Amish farmer fined $250,000 , farm shut down, for humanely raising animals

Discussion in 'Animal Welfare' started by kazenatsu, Jul 25, 2022.

  1. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is shutting down small farms that don't comply with all the regulations that are impractical for a small farms to implement. This Amish farmer is running his farm exactly how farms were normally run in old times, before the USDA existed. These USDA regulations and severe threats make it extraordinarily difficult for small farms to run.

    But these small farms are usually the ones that have more humane conditions for animals and are more environmentally friendly. The government should be encouraging these small farms, not implementing regulations that shut them down. It's already extraordinarily difficult for a small farmer to stay financially afloat.

    Despite ""0-Complaints"", Amish Farmer Fined $250K, Facing Jail, & Shut Down for Humanely Raising Animals

    Matt Agorist, July 25, 2022​

    Bird-in-Hand, PA — Amos Miller and his family has been running Miller’s Organic Farm for over a century, providing willing and highly satisfied customers with milk, chicken, beef, and eggs. All of the food coming from Miller’s farm is beyond organic, humanely raised in a non-factory setting and the animals treated with dignity as they spend their entire lives naturally and stress-free out on pasture. By any moral standard, Miller’s farm is the leading example of what farming in America should look like.​

    Unfortunately, because Miller uses humane techniques and treats his animals well, this has put a government target on his back. Recently, federal Judge Edward G. Smith, imposed sanctions on his farm, ordering the family farm to pay over $250,000 in fines or go to jail. Because the Millers don't use the USDA factory-farm methods, this makes them non-compliant and thus an enemy of the state.​

    "In order to effect defendants’ future compliance, by making them aware of the seriousness of their violations and the consequences for future violations, defendants are ordered to pay to the United States, within 30 days of the date of entry of this Order - and pursuant to written instructions that the United States will provide to defendants - a fine of $250,000, or face further monetary and other penalties, possibly including imprisonment of Amos Miller," the order says.​

    This nightmare started 6 years ago and is continuing today. According to Miller, his family has been unable to continue farming as the USDA has shut him down. Miller has appealed every decision as his farm has never received a single complaint from a customer.​

    "We would also like to be stocking our freezer shelves with pork, beef, chicken, turkey, etc., but the USDA is absolutely not allowing us to do that," Miller said last week. "The sad situation here is the head of law enforcement agency has acknowledged *on record* that he is not that familiar with the Constitution and he has the judge on his side. To my knowledge, the judge announced that the Constitution doesn't apply in our situation."​

    Under the Constitution, federal regulations are not supposed to apply to sales that only stay within the state. Certainly for things like a small farmer food, which are unlikely to affect interstate commerce. But the USDA is enforcing their regulations anyway.

    According to the USDA, the farm is not complying with USDA regulations on how to label and process their food. But Amos says the methods which they use pre-date the USDA and the farm and its members have a right to free assembly and the right to choose how their food is processed without the USDA dictating to them on how to do it.​

    As stated above, not a single one of the farm's customers has filed a complaint. The USDA is unilaterally going after the farm for failing to use their approved slaughter houses which stress and harm the animals before they are killed. Even if an animal is pasture raised and cared for, the USDA requires it be loaded into a truck and hauled to one of its approved slaughter houses where it spends its last moments alive surrounded by death and corralled into tiny pens with other animals before being killed by a person who never raised it.​

    On the contrary, Amos, who is Amish, prays with the animals before they are sacrificed in peace on his farm.​

    According to the farm, their humane and chemical-free methods are the reason people seek them out and join their private food club.​

    The ever increasing environmental toxins from the overuse of synthetic chemicals makes modern farming very questionable. The ethical part, consuming animal foods, leaves doubts in the minds of many. Members of our community have joined us because they have chemical sensitivities and only started to heal and thrive once they began consuming REAL nutrient dense foods. They depend on our farm foods. Members with a vegan background started enjoying animal foods again once they realized that the death of an animal doesn’t have to be cruel.​

    FROM Despite 0 Complaints, Amish Farmer Fined $250K, Facing Jail, Shut Down for Humanely Raising Animals - Activist Post

    All these USDA regulations were passed with large corporations in mind, not small family farmers.
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2022
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  2. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The collectivists want their land. They can't nationalize it and just seize it cuz that would spark a war that everyone would unite against them in. But regulations and fines will get the land repo'd by the banks who will do their dirty work for them 'free market' style. They'll still take all our land, but it wont look like 'govt' is doing it, at least on the surface. But it is in fact an alliance between the govt and the corporations that makes it work. They're gonna use economic fascism to set the stage for the authoritarian collectivism they've always wanted to be in charge of. And we'll beg them for it after they regulate us into enough poverty...
     
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  3. Melb_muser

    Melb_muser Well-Known Member Donor

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    According to the USDA, the farm is not complying with USDA regulations on how to label and process their food.

    No point commenting until further information is provided.

    Edit: The USDA is unilaterally going after the farm for failing to use their approved slaughter houses which stress and harm the animals before they are killed.

    Ok, I missed this. Does the same rule apply to all farms or are they just going after this one? There are probably reasons related to sanitation etc. Approved slaughterhouses will have inspectors, safety standards etc.

    P.s. It's it FDA or USDA? Confusing. Also I bet these are certified slaughterhouses and not actually owned by these government bodies.
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2022
  4. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    You don't understand how this works. Those regulations are impractical for small farms selling to local buyers.

    With everything the regulations require, they probably would not be able to slaughter their own animals. They would have to pay a USDA-approved slaughterhouse, which would cut into most of their profits.
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2022
  5. Melb_muser

    Melb_muser Well-Known Member Donor

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    It's probably like the raw milk thing. It's got to be processed in a certain way...I can't think of a way out for them. Maybe just keep it in-house, bartering between the clan.
     
  6. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I don't think government should be passing regulations that make it nearly impossible for small farmers to comply. We should be encouraging small farmers, not placing unrealistic burdens on them.
     
  7. Pieces of Malarkey

    Pieces of Malarkey Well-Known Member

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    Regulatory agencies exist to regulate, whether it's sane or not. And all y'all pay for every bit of it. Ever wonder where all the gas cans that actually work properly went? Regulated out of existence because some yahoos somewhere poured gas from a gas can onto a campfire, the flames crawled up the exiting gas and into the can, and someone got hurt when it exploded. Ever wonder why ceiling fans don't seem to work quite right for very long? Some dipshit somewhere rewired his house and disabled the fuse box to the expected demise of somebody so now current limiters (complicated and unreliable little electrical circuits) are in all ceiling fans made since 2005. You know, just in case the CURRENT LIMITING circuit breakers in the house don't work. Ever have problems with a ceiling fan? Open the casing up and you'll find a weird little control box. Cut it out and reattach the wires. You'll suddenly find the thing works like it did when it was new.

    Ditto here.
     
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