Miller Farms fined

[Robert]

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/amish ... -jail-time

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.

“Smith also ordered Miller to reimburse USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for its enforcement costs, totaling $14,436.26. Miller has 60 days to make the reimbursement,” according to Food Safety News.

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.

To be clear, 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 human and chemical-free methods are the reason people seek them out and join their private food club.

[Bootstrap]

I did a quick Google and found this document, which seems to say that the issue is they were slaughtering animals and selling meet with no federal inspection. That's not the same as being shut down because he "uses humane techniques and treats his animals well".

(d) federal inspection is required at such an establishment that slaughters livestock or poultry, and then prepares or processes amenable meat, meat food products, or poultry products that are capable of use as human food for interstate or foreign commerce, unless the establishment qualifies for an exemption from federal inspection;

(e) Miller’s had been operating its meat and poultry business without a USDA-FSIS Federal Grant of Inspection and (with rare exception) without taking its livestock and poultry for slaughter and processing to any federally inspected facility; and

(f) defendants had not yet changed Miller’s business model to attempt to qualify for an exemption from federal inspection under the Acts for any part of their operations.

Looks like they could either have their facility federally inspected or have their animals slaughtered at another facility that is federally inspected. Apparently there are also times that this requirement can be waived, but they did not seek a waiver.

[Szdfan]

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.

So this article isn't biased or uses inflammatory language in any way.

[nett]

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/amish ... -jail-time

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.

“Smith also ordered Miller to reimburse USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for its enforcement costs, totaling $14,436.26. Miller has 60 days to make the reimbursement,” according to Food Safety News.

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.

To be clear, 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 human and chemical-free methods are the reason people seek them out and join their private food club.

Supposedly the FDA traced a listeria "outbreak" to his farm to raw milk as well. There two cases, and one person died, although I hear the person who died was very unhealthy already.

The USDA absolutely HATES anyone who they even suspect of selling raw milk. Really makes me wonder...

[mike]

The USDA absolutely HATES anyone who they even suspect of selling raw milk.

No, it doesn't. I sell raw milk in my store. All the farm has to do is get the proper license and follow the right procedures. We have been doing it for years, as have many others.

[mike]

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

Yes, I totally believe this is what Amish do before they slaughter animals.

[Josh]

The USDA absolutely HATES anyone who they even suspect of selling raw milk.

No, it doesn't. I sell raw milk in my store. All the farm has to do is get the proper license and follow the right procedures. We have been doing it for years, as have many others.

The FDA still hates it, they just have been told by the courts they have zero jurisdiction over intrastate raw milk and so they can’t do anything.

[ken_sylvania]

Yep, free thought for sure. Not constrained by truth in the least.

The USDA doesn't require factory-farm methods.

The USDA does not require animals to be trucked to a slaughter-house to be killed.

If methods are "human and chemical-free," does that mean there are no humans involved (human-free and chemical-free)? Does he have chimpanzees to do the work?

I don't think I've ever met an Amishman who I knew to pray with his animals before sacrificing them. That seems weird...

[ohio jones]

I don't think I've ever met an Amishman who I knew to pray with his animals before sacrificing them. That seems weird...

Usually it's after the sacrifice and just before lifting the fork to the mouth.

[temporal1]

I don't think I've ever met an Amishman who I knew to pray with his animals before sacrificing them. That seems weird...

Usually it's after the sacrifice and just before lifting the fork to the mouth.

Yes.

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

Typo? humane?
Maybe Matt Agorist isn’t familiar with Anabaptists? or dairy farming?
Maybe Hindu?

About Matt Agorist
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA.

This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state.
Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world.
Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project.
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