They hate everything he stands for….

Here’s an excerpt from David E. Gumpert’s latest post titled “Why it’s difficult to disagree with Joel Salatin’s expectations of tough times ahead for foodies”:

Raw Milk Revolution author David E. Gumpert with "rock-star" farmer Joel Salatin

“…I was at a VICFA-sponsored book signing Saturday evening in Charlottesville, VA, which had been organized by Kathryn over the previous eight months. I had the honor of being introduced by Joel Salatin, who wrote the foreword for my book, and who’s become something of a rock star in the foodie movement. He had some very nice things to say about my book (“It’s a wonderful book…a wonderful tool in your arsenal.”)

One of the more intriguing things he talked about, though, was how he’s sometimes treated by local business people. “People assume our neighbors love us,” he said, based on all the publicity he’s achieved. He recounted how he sought a delivery of sawdust (his Polyface Farm seeks to vary its use of carbon-based fuels). The supplier refused, recounted Salatin. “He said, ‘You let your chickens run loose. You abuse your cows because you don’t vaccinate them. You don’t want your cows taking antibiotics. I hate everything you stand for.’”

BLACKOUT: Military personnel blocked from accessing many H1N1 vaccine sites

This is an excerpt from Allen McDuffee’s report on the Huffington Post blog, titled “Blackout: Military Personnel banned from H1N1 Vaccine Sites“:

Why aren't American soldiers, who face compulsory vaccination, allowed to research vaccine info on the web?

“If you want to draw attention to a problem, try hiding it. That’s the strategy of several military bases when it comes to the H1N1 vaccine.

Shortly after the Pentagon announced that all Armed Services personnel would soon be facing a mandatory H1N1 vaccination program, I started receiving email from soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors because of a previous story I had written on the anthrax vaccine. Mandatory vaccine programs are a sensitive subject in the military, so it’s not a huge surprise that swift and visceral reactions to the program gained speed.

With a vaccine that was so new and little known about it, like many Americans, troops were heading to the web to find answers to their very legitimate questions — not only for themselves, but for their families who have the option of receiving the vaccine on base. What they found instead is that several websites and blogs with key information asking critical questions had been blocked from their viewing.

Poland won’t order vaccines unless Pharma companies accept liability

That’s unlike other countries like Canada and the U.S. where governments have absolved companies in advance for any damage claims resulting from untested H1N1 vaccines. Here’s an excerpt from the report on Jane Burgermeister’s “The Flu Case” website. Video below, from Health Ranger Mike Adams, is not directly related to this story, although it is about the flu and the vaccine.

“The Polish Health Minister and family doctor Ewa Kopacz has said she will only sign a contract for the swine flu jabs if pharmaceutical companies agree to accept liability and take responsibility for paying compensation in the even that the vaccines cause damage or death.

“I will sign only when pharamceutical companies take responsibility of the vaccines.I guarantee it,” Kopacz is reported to have said on Polish TV.

The unwillingness of the pharmaceutical companies to accept any liability for their vaccines has fuelled fears that they are well aware of how pontentially damaging these jabs are, especially for children and pregnant women, and have positioned themselves in advance to avoid claims.

Wisconsin raw dairy farmers & friends urged to speak up at DATCP meeting

This excerpt is from the PPJ Gazette:

“DATCP board is meeting on Nov 11th with public comment period beginning at 10:30 am in Madison. Max Kane called me with this information. Attached is the agenda and members bio provided by Max.

Karen Schultz is the DATCP employee in legal services who takes minutes for these meetings.  Her number is 608-224-5023. I called her this morning. She told me that public comment period begins at 10:30 am. We can register the day of the meeting, Karen said if not many people show up each person can talk for 5 minutes, if many people show up everyone get 2 minutes.

DATCP board is the group that approves administrative rule changes.!!! This board approved the rule changes that is putting so much pressure on the raw milk producers today.

What do you think of asking your consumers to go to Madison and be at this meeting.  If we can get 200 people it will set a tone of seriousness.  Now is the time!  I believe we need  people from each group to attend.

DIY — Dump It Yourself — raw milk

Here’s an excerpt from a recent post by Dar on the Dane 101 blog:

Wisconsin farmer Scott Trautman was forced to dump his milk, so he dumped it at the state capital, in front of supporters and reporters. pics from Channel 15 NBC Video. Click images to view video.

“Recently a farmer showed up at the Wisconsin Capitol to dump his milk in protest. The state has been making him dump his milk because they fear he is selling it raw (it is unclear if he actually is selling raw milk), which is illegal in Wisconsin. So he decided to dump it on the Capitol lawn, not only in protest of his loss of income, but also to make a statement that raw milk ought to be legal to sell in Wisconsin.

I am a proponent of local, organic food. I have been since my days working at the now defunct Magic Mill Natural Foods. But raw milk is not something of which I’ve ever taken much notice. My thoughts have run along the lines of, if other people want to drink raw milk then good for them, but I’ll take mine pasteurized.

And so I wouldn’t normally have taken much notice of the protest on the Capitol. But something happened in mid-October that changed my awareness about raw milk.

In college I was engaged to be married to a wonderful man, Eric. We dreamed of a happily married future together as physicists. Then actual life happened and I broke it off to pursue a life of dating women and advocating for bicycling while he became an organic farmer (well, a farmer with a computer problem). Pesky life, it always gets in the way of the best laid plans.