Amish farm under threat from U.S. federal govt for refusal to abandon traditional farming practices

[JohnHurt]

Yes, we need to be able to "opt out" of these ridiculous big box farming projects. When they arrest a small farmer, they are attacking all of us. No one has complained about this Amish farmer or his products, only the FDA. And they are doing it to "send a message" to all of the other farmers.

The dispute is not Amish vs. big box. The dispute is not chemicals vs. chemicals. The dispute is Amish illegal vs. Amish legal.

There is a legal, inexpensive way for people to eat fresh, organic meat from the Amish (or whoever else for that matter.) We've talked about that in this thread already.
If there is a legal way to do things (that is perhaps safer for the general population than the illegal way of doing things), then we as Christians should be submissive to governors and kings.

That is a really good point. Christ said:

Matthew 5: (25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

We need to go along with the authorities as much as possible. When they outlaw our religion, like they did Daniel, then we face the lion's den.

I really cannot understand how an Amish farmer, that has no electricity, no chemical fertilizer, not using gasoline, could be a criminal in processing an animal the traditional way.

In Tennessee, we can process an animal and sell it right off the farm, with no questions asked. Only when you sell through an auction house, or a 3rd party, is the FDA involved. I did not see that as the problem here.

We sell live sheep to the public, as a private treaty. If they want us to take their sheep to the slaughterhouse for them, we can do that and they can pick up the meat later and pay the slaughterhouse for the processing. That is still "legal" in Tennessee.

You also need a Farm ID, and tag each animal you sell to qualify under the NAIS National Animal Identification System - but only if you sell commercially to a 3rd party, and not direct to the customer. I don't think that is the problem here.

There is something else going on. I cannot imagine an Amish farmer hauling his livestock to a big commercial firm with a horse and carriage. Why would he?

The Amish where I live don't sell to commercial firms. You buy it straight from the farmer.

And the Amish doctor I use that provides herbal remedies, he does not accept payment, only donations, so he cannot be charged with "practicing medicine without a license".

So yes, if you know exactly what law this Amish farmer is breaking, and have some sort of "proof" to back it up, I would be interested.

John

[Ken]

Exodus 1: (15) And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

(16) And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

(17) But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

(18) And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

(19) And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

(20) Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

(21) And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

I fear God. God blesses me because I fear Him and keep His Commandments.

Who do you fear?

Where do you see a biblical command to consume only raw milk? That is a preference on your part, not a biblical mandate.

J.M.

There is no command, but an inference.

Deuteronomy 22: (9) Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

(10) Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

(11) Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.

This passage establishes the case law that we are not to tamper with what God has created, like GMO crops or hybrid animals. When you pasteurize milk, and homogenize it, you are creating something that is part milk and part something else. The passage does not specifically condemn drinking store-bought milk, but if you are open to finding the rules of health in the Bible, it will become clear. And it is not a sin to drink old store-bought milk, it is just that fresh raw milk taken directly that day from the animal is so much better for you, as all of the natural enzymes have not be destroyed by pasteurization.

Of course, if you open to injecting vaccines made with infected monkey pus with mercury as a preservative, or using the COVID vaccine that incorporates the cell line of an aborted child and the DNA from a "glow in the dark" squid as a genetic marker - if you think man can really create messenger RNA as a "cure" for COVID that won't cause a blood clot - if you really believe all of this, then I won't argue with you. We live on different planets.

"To each his own".

So do you refuse to wear blended fabrics as commanded in Deuteronomy 22:11 as you cited above?

The shirt I'm wearing right now seems to be a cotton/poly blend. Am I in violation of God's law?

[ohio jones]

I really cannot understand how an Amish farmer, that has no electricity, no chemical fertilizer, not using gasoline ...

There are Amish farmers who do utilize these things. The electricity may not be from the grid, the fertilizer may be applied from a horse-drawn tank, the gasoline may power things other than vehicles.

I cannot imagine an Amish farmer hauling his livestock to a big commercial firm with a horse and carriage. Why would he?

No, they would hire a livestock hauler (often a Mennonite) to transport the animals with his pickup and trailer.

It's possible that the Amish in your area don't do some of the things that some other Amish would do. There's variation from one community to another, and from one district to another within the same community, in regard to the acceptance of industrial technology and commercial agriculture.

[Ernie]

As I keep pointing out, lots of toxic, unhealthy food continues to be sold by giant megacorps, like Doritos and Big Macs.

That doesn't make it right. Two wrongs don't make one right.

[Ernie]

I'm not sure Romans 13 is a suicide pact; I am a bit dismayed at people who think absolute obedience to unjust laws is somehow virtuous.

There is a legal, inexpensive way to get organically grown meat without defying government regulations.

[Ken]

I'm not sure Romans 13 is a suicide pact; I am a bit dismayed at people who think absolute obedience to unjust laws is somehow virtuous.

There is a legal, inexpensive way to get organically grown meat without defying government regulations.

Most regulations associated with organic foods and meats were actually requested and demanded by the agricultural industry. Absent actual regulations and standards for the growing and processing of organic foods it would be a complete wild west out there and any food producer could advertise and market their products as "organic" regardless of what chemicals they actually used in the growing and processing.

It was the organic food industry that actually sought regulations and worked with the AG department to develop them. Are the perfect? Of course not. But they exist for a purpose. If you buy a product in the grocery store labeled as "organic" it actually means something. Which would not be the case absent regulations.

You can find parallels in pretty much every other industry.

[Szdfan]

I'm not sure Romans 13 is a suicide pact; I am a bit dismayed at people who think absolute obedience to unjust laws is somehow virtuous.

There is a legal, inexpensive way to get organically grown meat without defying government regulations.

Most regulations associated with organic foods and meats were actually requested and demanded by the agricultural industry. Absent actual regulations and standards for the growing and processing of organic foods it would be a complete wild west out there and any food producer could advertise and market their products as "organic" regardless of what chemicals they actually used in the growing and processing.

It’s important to note that just like synthetic pesticides, organic pesticides also have a broad range of toxicity and some organic pesticides can be just as toxic or even more toxic than synthetic. Just because something is “organic” doesn’t mean it’s safe.

It was the organic food industry that actually sought regulations and worked with the AG department to develop them. Are the perfect? Of course not. But they exist for a purpose. If you buy a product in the grocery store labeled as "organic" it actually means something. Which would not be the case absent regulations.

My wife is outspokenly anti-organic food because she believes it’s a marketing ploy to charge more for food. Is there authentically organic food out there? Yes, but a lot of organic food in the grocery store still uses herbicides and pesticides, just the ones that meets the USDA’s production standards for “organic.”

[Josh]

I prefer to know the farmer I’m getting the food from and see what he’s doing versus having an “organic” label approved by the USDA/FDA, who have already proven they don’t care much about actual health.

I rarely buy things labelled organic. In the case of Miller’s farm, his members are demanding a much higher standard than mass produced “organic” food.

[steve-in-kville]

My wife is outspokenly anti-organic food because she believes it’s a marketing ploy to charge more for food.

Yes, basically. I agree with your wife.

[GaryK]

There is a legal, inexpensive way to get organically grown meat without defying government regulations.

Most regulations associated with organic foods and meats were actually requested and demanded by the agricultural industry. Absent actual regulations and standards for the growing and processing of organic foods it would be a complete wild west out there and any food producer could advertise and market their products as "organic" regardless of what chemicals they actually used in the growing and processing.

It’s important to note that just like synthetic pesticides, organic pesticides also have a broad range of toxicity and some organic pesticides can be just as toxic or even more toxic than synthetic. Just because something is “organic” doesn’t mean it’s safe.

It was the organic food industry that actually sought regulations and worked with the AG department to develop them. Are the perfect? Of course not. But they exist for a purpose. If you buy a product in the grocery store labeled as "organic" it actually means something. Which would not be the case absent regulations.

My wife is outspokenly anti-organic food because she believes it’s a marketing ploy to charge more for food. Is there authentically organic food out there? Yes, but a lot of organic food in the grocery store still uses herbicides and pesticides, just the ones that meets the USDA’s production standards for “organic.”

I agree. It appears much of the organic industry is about making more money. I remember 8-10 years ago we were selling a lot of organic items in our store but that has tapered off over time and today we have very few organic items. At the time "organic" was "in" and people were very willing to pay for that word.