Attack on Food Freedom Comes to Missouri

"The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 (H.R. 2751) was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has given the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authorities to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested and processed. The law grants FDA a number of new powers, including mandatory recall authority, which the agency has sought for many years." - Wikipedia

In a case in 2011, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Patrick J. Fiedler issued the following as his decision on a motion for clarification from a previous case:

(1) Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to own and use a dairy cow or a dairy herd;
(2) Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to consume the milk from their own cow;
(3) Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to board their cow at the farm of a farmer;
(4) The Zinniker Plaintiffs’ private contract does not fall outside the scope of the States’ police power;
(5) Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to produce and consume the foods of their choice;
(6) DATCP [Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection] . . . had jurisdiction to regulate the Zinniker Plaintiffs’ conduct.

In a December 2010 Washington Post article by Amanda Becker, it is stated, "At least 221 organizations hired 77 lobbying shops to quibble over details in the Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act since it was introduced by sponsor Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) at the beginning of last year. At times, industry organizations and corporate heavyweights with a stake in the bill -- such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the National Restaurant Association, the Natural Products Association, Abbott Laboratories and Anheuser-Busch -- retained multiple District firms to represent their interests. Many also deployed their own government relations staff to the Hill, a Capital Business analysis of Senate lobbying records shows. The bill would give vast new authority to the FDA and is designed to reduce nationwide outbreaks of food-borne illness."

What we have found the bill actually does is gives the FDA the authority to come onto your private property at any time and seize any raw dairy product you have, destroy any crops you may be growing or have harvested, etc. at any time all under the auspice of the heavily lobbied for Food Safety Modernization Act. Rawesome Foods in Venice, California has been on the receiving end of this corporate influence in 2011...







Quail Hollow Farm in Overton, Nevada felt the result of the corporate takeover of our food legislation in 2011 as well when the Southern Nevada Health District raided their farm during an organized dinner event and destroyed fresh vegetable with bleach on site...



These are not the only cases where our food freedom is under attack. Julie Bass in Oak Park, Michigan comes to mind when she was threatened with 93 days in jail lest she destroys her front yard vegetable garden that she fed her family with and restore it to a lawn and several other similar circumstances elsewhere in the U.S.

We here in Missouri felt this corporate takeover of our food rights just a few days ago when the Missouri State Milk Board raided Morningland Dairy, a 30 year Missouri raw dairy farm with no reported illnesses as a result of their many years of raw dairy product production and distribution. They took this action citing dubious testing results and refused further testing of product on-hand.



 This from owner of Morningland Dairy, Joe Dixon...



What can we do? Refuse to comply. My son was asking me questions about revolution the other day. I told him the most effective way to revolt is to sever the dependence on that which you are revolting against. They would then lose their power. Imagine if every single family in this country began growing their own food, harvesting their own rainwater, generating their own electricity, etc. The corporations would lose their customer base and, therefore, their profit. They would then not have the economic persuasion on legislation. Start a kitchen garden! And yes, in opposition of the Food Safety Modernization Act, share your produce with your neighbor. They will appreciate it, you will appreciate it and community will build. Keep handing those tomatoes over the fence!

Other ways to help ensure food freedom is through the usual legislative channels of contacting your representatives on all levels of government. Don't stop there, though. Contact the FDA, the USDA your state agriculture and health departments, etc. Tell them that you are in opposition of the corporate takeover of our food freedom. Articulate to them how it is a blatant violation of our fundamental human rights to produce and consume our own food to sustain ourselves and our families.

Show this article to your parents and your grandparents. Imagine if you could go back in time to speak with your great grandparents and great great grandparents and you told them what is happening to our food freedom today. Can you imagine how they would react? What would they suggest as a remedy to the situation? That's where it could get interesting. To find how our ancestors, pioneer Americans, would have responded to a similar violation of fundamental rights... What are you personally willing to do?

If you are from Missouri and you wish to support local food freedom and help out a long time Missouri farming family whose lives have been turned upside down by this corruption in our 'system', visit Morningland Dairy and show them your support.

Shop locally, plant a garden, share the bounty and sever the dependence. I leave you with this...



*Update...

I had to post this information provided by a commentator below here as it is invaluable.    Please utilize one or all venues of action.

"Here are some notes I made while listening to the interview with Joe and Denise Dixon. If you are asking yourself what can I do? Well a lot. Below are some ideas on what you can do to help.

Michael Evens was the host of the show. He has a FB page you can find here:https://www.facebook.com/AmericasVoiceNow

Here is the website page for Americas voice now.http://americasvoicenow.org/

This is the first I have come across Americas Voice Now so I'm not endorsing them, but they so far seem to be worth the time to look at.

Mike Cunningham is the State Senator for the area where the Dixon's live. http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills061/member/mem145.htm

Shawn Rhoads is the State Rep for the area where the Dixon's live. http://www.house.mo.gov/member.aspx?district=154

Call them to ask if they are aware of this situation and what can be done about it, or to prevent this happing again to other farmers who want to provide a choice in our food system.

Governor Jay Nixon, the phone number is at the bottom of the page or you can fill out the form. http://governor.mo.gov/contact/

Howell County Sheriff: http://www.howellcountysheriff.org//

The Dixon's are starting a new cleaning business the phone number is 417-349-0167. If you own a business or want your home cleaned consider doing business with them.

If would like to donate to help them get back on their feet their address is 6248 County Rd. 2980 Mountain View MO 65548. or you can donate online here:http://uncheeseparty.wordpress.com/?

Aquaponics 4 You

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New logo?

I was inspired today to create a more Facebook friendly profile image (pixel restrictions) for the Missouri Permaculture Facebook page today. I ended up spending a little more time on it than originally intended, but I think this is the final draft. I thought I'd share it here.

Permaculture Ethics

Having taken a moment to review this blog as a whole, I have come to the realization that it is lacking effective organization. Permaculture as a design science could, literally, save the world and heal society and, save for the 'What is Permaculture?' page, I've yet to really delve into the ethics, principles and practical applications of permaculture as a way of life and a practical design science. This post will be the first of many that will rectify that.

Most PDC (permaculture design certificate) courses begin by teaching the most basic concepts of permaculture and my approach will be no different here. At the very core of permaculture is the ethics that guide all aspects of permaculture. The three basic ethics of permaculture are:

1. Care for Earth
2. Care for people
3. Fair share of abundance

Caring for Earth

As simple a concept as caring for our planet is, it is probably the biggest failure of our species as yet. We had it right once. At one point in time, we lived sustainable lifestyles not because we knew that's how it is supposed to be, but because that was the only way to be up until our technology surpassed sustainability. It began with agricultural technology trying to keep up with an ever-growing population and decimating the topsoil in the process. The dust bowl or 'the dirty thirties' was the first indicator that we were doing it wrong.

From the advent of the industrial revolution to the present day, it seems that humans have cultivated the grossly unsustainable mentality that our actions do not make an impact and carry with them no repercussions. Oil, coal, nuclear, etc., etc.; the arrogance that we can take, take, take and destroy, destroy, destroy and it will somehow fix itself when we are gone is just a silly notion. We've already reached global peak oil and in less than 50 years from now, many more people will see the fallacy in 'powering' our society and its growth with fossil fuels. I could go on and on, ad nauseum, in regards to how we have gotten the 'Care for Earth' ethic totally wrong. We all know it, but many like to turn a blind eye for either convenience or profit.

So, just how do we care for Earth? Well, we begin by rebuilding soil and encouraging diversity of life. We don't have to forsake technology to maintain a culture that cares for Earth. We simply have to ensure that good ethics guide our development and use of technologies. One of my favorite quotes from Geoff Lawton, a renowned permaculture consultant, designer and teacher, touches on this very concept. He said, "We are not exclusive of technology as if it were some kind of enemy. We interact with technology in appropriate ways."

We are intelligent enough and plenty of studies have shown us what we are doing that is killing our planet. We begin by changing those unsustainable and damaging practices. Buy local, reduce or even eliminate waste, rebuild soil, grow your own food, support public policies that support and enforce Earth caring ethics, etc.; we can do it and we will.

Care for people

Whereas I am not the biggest fan of pharmaceuticals, I saw a news story the other night that underscores how we are getting this one wrong as well. The report stated that there is a nationwide shortage of a particular drug that is highly beneficial to child leukemia patients. The cause for the shortage is twofold. Firstly, the plant that typically manufactures this particular drug was shut down as a result of a failed quality assurance inspection. The other reason is that no other plants manufacture the drug for the lack of suitable profit! Profit! Again, I am not a fan of pharmaceuticals at all and believe that a more natural approach to healing is more beneficial, but this example serves as a prime example of how we are not, as a society, caring for people.

I saw a statistic recently that stated that there are four empty, foreclosed homes for every one homeless person in the United States. This is another example of how we are just downright getting it wrong. I remember growing up in my South St. Louis neighborhood 30 years ago. Everyone was so friendly with each other. The entire neighborhood was involved and participated in the lives of the other residents. Neighborhood parties, water balloon fights, snowball fights, cooperative parenting (if you did something wrong, your parents knew about it before you got home), etc. were a common occurrence. Today, it is not uncommon in that same neighborhood for someone to live, literally, a few feet from another resident and not even know their name for over a decade! This certainly is not taking care of people.

Where did we go wrong and how do we fix it? Well, there are many opinions as to where we went wrong, but how we fix it is pretty clear. We need to begin rebuilding our communities. We need to be able to rely on each other like our communities had done so in the past. Residents of neighborhoods these days tend to cultivate competition more than cooperation. We need to take a long hard look at ourselves and hold ourselves accountable for our own contributions to the degradation of our communities. When was the last time you hung out on the fence simply chatting with your neighbor? When was the last time you helped someone in your neighborhood because they were in some sort of lack? Could you see yourself organizing an event in your own neighborhood to get people at least talking to each other? Why is it that it tends to take disasters to bring communities together? This is yet another wrong turn our society has taken that we have within our means to easily fix. Let's start doing just that.

Fair share of abundance

In my opinion, this ethic goes hand in hand with caring for people for obvious reasons. How often do we see greed elevate others into positions of abundance while others starve needlessly? What's worse is how that greed that elevates some into positions of abundance is the very cause that creates want in others. In permaculture, we aim to produce an abundance without creating waste. Then we share that abundance with all those who are in need. By doing this we care for people and eliminate the creation of waste.

I know of several families living in a particular neighborhood in the Detroit area that were hit hard by economic downturns. Out of necessity, they have begun to rely on each other. When one family grills, they all partake. They have begun growing and sharing their own food. They lend their time to each other when work needs to be done. It truly is the beginning of the evolution of a community doing it right.

Sharing that abundance goes beyond caring for people too. It extends to the diversity of all life. Several people have asked me how to keep squirrels from stealing all their tomatoes. I always tell them that if they grew more tomatoes, they would have enough to go around. They don't always like that answer, but in my mind, it truly is the only answer. What do we do with an abundance of organic material that can not be eaten? We compost it and we give it back to Earth rebuilding soil. Those nutrients feed our garden the next season. Sharing of abundance truly is the circle of life in its most fundamental sense. What do you have an excess of? Time? Money? Food? Do you know of anyone in need? Is there anything you can do to help?

The basics

Having read this post and looking at the big picture, we can see that the basics of permaculture is simply doing the right thing. We all know what the right thing is, but our social conditioning has put us in the position of turning a blind eye to our inaction because that's just what faithful consumers do. This is the mentality that we need to change to be successful and we are, indeed, changing it.

I get so excited when someone is first introduced to permaculture because I see so much potential in one little epiphany that could lead to major change for the greater good. If it is a richer, more abundant life that you seek, permaculture provides that; not just for you, but for everyone. We all can proceed in happy and healthy communities while we care for Earth so that she can continue to care for us, we care for others so others will care for us and we produce an abundance so no one will ever be in need for anything. We can do it and we will.

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Backyard bounty!

Not many people realize just how much food is available to them in their own backyard without maintaining a garden. I took a walk around the yard the other day with the kids while planning this season's garden and spotted several useful plants growing on their own accord. I decided to seize the opportunity to educate them on just how bountiful our yards can be without an ounce of our help.

The first plant we spotted was a patch of Purple or Red Dead Nettle,
Lamium purpureum. This little guy is not native to North America and is, therefore, considered an invasive species and even a weed to be eradicated for that perfect lawn to most, but it is quite the welcome invasive species in my opinion. Take a walk around your own yard, neighborhood or even local park and you are sure to find some yourself. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. I like to simply add them to a salad of fresh yard greens which is exactly what we did here. In addition to being edible, they are fantastic at attracting bees to your garden.

Another plant we ran into is affectionately known as Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule. Being closely related to Red Dead Nettle, they are often confused for one another. It is also not native to North America and considered to be an invasive weed, yet another welcome one. The leaves are edible raw or cooked; just toss them into the backyard weed salad for variety.

Last, but not least, is the Wild Onion, Allium mutabile. The bulbs and the leaves, chopped, are thrown into this delectable salad that was thrown together on a whim while strolling around the backyard.

Top this salad off with a raspberry vinaigrette, a few fresh raspberries and some chopped black walnut to add a little bite. One word, "Yum." Just a little later into spring and we'll be able to add Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, and Yellow Wood Sorrel, Oxalis stricta. Now that would make for a nice dish.

Missouri Permaculture Blackout in Opposition of SOPA

At midnight CST tonight, Missouri Permaculture will be unavailable for 24 hours in solidarity with all those doing the same to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) which would seek to censor the Internet for all Americans through deliberate ambiguous language.

The Gerson Miracle and The Beautiful Truth

It's been some time since the last post as I've been occupied by 'occupations' all over the world changing human history before our eyes. I intend on writing a piece about the movement as a whole in the days to come, so be on the look out for that.

In the meantime, I found these videos on Youtube and was simply blown away. Dr. Max Gerson was a German doctor who stumbled upon a medical epiphany while observing nature in 1928; something us permaculturists should be really good at. He observed how earthworms were adversely affected when chemical fertilizer was applied to potatoes. Not only were they adversely affected by the chemicals, but they completely vacated the area.

Dr. Gerson then began to study plant biology and the photosynthesis process. The conclusion that he eventually came to was the contention that our bodies have evolved to heal themselves and consuming only raw fruits and vegetables allows for our immune system to do what it does best and that consuming foods that contain toxins, which is our entire agricultural system today, is counterproductive to healing and actually is the cause for the mutation of cells; cancer.

This nutritionally based approach to healing became known ans the Gerson Therapy. There are many who criticize the therapy and claim that it has not been proven by the 'established medical community' to be a cure for anything. However, the Gerson Therapy is not without its extremely high success rate. Former cancer patients forgoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments and opting for the Gerson Therapy have experience total recovery from their cancer; tumors have completely vanished.

By the way, it is illegal for doctors in the U.S. to even suggest this therapy to a patient even though it is nutritionally based. I personally think that there are clear reason for this; there's no money in it. Since 1940, the instances of cancer have increased from 1 in 16 people to 1 in 2 today. Pharmaceutical companies make an awful lot of money from chemotherapy and nuclear medicines and we all know quite well today that our government is not beyond going to bed with large corporations and putting greed before the well-being of the people.

I could talk on that subject all day long, but I'd hat to detract from the amazing information provided in the videos below. They are documentaries and are each about 1.5 hours long, but you'll not be able to turn your eyes away after just five minutes. Please feel free to share this post with everyone you know as it may, indeed, save the lives of those who are brave enough to go against the established medical community and opt out of treatments that have been proven to kill you just as the cancer would.

The Gerson Miracle



The Beautiful Truth