Shortly after this picture was taken, the heartstricken farmer had to open fire and wantonly kill these Momma pigs and piglets, by order of the state of Michigan.
My Podcast Interview about the Michigan Swine ISO
by Kimberly Hartke
A shocking trespass on constitutional and property rights is taking place in the state of Michigan. A government agency has condemned all pigs that aren’t raised in Confined Animal Feeding Operations to be an “invasive species.” The move by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is backed by all the major players in the Agri-business community (even potato growers). It is clear that the move is anti-competitive, inhumane to man and beast, and a huge threat to American liberty.
Today, I am taking you inside the issue, with a recorded interview with Scott Everett, the lobbyist for the Michigan Animal Farmers Association, Mark Baker one of several farmers who is suing the state, and Dave Tuxbury, a hunting preserve owner who was forced to wage a literal bloodbath, a mass slaughter of the pigs on his land.
The court cases have been delayed, leaving the farmers and their livelihoods high and dry. Can you imagine? These families have mortgages and bills to pay, and children and livestock to feed. And the state bureaucrats with their cushy, secure jobs have taken the farm and ranch businesses they have built with sweat, tears and sacrifice, and shut them down cold.
Citizen Action is Playing a Key Role in Defense of Small Farms
And, yet, there are signs of hope. The head guy at the Michigan DNR has been replaced. Could the thousands of calls and faxes sent by food activists have made an impact? When Kelly the Kitchen Kop blogged an interview with Dave Tuxbury, over 900 people shared the post on facebook! My four stories on the Michigan swine ISO were also passed on by hundreds of concerned people. We hear that the governors office was overwhelmed by the phoned in outrage.
Plus, more lawsuits are being put together, and one by a major player in the food safety arena (see Pete’s article I link to below, for the exciting news).
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is working to defend the rights of over 2000 small farms in Michigan who are now in jeopardy under the Michigan ISO. Pete Kennedy reports on the latest developments in this article, Michigan Swine ISO Still Threatens Heritage Breeds.
My Podcast on Michigan Swine ISO
Click here to listen: Michigan Swine ISO 28 June 2012
If this story alarms you, just imagine it happening in your state. Because, that is the game plan. This is a plan that is ready to be foisted upon other states, as the Agribusiness giants have found a way to gut their competition with impunity. If they get away with it in Michigan, we can kiss free range farming goodbye, everywhere.
Please sign this petition to ask Michigan’s governor to rescind the Invasive Species Order Click here for the FTCLDF online petition.
Kimberly Hartke is the publicist for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, which works to protect the rights of farmers and consumers to make farm-direct trades without government interference.
This post is part of the Fight Back Friday blog carnival on FoodRenegade.com.
Love your blog, by the way. What a great, centralized resource for all real food and local farm info.
Kim, this is an AWESOME podcast. Everyone should hear how these small farmers, who are raising exactly the kind of food that us real food types would be blessed to eat, are having their businesses destroyed by a tyrannical government agency, with the full support of Big Ag. If we do not protect our small farmers, we will end up with nothing to eat but factory food, raised in CAFOS with chemicals.
The Michigan DNR should drop the Invasive Species Order, compensate the farmers they have harmed, and stay the heck out of agriculture, and stick to hunting.