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FEATURES
- Folic Acid and Glyphosate Stephanie Seneff describes a perfect storm of ill effects
- Vital Roles of Saturated Fat Chris Masterjohn makes it clear just why we need them
- Testing Cod Liver Oil Sally Fallon Morell looks into the safety and vitamin levels of this superfood
DEPARTMENTS
- President’s Message: Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
- Letters: Letters to the Editor of Wise Traditions
- Caustic Commentary: Sally Fallon Morell takes on the Diet Dictocrats
- Reading Between the Lines Merinda Teller looks into Flint, Michigan’s cautionary tale
- Technology as Servant: John Moody describes his favorite kitchen gadgets
- Homeopathy Journal Joette Calabrese provides homeopathic remedies for digestive disorders
- WAPF Podcast Interview Hilda Gore interviews Sally Fallon Morell on traditional diets
- Food Feature Min Kim gives us detailed instructions on einkorn sourdough bread
- All Thumbs Book Reviews
- Legislative Updates Judith McGeary, Esq, updates us on the Produce Safety Rule
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A Campaign for Real Milk:
- Farmer “Flips” for Raw Milk: The Story of Jeff Biddle by Sylvia Onusic
- Raw Milk Update: State Raw Milk Bills by Pete Kennedy
- International Dairy Foods Association on the Wrong Side of History, commentary by Mark McAfee
-
Healthy Baby Gallery: More Wise Traditions babies!
President’s Message
by Sally Fallon Morell
“What we need, Sally, is a legal defense fund for raw milk farmers, something like the Home School Legal Defense Fund.” The year was 2005 and the suggestion came from Valerie Cury, a board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
At that time, our Campaign for Real Milk was taking off. Raw milk availability was increasing, but so were cases of bureaucratic harassment. Our office began receiving calls from beleaguered farmers, accused of making people sick, or simply hampered by over-zealous application of the regulations. WAPF had no resources to help these folks—we were not set up to provide legal advice. Often I had them talk with attorney Pete Kennedy, who had compiled all the raw milk state laws for us. Pete was extremely helpful, but we needed more.
So I began asking every attorney I met—would they be willing to set up such a fund, and serve as the organization’s legal counsel? After several negative answers, I met Gary Cox at a raw milk hearing in Ohio. Gary agreed and we were on our way! The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) was born on July 4, 2007, with a big farm picnic at Jake Zook’s farm in Christiana, Pennsylvania. That first year, WAPF footed the bill for expenses while the Fund got organized and their membership began to grow.
The whole idea was to level the playing field for small farmers, and the Fund has done that very well. Have you noticed that we no longer have much trouble from state regulators? They have backed off raw milk because they know they will have a fight if they cause trouble. Under the able leadership of Pete Kennedy, FTCLDF has helped us get closer to our goal—clean raw milk available to everyone in the U.S. When the Fund was set up, raw milk was available through sales, pet milk or cowshares in twenty-seven out of fifty states—now that number is forty-two, so only eight more states to go. And FTCLDF has worked to liberalize state laws that already allowed raw milk sales but were overly restrictive.
FTCLDF provides legal counsel for small farmers in so many ways. President Pete Kennedy helps farmers set up cowshare and herdshare agreements at the rate of two or three per week. The Fund has also defended small farms for the right to engage in direct sales of all farm products, fought for less restrictive zoning laws, and even helped farmers whose crops were ruined by pesticide overspray to get the compensation they deserve.
That is why I am asking you to turn to page 14 and read their appeal letter carefully. If you drink raw milk and consume farm-fresh products, you owe it to the Fund to support them by being a member, renewing your membership or donating to their important work. The future of food in this country depends on your support!
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