Feds shut down Amish farm for selling fresh milk

[Will E Worm]

The FDA won its two-year fight to shut down an Amish farmer who was selling fresh raw milk to eager consumers in the Washington, D.C., region after a judge this month banned Daniel Allgyer from selling his milk across state lines and he told his customers he would shut down his farm altogether.

The decision has enraged Mr. Allgyer's supporters, some of whom have been buying from him for six years and say the government is interfering with their parental rights to feed their children.

But the Food and Drug Administration, which launched a full investigation complete with a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and a straw-purchase sting operation against Mr. Allgyer's Rainbow Acres Farm, said unpasteurized milk is unsafe and it was exercising its due authority to stop sales of the milk from one state to another.

Adding to Mr. Allgyer's troubles, Judge Lawrence F. Stengel said that if the farmer is found to violate the law again, he will have to pay the FDA's costs for investigating and prosecuting him.

His customers are wary of talking publicly, fearing the FDA will come after them.

"I can't believe in 2012 the federal government is raiding Amish farmers at gunpoint all over a basic human right to eat natural food," said one of them, who asked not to be named but received weekly shipments of eggs, milk, honey and butter from Rainbow Acres, a farm near Lancaster, Pa. "In Maryland, they force taxpayers to pay for abortions, but God forbid we want the same milk our grandparents drank."

The FDA, though, said the judge made the right call in halting Mr. Allgyer's cross-border sales.

"Intrastate sale of raw milk is allowed in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Allgyer had previously received a warning letter advising him that interstate sale of raw milk for human consumption is illegal," agency spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey said.

Neither the FDA nor the Justice Department, which pursued the legal case, provided numbers to The Washington Times on the cost of the investigation and court fight.

Fans of fresh milk, which they also call raw milk, attribute all kinds of health benefits to it, including better teeth and stronger immune systems. Raw milk is particularly popular among parents who want it for their children.

In a unique twist, the movement unites people on the left and the right who argue that the federal government has no business controlling what people choose to consume.

Article

Shameful.

 

[L3ggy]

Seriously?

 

[Ike Stain]

When are they going to go after the real criminals— the Mennonites!

 

[PlumpRump]

"Intrastate sale of raw milk is allowed in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Allgyer had previously received a warning letter advising him that interstate sale of raw milk for human consumption is illegal," agency spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey said.

What am I missing here? Is this saying that other states can ship raw milk across state lines to PA, but not from PA to other states? Or is it that one can ship raw milk across state lines as long as it isn't intended for human consumption? I'm confused here. It says its legal, and then it says its illegal from one sentence to the next?

Anyhow, stupid government.

 

[vodkazvictim]

I can't find the words to say how stupid this is.

 

[Jack Davenport]

Milk that is not Pasteurized has significant health risks, especially if it is being transported. The feds were correct in stopping this. An Amish farmer has no ability to compensate those they may have become sick from his product.

 

[LeyaFalcon]

People drank fresh ilk forever before modern technology came around to pasturize. If people choose to drink unpasturized milk they should be able to...if the fda is worried they should just tell the guy to put a warning on the label "product may be unsafe to consume" but closing it down is stupid. Some people like to eat raw meat, are they going to tell grocery stores they can only sell cooked meat now?? Its pretty much the same thing, pasturized milk is basically cooked milk to kill the germs, if someone wants to drink milk with germs, let them.

 

[Vosslier]

Seems like the Feds are intolerant to Amish's lactose.

 

[Kingfisher]

Did you know that FDA "Agents" are allowed to carry sidearms and (so-called) assault rifles in their cars. For what? Cow uprising? Wrong date stamp on expired meats?
Fucking morons.

 

[Mayhem]

As long as the customers are made aware of any health risks, this shouldn't be an issue. Just like the warning on a cigarette pack, which also gets shipped across state lines and have a few risks of their own.

The FDA could work with this guy in ways to transport raw mik more safely. Instead, they just bust him. This is how our government works now. Were some of you talking about "free will" or something........?

 

[Jagger69]

If I can't grow or smoke marijuana, why should this Amish farmer be able to flaunt the law by selling raw milk? Both are illegal. Just sayin'....:dunno:

Otherwise, I think it sucks. If people want to drink raw milk, I say let 'em. Get the motherfuckin' government out of my private life.

 

[Hondarobot]

Tough call here. If there was no government regulation regarding food production, you get this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle

On the other hand, I've had some Amish cheese that was really fucking good. I did have some slight concerns about possibly dying after eating it, but it was my choice to eat it.

And on the third hand, honestly the Amish are a bit weird in a number of ways, so we need to keep an eye on them. They do make good cheese, though.

 

[domshooter]

Did you know that FDA "Agents" are allowed to carry sidearms and (so-called) assault rifles in their cars. For what? Cow uprising? Wrong date stamp on expired meats?
Fucking morons.

the agents that carry out search warrants and raids are legally allowed to carry firearms. because theyre law enforcement agents. same goes to park rangers, and arson inspectors. all are peace officers. with the ability to carry a firearm, and power of arrest.

the FDA guys are part of a team of criminal investigators called special agents. not unlike FBI or NCIS.

 

[Ike Stain]

did you know that fda "agents" are allowed to carry sidearms and (so-called) assault rifles in their cars. For what? Cow uprising? Wrong date stamp on expired meats?
Fucking morons.

Fuck you!!! Love it or leave it!!! My cold, dead hands you motherfucker!!!

 

[ShikokuKichiguy]

They are a strange breed

 

[Ike Stain]

They are a strange breed

:rofl2:

 

[Jack Davenport]

People drank fresh ilk forever before modern technology came around to pasturize. If people choose to drink unpasturized milk they should be able to...if the fda is worried they should just tell the guy to put a warning on the label "product may be unsafe to consume" but closing it down is stupid. Some people like to eat raw meat, are they going to tell grocery stores they can only sell cooked meat now?? Its pretty much the same thing, pasturized milk is basically cooked milk to kill the germs, if someone wants to drink milk with germs, let them.

They used to live to the ripe old age of 40 also.

 

[Rey C.]

What am I missing here? Is this saying that other states can ship raw milk across state lines to PA, but not from PA to other states? Or is it that one can ship raw milk across state lines as long as it isn't intended for human consumption? I'm confused here. It says its legal, and then it says its illegal from one sentence to the next?

Anyhow, stupid government.

Intrastate vs. interstate. Within state sales are legal (state law). Cross border sales, into or out of Pennsylvania, are illegal (federal law).

 

[Jenkum]

Pateurization allows huge corporate dairy farms to have sick Cows living in filthy conditions throwing out disgusting milk that could never be safely consumed except through pateurization. It also allows this nasty swill to sit on shelves for long periods of time, it has nothing to do with the health of humans.

Raw milk needs to come from a healthy cow living under clean conditions, fed good food. You need to drink Raw milk within a few days of getting it from the cow.

The government wants you to drink shitty pasteurized milk, they do not want people to drink healthy milk from small local farms.

If you went to a mega milk dairy, and saw the living conditions of the cows, and the milk that came out of them before it was pasteurized, you would be sick to your stomach.

There is no way for big business to make any money from Raw milk. That is why it is illegal.

 

[LukeEl]

These are the same people that went after the Shakers for them and their very asthetically pleasing furniture.