PNN #170 Show Notes http://bit.ly/1cN6bxR
Another Raw Milk Farmer Faces Jail Time Again
Support Real Food Farmer Alvin Schlangen
https://www.facebook.com/events/573399589365972/
Free Staters Are Not Terrorists
http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/7959040-95/letter-free-staters-arent-terrorists
Friday, August 9th 2013. 1 ounce of silver is 20 dollars. 1 Bitcoin is 102 dollars. Peace News Now is brought to by friends of http://WeUseCoins.com and by you, the listener.
At 4:30 yesterday morning (Thursday, August 8), during routine deliveries to his buying club customers, a law enforcer pulled over peaceful farmer Mike Hartman. The law enforcer called the MN department of agriculture, who told them to immediately impound the truck and everything in it--which consisted of farm food for Mike's community. After the truck was unloaded of the remainder of the farm food, they left the truck in a gas station parking lot for Mike to pick up later. They took the property and labor of an honest, hardworking peaceful farmer and the families who depend on him. This is another example of the police state and their effort to eliminate access to real food. We WILL NOT quietly tolerate this aggression against the producers of our food! PLEASE attend the hearing for Mike’s friend and fellow Minnesota farmer, Alvin Schlangen.
Alvin Schlangen is another peaceful farmer who faces five criminal charges with a possible penalty of up to 15 months imprisonment and $5,000 in fines at his trial slated to run August 13-15, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Schlangen is no stranger to the inside of a courtroom, having already been prosecuted--and found not guilty by a jury--on three charges in September of last year related to delivering food to members of a private buying club.
Attorney Nathan Hansen, retained by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, is representing Schlangen. Hansen also handled the first trial.
Schlangen offers members of the private buying club, Freedom Farms Co-op, the benefit of his volunteer delivery service as he picks up members' food items, including raw milk, from other farms and delivers it along with products from his Freeport farm. Horse-and-buggy farmers, who otherwise would have difficulty getting their farm products distributed, especially appreciate Schlangen's delivery service.
Mothers, handicapped people, and blind customers are some who rely on Schlangen's food and delivery service. They are irate at the prospect of losing their food supply if he is jailed on any of the five misdemeanor charges. The charges include not having a food handlers license, delivering adulterated and/or misbranded food, and failure to maintain the proper temperature requirements for eggs. These things are considered crimes against the State according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the agency pressing charges against the peaceful farmer.
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund defends the rights and broadens the freedoms of family farms and artisan food producers while protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient-dense foods.Those concerned can support the 501(c)(4) nonprofit, by joining or donating online at http://farmtoconsumer.org and support the Farm Food Freedom Coalition at http://FarmFoodFreedom.org
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The former president of the Free State Project, Verrin Swearingen, wrote an op-ed for the Concord Monitor. It reads, quote:
Concord’s grant application for yet another BearCat tank to be based here in New Hampshire reveals the depth of delusion on the part of some government officials.
The application, signed by City Manager Thomas Aspell contains the following quote: “The State of New Hampshire’s experience with terrorism slants primarily towards the domestic type. . . . the threat is real and here. Groups such as the . . . Free Staters . . . are active and present daily challenges.”
The goal of the Free State Project is “the creation of a society in which the maximum role of government is the protection of individuals rights to life, liberty, and property.” What part of that mission is so threatening that it requires the response of a tank? The Free State Project detests violence and has a long-standing policy of disassociating with people who advocate violence, racial hatred or bigotry. The only threat Free Staters could pose in their advocacy of freedom is one of non-violence. Meeting that so-called threat with a tank is terrifying.
Mr. Aspell, I respect your opinion if you think government should do much more than protect our freedom. I respectfully disagree and am happy to use non-violent means to advance my position. You appear happy to collect arms to enforce your position. Calling me a terrorist and threatening me with a tank does little to support your position that I am a terrorist and you are not. In fact, the opposite is clearly true.
Peace News Now is brought to you by friends of http://WeUseCoins.com and by listeners like you. Share this episode, catch us on the Next News Network, and send some bitcoin to http://PeaceNewsNow.com/Donate. I’m Derrick J. Peace is the way!
