permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] FARM TO CONSUMER LEGAL DEFENSE FUND LAUNCHED
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 08:05:33 -0700
From: Chrys Ostrander <chrys@THEFUTUREISORGANIC.NET>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group 
<SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

The FARM TO CONSUMER LEGAL DEFENSE FUND (FTCLDF)
was born on the FOURTH OF JULY, 2007at a farm
deep in the heart of Pa. dairy country. This is
good news for the constitutional rights of all
Americans and to protect our personal choice to
obtain foods that we deem healthful and defend
the rights of farmers to produce them for us.

Sally Fallon, President and Treasurer of the
<http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm>Weston
A. Price Foundation, is a journalist, chef,
nutrition researcher, homemaker, and community
activist. She is the author of Nourishing
Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges
Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet
Dictocrats. Ms. Fallon launched the FTCLDF at a
ceremony in PA attended by over 550 supporters.
Organizers had hoped for 150, noting how
remarkable it was that so many gave up their holiday time to attend theevent.

Their web site can be viewed at www.ftcldf.org.


July 4, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND TO DEFEND DIRECT FARM SALES

Washington, DC: Small farmers – and the consumers
who support them – celebrated the Fourth of July
with the launch of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal
Defense Fund. The non-profit organization was
founded to protect the rights of farmers to
provide meat, eggs, raw dairy products,
vegetables and other foods directly to consumers.

“We hope to restore family farms to the prominent
place they once held in American society,” says
Taaron Meikle, President of the Farm-to-Consumer
Legal Defense Fund and a fifth generation member
of a Colorado farming family. “Our Founding
Fathers saw family farms as the very backbone of
American society. Yet today small farmers are an
endangered species because of government laws and
regulations that serve big agri-business and make
it difficult for small farms to be profitable.”

The opening celebration, held at a Lancaster
County Amish farm, was attended by over 500
farmers and consumers who believe in the
constitutional right to obtain raw milk and other
foods directly from family farms without
interference by federal, state and local
governments. “Farmers across the land are either
being forced into producing factory-quality
industrial food and selling it through a
corporate channels or just closing down the
farm,” says Minneapolis activist Will Winter,
DVM. “Some who've tried to do it the old-
fashioned way have found themselves faced with huge fines and even jailtime.”

“When the rights of farmers and consumers are in
question, we’re here to give them professional
legal support and advice at any time of the day
or night,” says Columbus, Ohio, attorney Gary
Cox, legal counsel to the Fund. “Our lawyers have
prior experience working for state governments
and so are familiar with the many types of
administrative and enforcement actions likely to
be taken by governments against farmers, private
citizens and families. Our educational services
will include up-to-date information on legal and
regulatory issues as well as model contracts for
cow-share, herd-share, farm-share or other
contractual agreements that may be needed in
order for consumers to obtain raw dairy products
and other nutritious foods directly from farmers.”

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund will also
lobby at the state and federal level toward the
passage of laws favorable to raw milk sales,
on-farm processing and grass-based, organic and
sustainable farming methods. “The Fund was
modeled after other highly successful legal
defense organizations that have succeeded in
creating a supportive, less restrictive and more
respectful relationship between local, state and
national government agencies. We look forward to
similar success for our nation’s small farms,” says Meikle.

“As we celebrate today, we hold a great vision
for the future,” says Sally Fallon, president of
the Weston A. Price Foundation, which has
sponsored the creation of the legal defense fund.
“We see small farmers prospering as they provide
the raw milk and other nutrient-dense farm foods
that people want and need. We see families
enjoying radiant good health because they have
access to these fine foods and communities
thriving because of the commerce in farm-fresh food.”

* * * * *

CONTACTS:
Taaron Meikle, President, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
703-208-FARM (3276) or 703-537-8372
<mailto:taaron@ftcldf.org>taaron@ftcldf.org

Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, Media Liaison, Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund
505-266-3252
<mailto:wholenutritionist@earthlink.net>wholenutritionist@earthlink.net


This message originated from or was forwarded by:
Chrys Ostrander
Chrysalis Farm @ Tolstoy
Organic Micro-permaculture
33495 Mill Canyon Rd.
Davenport, WA 99122
509-725-0610
chrys@thefutureisorganic.net
http://www.thefutureisorganic.net

"From each according to their ability to each according to their need"
Karl Marx - "Critique of the Gotha Program" 1875

"The purpose of agriculture is not the production
of food, but the perfection of human beings"
Masanobu Fukuoka - "One Straw Revolution" 1978