands a notoriously dysfunctional and incompetent agency, the FDA, is also intended to abrogate the rights of the citizens. The multiple constitutional violations in the bill went by unnoticed by members of the Senate; probably because the majority of them never even read the bill and had no idea what was in it. These violations of rights also seemed to by pass the mental faculties of several high profile front groups and individuals.
Numerous and so-called “consumer organizations” along with so-called “food experts”, some of them nationally known, sent emails out claiming that a few thousand of their members had email or called in, in support of this attack on independent agriculture. Claiming misinformation and myth was abounding surrounding the bill, it was apparent they had either been bought off or were at some point allowed to be in the presence of some of the District of Criminals’ royalty; this audience obviously put them in a state of compliant awe. No one who actually read the bill could come away thinking or believing this bill had anything to do with making food safe; there was nothing in the bill that could accomplish this. More
Marti Oakley (c)copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved
___________________________________________
Comment:
Not one Senator stood on the floor and identified even one of the actual threats to our food supply coming from industrialized corporate agricultural operations and contaminated imports. And not one stood up and spoke one word in defense of our family and independent farmers and ranchers who have historically produced the most abundant and safest food in the world. More
“We have no commodity reserves, no grain reserves; no back up supplies to feed the US as this global food shortage grows and food prices skyrocket. Yet this bill, marketed as “food safety”, promoted by hyping food borne illnesses that resulted from the failure of FDA/USDA to operate effectively even on a minimal level, is set to export absolutely every food crop or livestock product out of the country for profit. ” More
While Wisconsin politicians turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the police state actions being carried out by the rogue Department of Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) agents for DATCP kick the efforts to eradicate family and independent farmers into high gear.
In an effort to force compliance to the Premises ID program, designed to convey title of property through the use of deception and coercion, to the federal government, agents arrived this morning on the private property of Paul Griepentrog, without warrant or complaint. The agent for DATCP handed Paul several papers most of which were not applicable under the law, and several of which were in direct violation of Supreme Court rulings.
DATCP, a rogue agency which has been challenged multiple times for its harassment of Wisconsin farmers and most especially dairy farmers, interfering in the lawful conduct of business, seizing and destroying personal property without cause or authority to do so, have just met their match.
A message from Paul Griepentrog:
Folks,
It has come to my attention that DATCP has ramped up enforcement of premises registration. I received a visit from Randy Niederkorn this morning accompanied by a sheriff’s deputy, informing me that I would have to register in ten days or face prosecution. I also received a call from Mark Brothen of Viroqua yesterday morning that he had received summons and complaint for failing to register.
In Mark’s case DATCP refused to grant an administrative hearing twice. DATCP is entering private property without warrant and complaint as required in the 1967 Supreme Court decision Camara v. Municipal Court were it states “Entry onto property by Public officials unconstitutional without warrant and complaint.”
The harassment of the states farmers by DATCP is in clear defiance of legislative intent as exemptions were written into statute however Dr. Ehlenfeldt refused to grant them. There are others who have been notified of prosecution however have requested I not use their names.
I personally cannot go against the Word of my God and will endure all, even death, rather than comply.
Canada is now under threat of the government, using international treaty and agreement, ending the right of the people to use, own, save or otherwise select, reuse or exchange or sell seeds without government control. At stake also is the “with only a reasonable belief” reflected in S.510 here in the US…..allowing seizure of crops, farms, equipment or other assets at governmentwill.
Live Link: Morphcity
By Cassandra Anderson
July 28, 2010
Thirty states will be encroached upon by Obama’s Executive Order establishing the National Ocean Council for control over America’s oceans, coastlines and the Great Lakes. Under this new council, states’ coastal jurisdictions will be subject to the United Nations’ Law Of Sea Treaty (LOST) in this UN Agenda 21 program. America’a oceans and coastlines will be broken into 9 regions that include the North East, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, the Gulf Coast, West Coast, the Great Lakes, Alaska, the Pacific Islands (including Hawaii) and the Caribbean. More
If anyone reading this is an attorney or knows of one who might advocate for Guy, please contact me at Ijudyann614@gmail.com won’t let Guy—or what he stands for–go down without a fight. I’m hoping that the one right person, the one who might be in a position to help, feels the same way.
“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands.” –Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Jay (Aug. 23, 1785)
______________________________________________
Our country was founded on agriculture. With vast land to be settled and tamed, farming was originally seen as the most noble of professions. These days, farmers and others who work with their hands and bodies often earn ridicule rather than respect. Although their land is still coveted, their work is not. Technology has replaced intuition, debt has replaced honor and security, and the scratch for money has replaced the love of work. This is the story of former dairyman Guy Ekola and how he lost his dreams and his livelihood.
A farmer for over thirty years, Guy owns a small tract in west central Minnesota and had a dairy herd of about twenty cows. His one goal always has been to leave the land he worked better than he found it, and he knew what he wanted at a very early age. Guy was, and is, the embodiment of Wendell Berry’s idea…”What I stand for is what I stand on.” He farms with horses rather than tractors to more closely observe the nuances of the land and makes decisions based on nature rather than technology. He’s never made much money, and yet, he and his family prospered in different, more profound ways, raising three children and more importantly, living a life of their own choosing. Guy, one of the first members of a well-known organic dairy co-op, sold his milk to them for many years. Like all businesses today, the co-op had to grow or die and has changed from a small, “family of farms” concept to larger economies of scale. Guy was caught up in this and it is here that this story begins. More
The issue of crops that have been genetically modified (GM) contaminating surrounding crops is one that is growing in severity, and triggering lawsuits by farmers whose crops have been contaminated.
Farmers who grow GM crops might find themselves as defendants in a lawsuit filed by neighbors who complain about crop contamination. For instance, plaintiffs might allege that pollen from the defendant’s GM crops drifted over a property line (via wind, insects, etc.) and contaminated their non-GM crops…. More
It soon will be decision time for legislators on the controversial issue of whether to allow raw milk sales in Wisconsin.The last day of the current legislative session is April 22, although the legislative calendar indicates lawmakers could be in session for “limited business” May 4-6.Regardless of whether the legislative session ends April 22 or May 6, the clock is ticking.
Bills that aren’t approved by May 6 will die a quiet death. They would have to be reintroduced in January 2011 after a new governor and legislators are elected.
Jeff Buhrandt, an aide to state Sen. Pat Kreitlow, D-Chippewa Falls, a key sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, said proponents aren’t sure when or if the legislation will be voted on in the final days of the legislative session.
“We’re still kind of working through that,” Buhrandt said. “We’re continuing to push. But I can’t say definitely whether we will have a vote before the session ends.”
Gov. Jim Doyle said he would have to see what the bill contains before deciding whether to sign it.
Meanwhile, a Raw Milk Working Group recently met for the first time to try to come up with a consensus on whether and how raw milk should be legalized in Wisconsin. The working group includes raw milk advocates, farmers, milk plant officials, university specialists and others.
If approved as written with the latest amendment, the raw milk bill would sunset on Dec. 31, 2011. Legislative sponsors say this would give officials time to come up with a long-term solution, perhaps incorporating the input from the Raw Milk Working Group. More
Colorado farmers and ranchers are cheering a U.S. Department of Agriculture decision to back off plans for a controversial national animal identification system aimed at stemming livestock disease outbreaks.
Lee Swenson, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, which represents about 4,000 farmers and ranchers in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico, said many of the union’s members feared the National Animal Identification System would add to government waste, while doing little to prevent disease and ensure food safety. More
“Government employees are not considered valid committee representatives when they have no involvement in handling or raising cattle in Ohio, and expand their livelihood by services and fees charged to “farmers.”
Feb. 2, 2010
Honorable OHIO AG & RESOURCES COMMITTEE
We oppose HB 414 due to no detailed documented representation for cattle producers.
The generic terms of HR 414 use the word “Farmers” as the total agriculture representatives. There are at least three distinct segments of what you refer to as one name “farming.”
1) Dairying is the production of a milk product. It doesn’t produce grains or raise cattle for meat product. Dairies compete with ranchers for grain and hay products.
2) Ranching is the raising beef cattle for meat purposes. A rancher does not sell milk, nor fibers. He normally will buy grain or hay from a farmer.
3) Farming is the process of plowing, planting and growing grain and fiber from the soil that can be sold to ranchers or dairies, or for other uses.
All of the three above compete with each other as distinct different businesses.
There is no verbiage in HB 414 that assures the largest livestock segment in Ohio (cattle) will have a single representative on your board of 13.
Government employees are not considered valid committee representatives when they have no involvement in handling or raising cattle in Ohio, and expand their livelihood by services and fees charged to “farmers.”
Therefore we consider HB 414 written grossly unfair to all cattle producers in the great state of Ohio. Depending on the appointments, possibly also unfair to dairys and grain farmers.
It is now obvious that various groups are now unifying in the raw milk revolution. It is a battle of food and farming freedom centered around natural, raw milk; and one of individual liberty. Now is the time for all to stand up to be counted in this fast-growing movement.
U.S. and Canadian Raw Milk ALERT: Alliances for Raw Milk (ARMs) and Statement by Michael Schmidt
Schmidt: Form Alliances Now. Food Freedom crises is global in nature and beyond our imagination. This is our chance now for the future of our children.
Pirtle: the new unified Alliances that are beginning to form around the world are voicing a universal outcry of citizens.
Staven: There appears to be a political backlash . . . We can no longer sit idle and watch our inherent rights be cast aside in favor of corporate profits.
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (January 10, 2010)– U.S. and Canadian Alliances for Raw Milk (ARMs) have announced their formation. These Alliances for Raw Milk (US ARM and Canadian ARM) and Family Farm and Food Freedom are to promote connections between natural farmers and dairies and families who want fresh, wholesome and healthy natural food choices based on their nutritional education. READ MORE
“The question we should be asking is not “How do we make these investments work?” It is “What farming and food systems will feed people without making them sick, keep farmers on the farm instead of the city slums, and allow communities to prosper and thrive?”
For over a year a half now, we have been watching carefully how investors are trying to take control of farmland in Asia, Africa and Latin America as a response to the food and financial crises. In the beginning, during the early months of 2008, they talked about getting these lands for “food security”, their food security. Gulf State officials began flying around the globe looking for large areas of cultivable land that they could acquire to grow rice to feed their burgeoning populations without relying on international trade. So too were Koreans, Libyans, Egyptians and others. In most of these talks, high-level government representatives were directly involved, peddling new packages of political, economic and financial cooperation with agricultural land transactions smack in the centre. More
You might want to look into the anti-trust lawsuit filed in October of this year on behalf of dairy farmers in the northeast facing the same situations you are: and Wisconsin is mentioned in this suit. Its not all that needs to be done, but it is a starting point and one I am sure no one told you about no matter how many times you hit the “donate” button.
__________________________________
In response to the alert listed below, sent to the Vice President of WICFA, a request was made to gather all the support we could for Wisconsin dairy farmers who have been relentlessly harassed by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and their constantly changing regulations that have no other intent than to disrupt the dairy farming industry in order to force compliance to unconstitutional and unlawful regulations. Citizens Committee link.
The PPJ Alliance took this seriously and we answered this call for support. At the eleventh hour, this same organization sending this Action Alert out, and a national foundation along with a few locals…….pulled the rug out from under the dairy farmers and called off any public protest of DATCP and their police state policies.
I suspect there is far more to this than the dairy men are aware of. No media, no news coverage, no public attention to what is happening? And in fact, you were all told NOT to show up at a public meeting?
It seems to me there is a possibility that something was in the works you dairy folk aren’t supposed to know about…….and now that we here at the PPJ acted on your behalf……it appears some are suggesting we be the targeted scapegoat for what could be a process still in negotiations……just waiting for the right time to drop the gavel.
That’s just my opinion of course. Time will tell. For those who might believe they will use us to explain their failure to yield positive results…….we’re waiting.
Marti Oakley
UPDATE: It is being suggested by people who were not in attendance at the Madison meeting that those who were there raged, stomped their feet and acted irrationally.
Those who were in attendance reported that the meeting was civil and well received…….there was no bad behavior exhibited by anyone on either side. More
Evil is as strong a word as one can use. It is not a word I, or anyone else should use lightly. I have avoided it a long time in this situation — hoping against hope — that Steve Ingham, Cheryl Daniels, Tom Lietzke & Jackie Owens would find “better data” — reconsider their position — and what it means to Wisconsin — and find a way to work more sensibly.
They have not, they will not, and they have to go, period.
They understand what they do — and they, with purpose and malice misrepresent the Raw Milk situation — while it is in their professional responsibility to understand the situation and make sensible decisions — if it is for the benefit of the whole of Wisconsin, rather than whatever personal agenda they might have.
In this situation — and others like it — most especially as it relates to dairy farmers — it is about the application of unfettered — unobserved — power over good people in order to exterminate their will and desire to survive and grow. Why dairy farmers? Because they can. The bully bullies those they can — not those that can defend themselves.
Food Safety does not like me one tiny bit and has shown every indication that as I speak out and shine the light on them — they will find a way to silence me. More
We have some good news and some news that is not so good.
First of all, we have rebuilt the WICFA website. We have thrown away the frames construction of the previous version so that it will be much easier to view the site in its entirety using just about any screen resolution. I hope that you find the new version easier to read and navigate. If you have any content that would be helpful for others to be able to view, please forward it to cj@wicfa.org and we would be glad to review it and possibly post it to our website. We are looking for some help in putting information together about the raw milk persecutions that are starting to spread around the state. Can you imagine that, we love to call ourselves the dairy state and our state is now attacking farmers for doing just that, dairying? More
I have been asked many times in the last week to give my opinions on Issue 2. I am pleased to hear so many seem to want my opinion before making up their own mind. So, here goes:
I am solidly against Issue 2 and will vote NO on Issue 2!!
The reason is that Issue 2 was created by the confined animal producers to protect their right to raise animals in confinement. It will create a board to oversee animal care made up primarily of these confinement farmers.
Issue 2 is NOT about local food, it’s about Ohio farmers who want to retain their right to raise confined animals. The advertizing is Orwelling double-speak in the worst way I have ever seen.
As you know, raising animals this way is not healthy for you who eat the food, whether it is dairy, eggs, pork, or beef. It takes away the Omega 3, betacarotine and CLA and replaces it with fat and cholesterol. Please read “Why Grass-fed is Best” and “Omnivore’s Dilemma.” More
Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved without exception
_________
Having attended the trial of Pat and Melissa Monchilovich at Balsam Lake, I found it more like viewing a site being cleared by a bulldozer. Judge Molly GaleWyrick cleared the path for Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture to further its agenda of an alleged disease control program. The Media in their true slanted fashion picked away at the obstructions around the edges, avoiding the hard facts like stones.
I had arrived at Pat’s house before the trial to find a young family supported by the community via phone calls and a helpful sister in law waiting to baby sit. Pat was understandably nervous, as a way of life he had come to know for generations was being threatened.
During the proceedings the Judge indicated that Pat and Melissa should have made their arguments in an administrative hearing not in her courtroom. Interesting thought, as the original motion to dismiss voided by the Judge was based on the failure of DATCP to provide just such a hearing.
When Pat raised the point of not having a premises on title, the Judge turned to the assistant district attorney Moria Ludvigson for an explanation of what Pat was saying, “he must mean that there isn’t a 911 address where the cattle are kept” Moria replied. More
Copyright (C) 2009 Marti Oakley All rights resrved without exception
This is a public announcement of a premeditated assault on property owners in violation of the Wisconsin Constitution and individual property rights made by Donna Gibson on behalf of Wisconsin DATCP (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection) in an interview with AgriView.
Why is no one pressing charges against her and other DATCP personnel and officials for making public threats and plans of harm to sovereign property owners in the state?
On October 21, 2009 in Wisconsin Circuit Court, Polk County, Judge Molly E. Galewyrick found Pat & Melissa Monchilovich guilty of failure to register premises. During that court proceeding and under oath, DATCP representatives admitted the program was not of benefit and probably never would be. Still, DATCP seems quite proud of their targeting of this family, and their subsequent threats to target others in Wisconsin.
In my opinion, this is nothing less than a threat of intended harm and the use of coercion and duress to force compliance to what is nothing more than an assault on private property rights perpetrated by state officials in violation of their offices and in violation of the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin. It would appear that state officials launching these attacks on property owners are not aware that Wisconsin has such a document or that they are bound to work within its scope and limitations. More
“The potential for RFID tagging of livestock is billions yearly and the potential for radio tagging of food is in trillions a year…”
U.S. Vs Canada Smack Down in October?
Not exactly how you expected to start your day is it? A little background might be in order.
In 1990 the creation of the National Advisory Board on Animal Identification was created to begin offering livestock traceability initiatives in Canada. Not content to use the systems in place that had proven effect in cost, labor and common sense, the Advisory Board determined that streamlining through Rfid tagging and individual reporting of livestock was the way to go.
Determining the total cost for this voluntary program over the past 19 years is impossible. I’d like to say names have been changed to protect the innocent, but it is more likely the “Program” and Canadian Government simply don’t want the public to know the tax burden they bear. One can find the most recent funding totals $20 million over the next 3 years from The Canadian Industry Traceability Infrastructure Program. More
Senator Kohl of Wisconsin who had a direct hand in setting up the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the USDA to force the Wisconsin farmers and ranchers into the NAIS/Premises ID and who also, along with Rep. Obey facilitated the cooperative funding agreement [bribery payment] cementing that contract with the USDA, just announced that $1,550,000 has been allotted to WLIC. This was the consortium set up after NAIS/Premises ID was shoved through the Wisconsin legislature and promoted as a strictly “voluntary” program.
Recent developments lauded by many in agricultural circles as the “end of NAIS’ as a result of funding being withheld or denied on the federal level, apparently weren’t aware that the USDA through its for-profit activities as a sub-corporation of the federal corporate government, has nearly limitless sources of funds that can be used for any thing they deem appropriate. With the agricultural industrial complex willing to supply any and all funds necessary to overthrow traditional farming and ranching in favor of industrialized operations, USDA has no shortage of funds that can be paid to bankrupted states in desperate needs of funds to continue operating. So what if traditional farmers are driven off their lands and forced to forfeit everything they have worked for so long as corporations can make a profit and states can pad their coffers with bribe money.
Issue 2 is an inappropriate use of the Ohio constitution, and would set a dangerous precedent by creating a permanent place for special interests in the constitution.
On November 3, Vote NO!
NOto corporate and special interest takeover of our Ohio constitution
NOto unchecked power and new layers of unaccountable bureaucracy over our livestock farmers
NOto a new board acting as judge, jury and executioner of all animal agriculture policies in Ohio
NOto expanded state government
NO to an appointed board of political cronies who could radically shift livestock standards in any direction
NOto giveaways for factory farms in the Ohio constitution
Don’t allow special interests to hijack the state constitution: Vote NO on ISSUE 2
Quote of the Day: “There are two kinds of people, those who want to be left alone and those who won’t leave them alone.” Doreen Hannes
Subject: Twitter, Facebook, and the fate of NAIS
Washington, DC is relentless in its pursuit of central control. Some people think the opposition to DC should be centralized and coordinated as well. They’d like to fight fire with fire.
But the most effective way to Downsize DC is to inspire more and more people to just say no. It can work. It has worked.
Consider the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). It was envisioned as early as the 1990’s, and plans were put in place in the years 2002-2005. And yet . . . More
This government seems desperate to destroy the small American farmer and organic farmers. This is clearly a bill written with the help of Big Agra, ie, Monsanto. HR 2749 came out of the worst of the “food safety” legislative bills.
This bill would give the Food and Drug Administration the power to quarantine a geographic area. Including “prohibiting or restricting movement of food or of any vehicle being used or that has been used or that has been used to transport or hold such food within the geographic area.” [This means “that has been used to transport or hold such food” would mean all cars that have ever brought groceries home or any pickup someone has eaten take-out in, so this means All transportation can be shut down under this]. More
By: Marti Oakley 
To: Wisconsin Dairy Farmers
__________________________________________________ 
Hello WICFA Friends and Members: 
If you are not from Ohio you can ignore this.
By: Paul Griepentrog
Having attended the trial of Pat and Melissa Monchilovich at Balsam Lake, I found it more like viewing a site being cleared by a bulldozer. Judge Molly GaleWyrick cleared the path for Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture to further its agenda of an alleged disease control program. The Media in their true slanted fashion picked away at the obstructions around the edges, avoiding the hard facts like stones.
Copyright (C) 2009 Marti Oakley All rights resrved without exception
This is a public announcement of a premeditated assault on property owners in violation of the Wisconsin Constitution and individual property rights made by Donna Gibson on behalf of Wisconsin DATCP (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection) in an interview with 
Posted by 
The PPJ Gazette 