Pastured dairy cow

Many years ago, when my children were small, I belonged to several food co-ops, including a vegetable and fruit co-op and a cheese co-op. These co-ops were made up of twelve families each who would take turns driving to the farmers market or cheese warehouse, selecting and picking up the foods, and separating them into twelve piles for distribution to other co-op members.  We were a distribution point, but, when it was our turn, we also collected the weeks fees, and bought the produce.  It was for our mutual convenience to reduce the number of trips we each had to make to the farmers market.  Well, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has apparently decided that such cooperative and convenient activities are classified as “selling” and are illegal.  They have sent letters to several Minnesota families threatening penalties and criminal charges if they don’t stop distributing the food.

Up until now most federal and state government agency actions–the raids, threats, confiscations, and criminal charges–have been limited to the farmer or food club managers, but Minnesota has expanded these actions by investigating and threatening the consumers with criminal charges.  What was their crime?  What dangerous product were they distributing?  They were allowing a farmer, Michael Hartmann, to drop off raw milk and other fresh farm products for more convenient pick up by customers.  Yes, just fresh, healthy food–no drugs or dangerous chemicals–just REAL FOOD.  In other words, they were a co-op, they weren’t producing or selling the farm products, they were serving as distribution points for the convenience of the farmer and his customers.  However, the MDA has chosen to characterize the distribution as “selling from your residence . . .without a license.”  The letters threatened “administrative penalties, criminal prosecution, or other enforcement remedies” if the “consumers continue to sell or distribute unpasteurized or other foods illegally. . .”  One of the letters’ recipients, Melinda Olson, says “The MDA’s harassment against mothers will not work. We plan to ignore this warning and continue operating as we are.”  David Gumpert of The Complete Patient thinks that the MDA “is betting that it can outmaneuver the consumers, or wear them down, in a protracted legal battle.”

Listen to Melinda Olson talk about the situation in Minnesota:

Another Minnesota farmer. Alvin Schlangen, has been charged with four misdemeanors for “handling of food without a permit, mislabeling food, and handling unprocessed, fresh milk, which is a crime according to the MDA.”  Schlangen sells poultry and eggs produced on his own farm, but he also manages the Freedom Farms Coop, a private food club serving only member families, and delivers raw dairy products and other foods to club members.  All the food club products that he delivers are to members who lease the cows, and there has never been anyone made sick from any of the food he produces or delivers.    In response to the charges against Schlangen and the threatening letters from the MDA, the Farm Food Freedom Coalition is planning a rally on Monday, May 14, at 7:00 am outside the courthouse on the first day of his criminal trial.

Alvin Schlangen describes farm and co-op:

Why are the threatening letters from the MDA important to people who don’t live in Minnesota?  Do you believe similar attacks couldn’t happen in your state?  As has happened in other states, it’s likely that the driving force, at least the encouragement, behind the MDA actions is the FDA.  If the MDA strategy of harrassing and wearing down consumers, and not just farmers, works well in Minnesota, what do you think will happen to food access elsewhere?  Don’t you think the FDA and other states’ agencies will be emboldened to try similar tactics?  What can we do?  If we want to continue to have access to healthy REAL foods of our choice, we need to support and stand behind the Minnesota mothers and families who are brave enough to defy official oppression.  We need to speak out about why we support them.  We need to publicize the MDA attacks on food freedom.  What will you do?

Sources and more information:

Minnesota Farmer Being Treated as a Criminal for Serving His Community
More MN Consumers Threatened by MDA–and a New Kind of Chess Game Takes Shape
Food Freedom on Trial in Minnesota
Mothers Threatened with Criminal Charges Openly Defy MDA
MDA letter to Brad & Melinda Olson