Could Re-invigorated Raw Milk Push in States Around Country Be Behind FDA's Decision to Take Low Road?
I'm still amazed about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's accusation that most raw milk drinkers welcome pathogens in their food (described in my previous post.
Aside from personal views we may have about the role of bacteria in our food and bodies, it's important to appreciate that the FDA's carefully considered comment was a political one, not a scientific one. As I said, it was a canard, a crude, vicious sort of accusation that must be understood in terms of its political message.
The message might simply be that the FDA is frustrated that ever more people ignore its warnings about the dangers of raw milk, and its officials were expressing their frustration.
More ominously, the FDA has determined that its fear mongering about the dangers of raw milk aren't working, so it is moving to a different level of battle. If it was using rifles and hand grenades before, it might now be seen as resorting to chemical weapons.
As a Jew, maybe I'm more sensitive to canards that some others. Throughout history in the Middle East and Europe, canards about Jews have been used to foment deadly attacks. In Russia and Poland, a popular canard was that Jews had killed Jesus, and must be punished...again, and again. The Nazis used the canard that the Jews were robbing Germany of its wealth to justify attacks on Jews that escalated into mass murder.
In the U.S., canards were long used against blacks. A popular one was that black men lusted after white women, and fabricated accusations were used again and again to justify lynchings.
You see, a canard is a way to dehumanize one group, and set it up as a scapegoat for the majority.
Why would the FDA be switching tactics at this point in time? Maybe because it sees itself losing the battle over raw milk and food rights. Just look at what has been happening over the last few weeks:
- Supporters of Vernon Hershberger are planning a gathering at his next pre-trial event, March 18. in Baraboo, WI. That’s when a state judge will be hearing arguments on whether Hershberger should lose certain rights to call witnesses at his upcoming trial in May because he failed to initiate administrative proceedings with the state agriculture authorities after they shut his farm store down in 2010. Hershberger has argued that his religious convictions prevent him from initiating legal action against anyone.
- Simultaneously, raw milk supporters in Wisconsin are gearing up to push for new legislation allowing the sale of raw milk from dairy farms. The legislation hasn’t been formally introduced, but that is expected shortly. Big Ag is already gearing up to oppose the legislation, in America’s “Dairy State.”
- A push for raw milk legalization in Iowa. The legislation would allow raw milk sales from permitted dairy farms. Hearings are in the process of being held, and among those testifying are Mary McGonigle Martin, the California mom whose son, Chris, was sickened by raw milk back in 2006 (and who has commented here frequently). Also on the agenda is Ted Beals, the Michigan retired pathologist who has developed data he contends shows fewer illnesses from raw milk than reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
- Raw milk proponents in Texas are pushing to extend permitted sales to farmers markets and for delivery. Raw milk is currently allowed only from permitted farms. Hearings were held this past week in the Texas House of Representatives.
- In two states that have long opposed raw milk under any circumstances--Maryland and Rhode Island--moves are afoot to gain legalization of herdshares and farm sales. Maryland is the home of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which helps explain its long opposition. But now legislation is pending, and according to Liz Reitzig of the Farm Food Freedom Coalition, hearings are being held that could lead to passage...if enough people get behind it. She is testifying next week in hearings at the Maryland House of Representatives for HB502, which would legalize herdshares. And a Rhode Island representative is pushing for hearings on legalizing raw milk as well.
- Finally, in Minnesota, supporters of raw dairy farmer Michael Hartmann, who was just charged with three new criminal charges for selling raw milk, are asking for messages of support, as well as donations to help him through these difficult times. His contact info: Michael Hartmann, General Delivery, Gibbon, MN 55335 lecheverte@earthlink.net.
These efforts may or may not succeed. But what I hear in each of these places is that people are worked up, and pushing hard. Even if they don't succeed on behalf of particular legislation this year, they'll be back, in those states and a growing number of others.
So here's my theory about the FDA's switch in tactics: The FDA sees the shift in momentum that is occurring, the growing upset of people over being told they can't eat certain foods and can't acquire them privately, directly from farmers. They are working for change. For the FDA, things are getting out of hand. Desperate times require desperate measures.
As Michael Schmidt of Canada often says, We haven’t seen the worst of what they are capable of. Fasten your seat belts.
This site's mission is to provide news and analysis about food rights and raw milk. Increasingly, our access to privately available food is under attack by government and industry forces that seek to impose their choices on us. The Complete Patient seeks to provide up-to-date information and encourage the development of community to maintain traditional food acquisition options.
You are curiously silent about canards against public servants, David.
The so-called "sequester" is only the tip of the iceberg. Has anyone been following the neoliberal attacks against public sector spending in Michigan?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/03/01-5
For those not aware, Michigan just had a "right-to-work" (aka anti-union) bill imposed on it, even worse than Wisconsin's Act 10 which caused our uprising 2 years ago.
Capitalism is in complete crises. This raw milk stuff is child's play. There's a reason I call this movement petit-bourgeois.
And of course, how could I not mention the Bradley Manning Trial!!!??
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/28/manning-washington-post-new-...
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&I...
Hi Bill,
Here's how I described my position to a friend recently. I'm a petit-bourgeois/parasite who seeks to compensate the victims in our "society", in any way I can. There's not much I can do to change the fact that my spouse is a part of the system, but I can try to give what we have to small local producers and business owners.
I can also offer my two hands, relatively strong back and (questionable) driving skills to whomever needs help.
Right now, that's the best I can do :)
No, I forgot a really important one: To raise our children so they won't be cogs in this evil system.
Well, petit-bourgeois is better than haute-bourgeois, Mama! Glad you are raising your children to not be cogs in the system!
Like I said... you'll have to teach me how to make pudding sometime. I could share some of my cheesemaking secrets ;-)
I have a feeling your cheesemaking is more consistently successful than are my puddings, but I definitely want to learn how to make cheese at some point :). Anyone here have pudding secrets? Mine always end up going rather liquidy after thickening pretty well.
Mama, how are you making your pudding?
Hi Sylvia,
I usually make your standard cornstarch pudding recipe. From a typical cookbook, like Fannie Farmer. I also tried my Grandma's recipe which is more or less the same. Of course, I should probably ditch the corn starch and use flour, since cornstarch is GMO.
Speaking of that, I would love to go GMO-free, but I've been looking around and I'm having a hard time finding a good site that offers tips for your average family. Some look terribly daunting, while others are recommending what I'm already doing, i.e. scratch-cooking, etc.
I'm thinking the only real solution is to go strictly local, but that will take time. Any advice?
Thanks!
Mama & Sylvia - I recently came across a wonderful raw milk dark chocolate pudding that turned out incredible. Let me know if you are interested in it & I will post it.
You can use arrowroot rather than cornstarch, too.
Going local sounds good, but in reality if there aren't growers who greenhouse it, we have no chance to buy local year-round in my area of the country. We have, on average, a 90 day growing season. Even with global warming . . . ;-) We have a greenhouse but didn't raise much last fall or early winter because we were sick. If we don't do the work in our own greenhouse, no one does it for us! Consequently, we've been buying from the local food co-op but they have to haul it in from elsewhere this time of year, too. Buying local always sounds good though.
Here you go Ladies, try this one, it was absolutely scrumptious. You may choose any type of organic chocolate, but I do love the dark chocolate so much better. The pudding is even more decadent topped with freshly whipped raw milk cream with a touch of organic Madagascar vanilla in it!
Raw Milk Dark Chocolate Pudding (gluten-free, sugar free)
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups whole raw milk
- 1 cup raw heavy cream
- 6 oz. unsweetened chocolate (or bittersweet, if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons organic butter (preferably from raw milk)
- 1 teaspoon organic pure vanilla extract
- pinch of finely ground sea salt
Method:
1. Melt the chocolate. If you don’t own a microwave, this can be achieve with a makeshift “double boiler” – just make sure the glass bowl that is used is heat resistant! Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil. Balance the glass bowl on a metal canning ring that sits on the bottom of the pot. Make sure to stir the chocolate often.
2. In a separate saucepan, combine the arrowroot, cocoa powder, and salt. Turn the burner on medium, and stir in the honey. If you want to add in a little kick, you can also add a tsp. of ground allspice at this point.
3. Add in the milk and cream, and whisk constantly until the cocoa powder is dissolved.
4. Turn the burner on low, and gradually whisk in the melted chocolate. You want to make sure none of the chocolate burns to the bottom of the saucepan, as it will sink initially. Once it is well combined, bring the heat back up to medium.
5. Keep whisking. The mixture will start to bubble and thicken. Once it reaches the desired consistency, remove from the heat.
6. Gently stir in the butter and vanilla extract, and transfer the pudding to a bowl or bowls. Cover and put in the refrigerator until the pudding sets.
Sounds lovely, Deb. I've never heard of a pudding made without eggs.
I make vanilla pudding first and then add in chunks of organic chocolate and stir it up in order to make chocolate pudding. Easier that way!
Sounds yummy.
Thank you very much, everybody, for all the suggestions and the recipe, which has me licking my chops :).
I had totally forgotten about arrowroot. Also, isn't tapioca a thickener (or is that also a GMO now?).
Another problem I have is with whipping the cream from raw milk. It doesn't whip really thick. Is that the way real cream should be, and have we just gotten accustomed to an unnaturally thick substance, thanks to all that carageenen, and other glop?
My trick to thick whipped raw cream is to put my beaters & bowl into the freezer for about 20 mins before whipping the raw cream.
The following link has some tips on pudding turning watery. Arrowroot works in puddings, I haven't tried potato starch. bobs red mill has a lot of stuff that's supposed to be gmo free. Some stores have a section of bobs red mill grains,flours, etc. usually by the health foods. Rapunzel brand has gmo free cornstarch. You can call the store you shop at and see if they sell things you are looking for. I use google a lot to find things and then see if it is sold near by.
http://www.argostarch.com/faq.html
http://www.bobsredmill.com/flours-meals/
There is nothing more important than the health of our children, Bill.
Hey David, I propose you add a thumbs down button to the comment section, and if any comments receive more than a dozen hits they get filed where they belong. Interesting to note that efforts to distract are keeping pace with the FDA's efforts to mislead.
a thumbs up here.
Interesting idea...I'll have to think about that one.
Good idea. We'll all have to be sure to immediately give Bill Marler a few dozen "thumbs down" to make sure his posts are censored.
David's mission statement here says, "All views are welcome here, provided individuals are sincere..."
Bill Marler is part of the "Real Raw Milk Facts" website, which has a section, "Real Life Stories", and ALL the stories are anti raw milk, and taken from isolated raw milk alledged disease cases. No stories are taken from the enormous number of raw milk health stories that exist.
So Bill Marler shouldn't be allowed in this forum to begin with, as no reasonable person could consider his website to be sincere.
I would not consider Marler to be sincere. He is a shameless petit-bourgeois opportunist, not much unlike the "libertarian" politicians (such as Ron Paul) who exploit the raw milk movement.
That being said, I think that many of Marler's clients are sincere victims of foodborne illness.
You have to learn to seperate petit-bourgeois opportunists from the victims that they exploit. They are not one and the same, Tomm.
Censorship is something for the other side, not for the good guys, not for the guys in the white hats. Has anyone tried making a pro milk comment on foodpoisoningbulletin.com ?
More than 700 bacteria types in breast milk....do you think they will try to force sterilization?
http://www.jlucina.com/blog/study-reveals-breast-milk-contains-more-700-...
Researchers from Spain have managed to identify all of the bacteria found in breast milk. The finding, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that there is much more microbial diversity in milk than expected, with there being more than 700 different types of bacteria.
The breast milk newborns drink regulates their development of bacterial flora. The biological role of the bacteria found in the milk is still not quite understood, yet it is crucial. A previous study published in the journal Current Nutrition & Food Science found that breast milk contains substantial amounts of friendly bacteria which helps babies absorb nutrients and develop the immune system.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/254758.php
“Our great adversary remains the apparatus—the bureaucracy, the police, the military… No matter what the circumstances, the worst betrayal will always be to subordinate ourselves to this apparatus and to trample underfoot, in its service, all human values in ourselves and in others.” Simone Weil
Ken
Your mistake, Ken, is in the belief that the miliary and the police are caused by bureaucracy. I would maintain quite the contrary: bureaucracy, military, and police are all rooted in the institution of capital.
That is not how I read her statement Bill, they are all part of the same apparatus.
Simone Weil was a Christian anarchist who believed that “Unless one has placed oneself on the side of the oppressed, to feel with them, one cannot understand”.
She recognized the limits of both capitalism and socialism. “She was one of the first to identify a new form of oppression not anticipated by Marx, where elite bureaucrats could make life just as miserable for ordinary people as did the most exploitative capitalists”.
Ken
Marx certainly had failures. Even most orthodox Marxists recognize this. (I am not an orthodox Marxist, btw)
IMO, this is why it is important to read the entirety of the historical socialist literature. The Anarchist critique of Marxism is very important. Also, the Anarchist critique of religion:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/bakunin/works/godstate/index.htm
The article below states that Simone Weil although a convert to Christianity, “was not baptized” and “didn’t want to be part of a religious institution that was limited by exclusion (maintaining the insider/outsider relation). Instead, she wanted to identify with those who were outsiders in society, especially the poor and victims of war. Her book, Waiting for God, is a brilliant exposition of her mysticism and activism”.
http://oasispetaluma.org/wordpress/2010/09/22/simone-weil-the-outsider-a...
I think that those who wish to shun individuals such as Bill Marler from participating on this site might want to reconsider their motives. Maintaining an “insider/outside relation” has religious connotations don’t you think?
Ken
the insider/outsider relation is what religion is all about ... best for-instance, being : the sorting function that will occur when Jesus Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of Heaven ON THE EARTH. Don't hold yr breath, though, waiting to hear that particular sermon from a pulpit of a state-licenced Baal-barn
I made the comment about Bill Marler in jest, Ken. It was a joke. I was not serious about that.
Personally, I think George Carlin's take on religion is spot-on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo
Right on Simone.
"Raw Milk May Soon Be Legal In Iowa" What deaths from raw milk in "recent" years? I know there were deaths from pasteurized milk in recent years.
http://www.inquisitr.com/549426/raw-milk-may-soon-be-legal-in-iowa/
Don't think about it too long, David. Just do it! Please? ;)
mf, Censorship is something for the other side, not for the good guys, not for the guys in the white hats. Besides isn't Terry Dean Nemmers already banned from this sight? And guess what;
...
Hi Mike,
I appreciate your great comments on the blog, but I would very much appreciate if you would try to post fewer comments. One way to do that is to include two or three points in a single comment, rather than doing separate comments for each individual point or extra thought you might have. If you could help that way, it will make it easier for others to read your comments.
Thanks in advance.
David
...
Ok Dave. I guess it time to get back to work anyway. Thanks everyone. And thanks Dave.
Mike, just to clarify, this site is first and foremost a community. People of different views are welcome, even encouraged, so long as they show basic respect for each other. Free speech is fine, yet even free speech has its limits--you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater, for example. Thanks.
David,
" I'm still amazed about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's accusation that most raw milk drinkers welcome pathogens in their food "
Why are you amazed that the FDA is trying to make the conversation all about pathogens? This is the reason for their statement .This has been the strategy for years. It has worked very well because as you say,even most raw milk drinkers believe the lie that pathogens are the cause of disease. They simply want everyone to endlessly discuss whether or not there are pathogens in raw milk. What are these microbes that they call pathogens? What are these microbes really doing in our microbiomes. If we truly would understand the role of these microbes in our health, maybe we could stop going in circles around the topic of pathogens.
"The permaculture principle of turning problems into solutions goes hand in hand with one of the main ideas at the core of permaculture: working with nature rather than against it.
Don't waste your money, time and energy by trying to force something that nature never intended to happen. Look creatively at what you already have. Try to see the benefits and look at ways to use the situation to your advantage.
"What I like best about this permaculture principle is that it applies to the rest of our life as well. Next time you face a problem remember this principle and search for the good in the situation. It's always there, all it takes is the willingness to see it"
http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/permaculture-principles-4.html
Using bioremediation to heal a polluted and diseased bioregion, Permaculture is an awesome strategy for taking care of our own backyard. A permaculturist is concerned with the health and stability of a system, and practices permaculture because the general abuse of our environment has led to a disintegration of many ecological systems. This disintegration has had dire consequences for the diversity of species, the cleanliness of air and water, the fertility of soil, and the general health of humanity and life forms altogether.
Permaculture can be considered another bioremediation technique. It restores the ecology of a system by designing in natural elements like microrryzal fungi and organic material to recreate complete soil, trees to remove CO2 depletion and generate oxygen, plants for human health and plants for habitats. Where the land has been degraded ruined by overgrazing, deforestation, dams, invasion of exotics, degradation of habitat, destruction of water quality, ad nauseum, permaculture addresses these sorry conditions with an integrated design, not an isolated mechanism for rectifying one condition.
Many of the permaculture strategies are based on reducing the impact on the land by reducing the need for extractive technologies and transportation. The axiom of Permaculture that the problem is the solution reveals the willingness of designers to work with what they have, not with what they can buy, extract, import, manufacture, or throw away. Our strategies will be low-impact and low-tech so that more problems are not created in the effort to solve one. A permaculture remediation project is as sophisticated as any environmental scientist’s solution, but the original source of knowledge deeply affects the process and the outcome.
There is a definite place is our excessively polluted world for technologies which can extract pollutants such as radioactive isotopes, PCB’s, pesticides, and the like. But bioremediation does not remain the domain of ecological technology any more than your body’s health is administrated to by the modern medical system. Where natural systems prevail, natural designers must administrate. It’s only natural.
http://egofelix.com/6746-bioregionalism-and-your-backyard
If we can see our bodies as ecosystems filled with microbes,then we can apply permaculture design principles to improve the health of our bodies.
A perceived problem could be that some microbes are reproducing much faster relative to the other microbes in the system than they normally do. Doctors would call this a bacterial infection. If we consider the system as a whole , we may be able to understand why this is happening. One of a microbe's functions in the system is that of "natures janitor". Some types of microbes are more virulent ( virile ---meaning strong or resistant to extreme situations). Most of our microbiome do best under normal conditions .These microbes dominate in sheer numbers.A small number of our microbes do better in extreme conditions.They are an important part of our microbiome even though under normal conditions they occur in very small numbers. These microbes are called extremophiles. They are important when some kind of toxic substance has contaminated our bodies.The most numerous types of microbes do not have the resistance or virulence required to detoxify these contaminants.Their reproduction rate falls. The extremophiles have less competition for resources and so increase rapidly in number at the site of the toxic contamination. This is called bioremediation if we are talking about the environment outside of our bodies. Inside our bodies it is called medical bioremediation. What the extremophiles are doing is using the toxin as one source of energy to grow. In the process the toxin is broken down until the level of atoms at which point the extremophile can encapsulate a toxic atom such as arsenic,aluminum, lead etc. so that it can be harmlessly eliminated from our system. These janitors are doing very important work and rather than being attacked with antibiotics the elimination process should be supported.At some point the symptoms of elimination may be too much and intervention to give the body a rest may need to be taken. After the toxins have been reduced to a level that does not suppress our usually dominant microbes they can help participate in further clean up and healing.The extremophiles will slow their reproduction rate and the system will return to it's previous state EXCEPT that now it will function better than before because the toxic buildup has been reduced. Occasional bouts of bioremediation will keep our bodies functioning better.The buildup of toxins in our bodies requires the regular intervention by the extremophiles in our microbiome in order to decrease the rate at which we age.
For those who want more information here is a PHD dissertation on this topic.
http://gradworks.umi.com/3392127.pdf
miguel
"...A perceived problem could be that some microbes are reproducing much faster relative to the other microbes in the system than they normally do. Doctors would call this a bacterial infection. If we consider the system as a whole , we may be able to understand why this is happening. One of a microbe's functions in the system is that of "natures janitor"..."
Miguel, I think you are posting important and suppressed information here. But I think people also need to understand when this applies, and when it doesn't. For example, I posted in the last article about the 33 deaths allegedly caused by cantaloupes recently. The govt claims listeria in/on the cantaloupes infected people and spread in their bodies. I believe it's much more likely that what happened is along the lines of what you describe here, the cantaloupes contained big ag poisons, whether from pesticides in the soil, perhaps from polluted ground water coming thru the well on the land, ... and this poison was ingested by eating the cantaloupe, and killed people. The listeria in their bodies was immune to the poisons and perhaps helping clean it up, and not the real cause of the disease. As I pointed out, it looks like the govt and establishment media never even ask these most basic questions, but endlessly promote the "pathogen' hypothesis to protect Big Ag and attack small producers.
That said though, I think there are real cases of infection that involve invaders to one's system, and this needs to be clarified, when does it apply? For example, I once saw a video showing these large lizards that are able to kill cattle very much larger than themselves, by biting them. This causes a large wound, and the wound gets infected by bacteria that live in the lizards mouth, and within a few days the bitten cow would die and the large lizards could eat it. I don't know for sure if this video was truthful, but the basic idea of an infection from an invader, I'm sure people can think of many examples. So this all needs to be straightened out. It'd be nice if the medical cartel were something we can trust but obviously we can't so everyone is their own doctor, whether they want to be or not.
So when is an infection a helpful detoxification of one's system, and when is it an invasion of one's system?
Miguel,
I think it is safe to say that the holistic view you are describing isn't something that appeals to the FDA operatives on many levels.
actually, there is a time and place when yelling "Fire!!" in a crowded theatre is appropriate ... if there actually IS one. That analogy is always perverted in discussions about law, to set the stage for considering what can be said where there is no fire. My own experience is : in the face of a clear and present threat to survival, this society would rather gaol the truth-teller than listen to him, so it can continue in its slumber
during the 3rd Reich in Germany, were Christians such as Dietrich Bonhoffer and the White Rose movement, right or wrong, as they put their lives on the line, informing/ warning the nation of the impending woe from both red fascists and black fascists? Jesus said "no man has greater love than this ... that he lay down his life for his friends"
what wonderful irony that last week - during Freedom to Read Week - the Supreme Court of Canada came down with its absurd ruling in the case of Saskatchewan Human rights tribunal versus Wiliam Whatcott. According to which ; it's a crime to tell the Truth. In fact and in law, as I and my friend Bill Whatcott handed out flyers on the campus of University of BC last month, we're now certified purveyors of "hate speech" per section 319 of the Criminal Code. For what? = for warning and informing the nation of harms consequent from artificial abortion and also homosexual activity
Of course you-all in the US can hardly believe that. Which is precisely what the good Germans were saying of the Nazis, during the early 1930s ... "that can't happen here". Wake up people!!, there's fire in the hold : this is where it's headed = the race traitors in high places of govt. employing arms to dictate the NWo version of 'reality', regardless of the topic.
Hi Gordon and David,
You'd do well to study the history of the expression "yelling FIRE in a crowded theater." It was in the majority opinion from a 1919 Supreme Court case over the imprisonment of Charles Schenck, the Secretary of the US Socialist Party. He was imprisoned for distributing leaflets encouraging military draftees to resist.
The majority of the court sided against Schenk, of course, which isn't surprising given the court's history as perhaps the most reactionary institution of our wonderful "Constitutional Republic." Any student of history knows that it is quite clear that the world was "on fire" in 1917 when Schenck was arrested.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schenck_v._United_States
Rawmilkmike, I've been reading this blog and posting here for 5 months, and your raw milk comments make more sense to me than anyone's. Hope to read more. When you pointed out the lack of evidence for and confusion re alleged raw milk disease, I took a closer look and saw what a charade the whole thing is. Thanks man.
RMMike: I also very much appreciate your comments here but have to agree with David. This is not meant as criticism, but please do take a little longer to let others comments sink in and consolidate your responses accordingly. I can't count the times that I've felt compelled to post but decided to wait and was glad I did. We wouldn't want to lose you... wait, you work? Please tell us about that. I forget what work is, since I am no longer a slave and all I do is grownup "play" since I enjoy it.
Ora, I'm a retired electrician with a 3 and a 6 year old. What I really meant by back to work is that this is addictive and a distraction from letters to the editor, letters to representatives, etc. What did you do?
rawmilkmike,
a retired electrician! I am at my daughter's condo, we have been updating her kitchen (we completed) and master bath. I have learned more about plumbing and electricity than I ever cared to know. I do appreciate those who are professionals at their trades. My brother is an electrician in California, soon to retire. I'll be on the phone with him regarding more electrical questions. (I have learned that builders do awful shortcuts).
right now my daughter is in my arms and my 6 year old is out of bed. I want to say that i can't type or spell wurth a ### and i put a lot of time and thought into what i white.
rawmilkmike,
I totally understand where you're coming from! I get addicted to this kind of stuff, and then I feel like a negligent parent. That's why I keep popping in and out of this blog, which is probably not good etiquette.
David; I encourage the idea of having a thumbs down button. I would recommend that the comments that have the most thumbs down be dropped to the bottom of the page, not eliminated. I do not have alot of time to read these things and ususally bypass the comments. But I would like to read the good ones that stay on point. Thx.
I like the move thumbs down comments to the bottom of the page idea. Censorship is not a good thing, but as anyone dealing with children knows discipline is necessary. Exercising discipline by disallowing personal therapy sessions and/or deliberate attempts to derail a movement to distract from the very real and very important issues discussed on this blog is something to consider.
Breaking News from the 111th National Farmers Union convention in Springfield MA.
As a member of the CA NFU delegation I offered a pro raw milk amendment to the hundred page long NFU policy manual. It passed with huge support. Pennsylvania and the North East farmers stood in support of my raw milk policy amendment stating that raw milk is the only growing segment of the dairy industry. The NFU policy manual is used broadly as a national farmers political position reference document for legislatures at state level and in Washington DC for farm policy. It is voted on by all delegates from all states.
Having a profoundly pro raw milk statement for farmers....and access to raw milk for consumers is huge!!!
Last year, a very short sentence about raw milk was argued and shot down. After a five minute speech my me and after some friendly political education in the halls...by yours truly....it passed with huge support in 2013. Progress is being made. No Question.
I find it fascinating that I was invited by conventional dairymen in CA to join the CA NFU delegation. All those times going to their meetings and their rallies in Sacramento and all those times I supported them on their milk pool issues finally paid off!! It takes coalition of dairymen to get things done! Raw milk is at the table. I would say now that raw milk is sitting a the head of the table!!
At one of the break out sessions, the CDC and FDA sat on a panel to promote farm safety. They spoke if swine flu and ecoli....it was interesting. Interesting how the FDA spends millions on such irrelevant numbers of illnesses. Just one death and 16 hospitalizations and 300 total cases. Considering asthma and its 4000 deaths, it would seem that money could be better spent to build immune systems and do more important things. I stood and addressed the FDA during this session. I thanked the, for meeting with farmers but requested that they open the gates of communications about raw milk and bio active foods that build immunity. They said that was why they were at the NFU.
Well....we will see.
Great news, Mark!
However, I do have to correct you about one thing. When I wrote my business plan for Creme de la Coulee Artisan Cheese, in my market research I learned that the fastest growing segment of US dairy consumer markets today is imported European cheese. In our domestic dairy production, specialty production is growing, which includes things like specialty cheese, greek yogurt, and premium pasteurized milk. Its not limited to just fluid raw milk, although that certainly is one of the sub-segments of specialty dairy.
All in all, however, the US dairy industry is a mature industry in decline. Its a very bleak picture for commodity dairy producers, as we all know.
Keep up the good work with NFU. That's very exciting news!
This is welcome news! Hooray!
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
But.
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
How’s the NFU Policy Manual looking as regards to food freedom, to food sovereignty?
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
I congratulate your achievement and your ability to establish a dialogue with the NFU.
Until this year the Ontario branch of the NFU was one of three GFO’S (General Farm Organization’s) that received funding from the Ontario Government via the Farm Registration and Farm Organizations Funding program (FRFOF). The other two eligible organizations are the OFA (Ontario Federation of Agriculture and CFFO (Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario). To date they have proven to be little more then an elitist appendage of government with the remaining farm organizations having to fend for themselves.
The above program came to be as a result of lobbying efforts in the 1980’s by the OFA, and I believe the CFFO was also involved, whereby the Ontario Government legislated into effect the above FRFOF. Of course they needed more bureaucracy to administer this program. It was baptized and is currently known as Agricorp.
In the beginning the NFU apposed the above program because the intent of the scheme was to cajole farmers into paying membership to a government approved GFO of their choice in exchange for a Provincial Sales Tax (PST) exemption as well as compensation on a property tax that was and still is unjust and inequitable. Unfortunately the NFU eventually capitulated to the scheme and decided to become part of the club from which they have been recently kicked out of. I think that is what they call an “ironic twist of fate”?
All I can say is beware of FDA and CDC involvement.
Ken
Bill,
It was our friends in Pennsylvania that stood and said that raw milk was the fastest growing sector of dairy. I do agree that cheese rocks!!! It is the ultimate expression of raw milk! Yum!!
It was a great feeling to have the support of nearly all of the US delegates on responsible raw milk policy. I felt all of the pain we have all endured....finally was for a purpose and progress. A manual with solid raw milk policy can now be carried in one hand,....voted by the farmers of America can be used as reference tool. All farmers as represented by their biggest organizations, stand behind raw milk as an emerging product!
Food freedom is not generally on the farm policy target. But...support of universal access for all consumers that want raw milk is supported. That is a great first step... It also in you face to the FDA and their limits on raw milk access.
Lots of interest in farmers connecting directly to consumers and listening to consumers.
Mandatory GMO labeling for all foods sold in America got into the policy book. This is big!
Food freedom is not generally on the farm policy target. But...support of universal access for all consumers that want raw milk is supported. That is a great first step... It also in you face to the FDA and their limits on raw milk access.
Lots of interest in farmers connecting directly to consumers and listening to consumers.
Mandatory GMO labeling for all foods sold in America got into the policy book. This is big!
"Mandatory GMO labeling for all foods sold in America "
Too bad it didn't pass the vote in California.
Quote of the day from delegate to the National Farmers Union convention....policy is made by those that show up and speak up...
Showing up is done by those that have means and support. By description, that means that groups do better than individuals. Thoughts for those that believe in disengagement.
Another NFU policy statement that I stood to amend. Official NFU policy now supports "interstate commerce of raw milk and raw dairy products for human consumption".
The winds have changed!!!
Yet more drugs that prove the fda, cdc is not to be trusted. Why don't they investigate why there is an epidemic of osteoporosis?
Calcitonin-salmon (Miacalcin, Fortical, Calcimar)
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/05/risk-osteoporosis-d...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/257228.php
"Sleeping Pills Raise Hip Fracture Risk In Nursing Home Residents" "nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic drugs, a class of sleeping medications that includes Lunesta, Sonata, and Ambien."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-warns-of-rise-...
Drugs can never do, for bones, teeth, skin, hair, nails, etc, what a combination of magnesium, sublingual methylcobalamin B, silica and D3 can do for them. No doctor can compete with nature.
I agree D Smith. My siuster was DXd with osteoporsis years ago aft 2 vertabra fractured. The doctors wanted to put her on those horrid drugs. She went home and researched them and said no way would she take them. The doc was rude to her about refusing-yes she did find another one. Anyway, we tried to figure out why she got osteoporsis at 53 yrs old. She was in her last 3 yrs as a letter carrier, so for almost 30 yrs she was walking daily, carrying the mail bags, plenty of good exercise there. Her Vit D was low too, I don't recall how low, I think less than 25. I was having a hard time trying to figure out why her D levels were so low when she was in the sun daily (Sacramento has mostly sunny days) Turns out, she was covering up her arms and slathering suntan lotion on to "prevent" skin cancer. She thought she was eating well. Her idea of eating well, was the hype of "salads" low fat, count calories/carbs etc. She rarely ate processed foods. Salads that are mostly lettuces are not what the media crack them up to be. She now sits/walks in the sun at noon time exposing as much skin as she can. (We come from an old fashioned family, cleavages and butt cracks need not be exposed) We figured out foods that offered the highest known nutrition and she changed her diet also. She also began the Vit D3, magnesium, K (from natto), etc regime. FYI, she has been a heavy milk drinker her whole life, so the calcium in the store bought milk didn't do squat for her. We also figured out from various studies, that supplemental calcium is not needed if you eat your leafy greens, cheese, milk, etc. All calcium can easily come from foods, which is better than pills. The nutrients work together in nature, why would anyone think taking just one or 2 pills will work?
@ Sylvia: All of these minerals/vitamins (and many more) also are found in raw cow milk. I am trying to see if I can find profiles on the components of other milks, too.
There's more information on *what's in raw milk* here:
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/what_is_in_raw_milk.html
I'd like to see pasteurized milk compete with that. There's not a way - it could never even come close.
One of my best friends, who now lives in CT, discovered she had crohn's about six years ago and I urged her to find raw milk (it's legal in CT so she had no problem). She's so much better after just one year on the milk she never went back to her regular doc, started seeing a ND. I'm slowly convincing her about the good fats/bad fats thing, too. She was fairly well brainwashed so it's taking some time. She's sold on raw milk though, and feels quite lucky to live where it's readily available.
I found this article interesting. Apparently public health authorities require reporting of "campy" by health care providers, but this bacteria caused nightmare, CRE, is only required to be reported in 6 states. Those bad germs seem to be moving faster than the bureaucrats
http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/nightmare-bacteria-shrugging-off-antib...
And then there is this Consumer Reports study which found lots of problems with pork in stores. Reminds me of their earlier report on chicken contamination at the store.
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/whats-pork
But of course this is not a problem because you are going to cook these foods after you cut them up and contaminate every surface in your kitchen. I recall Mary Martin having no problem with these findings.
What really turns my stomach is that the USDA is going to allow horse meat mixed together with ground beef in supermarkets. I'm glad I don't buy meat in stores. I love horses but I wouldn't want to eat them. I want to ride them and watch them. I'm not saying they're contaminated I'm just saying I don't want horses used for a food source. I don't think people who buy meat at grocery stores have any idea what they're getting half the time though, anyway. They've probably been consuming any number of animals for quite some time. I don't suppose the USDA would see a problem with a blip like that, do you? Let's see, how many rodent hairs are "ALLOWED" in hot dogs?
Wow, I didn't hear they were going to allow mixed beef and horse meat. I doubt most people know anything about the foods they purchase and consume. I think many are under the assumption that pink slime is now gone.
I think the pink slime industry is working hard to try to make it sound like something better than it is, but people know. Some don't care and eat whatever comes down the processed food pike, others are becoming more and more leery. And truly, the rodent hairs and bugs and stuff in hot dogs (and peanut butter and about 9/10th's of the foods on the shelves of most stores) are probably the least of the unknowns people should be worried about when it comes to modernized/industrialized phoods. =8-0
D Smith, I couldn't agree with you more. It makes finding healthy nontoxic food harder and harder.
Seems many things are banned in Europe and our govt people just keep allowing us to be subjected to toxins.
I will pay the higher fees for pastured meats/poultry or do without.
Yeah, those damn Europeans and their socialist politics, banning things all the time. What's with them and their "big government" nanny state, erecting all sorts of protectionist regulations so that their artisan raw milk cheese makers don't have to compete on the open market with larger industrialized cheese makers? Its like their trying to shove their clean, healthy, artisanally produced food down people's throats. Let me eat junk food if I want to, you French scum!
Stupid socialists! Here in America we believe in the infallibility of the free market!
The point is, if they're going to "regulate" this kind of thing, then REGULATE it, don't stand around with fingers up noses - which, incidentally, is probably far more productive than anything else these guys do.
[quote from article at link below]:
"Valley Meat sued Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary, and Al Almanza, the head of the food safety inspection service, charging that the department’s failure to offer inspection of horse meat violated the Federal Meat Inspection Act.
That law directs the agriculture department to appoint inspectors to examine “all amenable species” before they enter a slaughtering facility.
“Amenable species” were animals subject to the act the day before it was enacted, including cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and mules. "
[end quote]
This is not the first go-round with horse meat in america. It was slipped into meat in EU at one time, too. The big concern with horses is the drugs used with/for/on them, which naturally ends up in the meat. Same old song and dance but still no one has been listening to us about foods/meats/milk. At least no one with any "authority". So then, why do we need them if they aren't there to actually do a job?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/business/usda-may-approve-horse-slaugh...
I was being sarcastic, D Smith... it was a joke. ;-)
No kidding? I never would have guessed. ; )
These microbes not only resist antibiotics,they are resistant to heavy metals among other toxic compounds. They even depend on these metals for their metabolism. In the presence of heavy metals these microbes reproduce while the usually dominant ones are suppressed by the toxic environment. Without the toxic environment these microbes are no threat at all.Rather their normal role is to clean up toxic hot spots in our bodies.
http://zoologysncn.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/sowmya-et-al-halophilic-meta...
" Man, being at the top of the food chain, is at greater risk of suffering from health hazards associated with toxic metals because of bioaccumulation/ biomagnification. Sediment is the ultimate depository of many chemical compounds including heavy metals from natural and anthropogenic sources. Because of their highly diverse metabolic and physiological capabilities, microorganisms are capable of resisting high concentrations of toxic heavy metals/ xenobiotics in their environment and are often considered as effective tools of bioremediation of polluted environments"
" In the present study sediment samples from Vembanad Lake – the largest lagoon backwater system on the southwest coast of India – were screened for the presence of halophilic bacteria that are tolerant to heavy metals. A total of 35 bacterial strains belonging to different genera such as Alcaligenes, Vibrio, Kurthia, Staphylococcus and members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from 21 sediment samples"
" The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) against cadmium and lead for each isolate were determined. The isolates showed higher MIC against lead than cadmium. Based on the resistance limit concentration most of them were more tolerant to lead than cadmium at all the three salt concentrations tested. Metal reduction efficiency of selected isolates was also carried out. Isolates showed a maximum reduction efficiency of 37% and 99% against cadmium and lead respectively. The study reveals the future prospects of halophilic microorganisms in the field of bioremediation. The findings also disclose the vast treasure of unexplored microbial diversity of this Ramsar site."
The growth of these bacteria are in response to the toxic environment inside the human body. Remove the toxic environment and the bacteria are deprived of their source of energy and in a healthy organ they cannot compete with the normal bacterial community. The problem comes when the toxic situation is so big that the symptoms of elimination are life threatening. In this case the support needed is to slow down the process of elimination . Killing the bacteria only prevents the elimination of the toxins and results in a bigger problem sometime in the future.On a small scale toxic buildup the bacteria have to be appreciated for eliminating the toxins with little damage to the body.
"The elements that, heretofore, biologists have regarded as basic to all life are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Arsenic is normally a deadly poison, because arsenic, belonging as it does to the same group as phosphorus (though one row down in the periodic table of the elements). Before today, biologists had known of microbes ("small lives") that could "breathe" arsenic. But today, astrobiologist Felisa Wolfe-Simon announced the discovery of a microbe that not only ingests arsenic but incorporates it into some of the most basic molecules that all life forms contain and use. These molecules include DNA (the genome), adenosine triphosphate (the "battery acid" of all cells), and acetyl-coenzyme A (a key facilitator of cellular metabolism), among others. (In fact, instead of adenosine triphosphate, this bacterium uses adenosine triarsenate.)"
"The discovery of GFAJ-1 now places such elemental substitutionary life forms within the realm of confirmed reality, rather than fantasy. The discovery of an arsenic-for-phosphorus life form suggests the existence of others, and might suggest the existence of silicon-based life.
This does not make it an extraterrestrial life form. It shows only that life can take a wider variety of forms than has been heretofore supposed. That this new form should depend on a simple substitution of one element by another is a predictable consequence of the periodicity of the properties of chemical elements, the very thing that makes the periodic table of the elements so valuable.
The obvious question arises: why would God create such a thing? The answer follows from the function that bacteria normally perform in any ecosystem: they are the janitors and garbage collectors of all ecosystems that include plants and animals. Strain GFAJ-1 is thus the equivalent of a "Haz-Mat" disposal specialist."
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-arsenic-germ-and-what-it-really-means
I wonder why the Cornucopia Institute web site is posting this as if it were from this year? It took me a few minutes to put it all together and discover that this was from 2 years ago . . .
http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/03/heres-a-way-to-eliminate-the-regulator...
Anyone know how this is going today?
I don't recall any information on what happened since 2011. I did find the following:
http://www.sedgwickmaine.org/images/stories/local-food-ordinance.pdf
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Local_Food_and_Self-Governanc...
Thanks for those links, Sylvia. Good stuff at the last link, but I can't open the pdf on this computer.
All of the talk about licensing in that article brings to mind the guy from India (?) who had fresh veggies in a basket on a bicycle (to sell in a busy part of town) and the police told him he couldn't sell them without a license of some sort, which he could not afford to buy, so he set himself on fire in front of his two children and the police doods. I guess no other term but desperation would fit. Sometimes neither side has a good outcome from all this governance.
D. Smith, I think you may be referring to a guy from Tunisia, whose self-immolation started off all the Arab Spring uprisings.
Lynn M.
An article by Liz Reitzig which is posted at Lew Rockwell's site today.
http://lewrockwell.com/orig14/reitzig1.1.1.html
You mean the guy who wrote the notorius racist vitriol in The Ron Paul Newsletter back in the 90s?
http://reason.com/archives/2008/01/16/who-wrote-ron-pauls-newsletter
people can change their opinion in light of better understanding gained from experience. It's called "learning". A good example being : America's poet laureate who was a communist sympathizer, once upon a time ... but he ain't in that frame of mind no more. following is a snippet from someone reviewing Bob Dylan's latest tour >
> Several Dylan songs from the 90s on; Political World, Everything is Broken, I Used to Care, High Water, and a good number of other songs proclaiming a very different view/opinion of things than the long rejected early 60s Civil Rights styled songs. I went to see him in concert last October, curious if my guesses were correct. They were; for his set, he selected the above songs and others that repeatedly proclaimed that all that leftist idealism has gone terribly wrong. For an encore, he played a very frivolously delivered version of "Blowin' in the Wind." It was like he was making fun of it, setting it to a lounge style, like elevator music might be heard by chance. At the end of the show, he just stood near the edge of the stage and stared at the audience. I used my binoculars. The look on his face was; "You still don't get it, do you?" <
Dylan is burnt out on drugs, Watson. Apathy is not the same thing as a right-ward political turn, although their long-term effects on society tend to be the same.
yep, so racist that he has multiple African American and other contributors of various nationalities on his site... gasp, he has woman as well, so he must be a woman oppressor too...
John, do yourself a favor and look up the definition of "tokenism"
Yeah, Bill, must be "tokenism," a symptom of his petite anglo-saxon symphony orchestra privileged underbelly pork loin Republicrat crock pots or something... I am sure you will straighten what I wrote out.
The actual evidence could never, never, ever point to the fact that you are just plain wrong.
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