Page 98 - Spring2009

her back to her premises where they, along with four other government ment used the “buys” as grounds for arresting
agencies including the California Department of Food and Agriculture Palmer that afternoon. In addition, agents from
(CDFA), conducted a search of her dairy processing plant located on the CDFA and the Ventura County Health Depart-
farm premises. After searching the plant and questioning the farmer, her ment shut down the HFF table at a local farmers’
children and her farm employees, Palmer was arrested and taken to the market that day, confiscating about $1000 worth
Ventura County Jail where she remained for twelve hours before being of cheese.
released on her own recognizance. Her release papers stated the formal Palmer appeared at a scheduled arraignment
charges against her were for “processing milk or milk products without December 26, 2008; but no charges were brought
pasteurization” and “processing for resale milk or milk products without against her at that time. She made another court
a license”—both are felonies under California law. appearance on January 15, but again no charges
Palmer’s dairy business consists of selling pasteurized goat cheese were filed and her arraignment was postponed
at farmers’ markets and distributing through a herd share agreement raw until March 11.
goat’s milk and raw goat cheese to members of the Los Angeles-based If the Sheriff’s Department believed they
Rawsome Food Club (RFC). Palmer and RFC split the cost on the pur- had obtained enough evidence from the Decem-
chase of one hundred goats which she keeps on her farm along with sixty ber 18 raid to warrant charges being brought
other goats in which she has a full ownership interest. At the time of the against Sharon, its subsequent actions indicate
arrest, Sharon had a permit to sell at Ventura County farmers’ markets, otherwise. After securing a warrant, VCSD ex-
a pasteurizer license, and a milk products plant license which enabled ecuted a second search of Sharon’s farm on Janu-
her to make cheese at a plant near her farm. In September 2008, Sharon ary 28. The department also executed a search
moved out of the plant with the intention of transferring her cheese-mak- for HFF records at the home of her daughter,
ing operation to the processing plant she had just built on her farm. Since Jennifer Lynn Prince. Prince has worked part-
the new plant at the farm was not yet licensed, Sharon froze batches of time at the farmers’ markets for her mother; she
cheese she manufactured at the old plant to sell at farmers’ markets as a also has a full-time job working at home for an
way to carry herself financially until the new plant was approved to be out-of-state bank. The officers seized her work
licensed. The only cheese she processed at the unlicensed plant was the computer which contained no records of HFF,
cheese distributed to the Rawsome Food Club. leaving her unable to work. VCSD also seized
Palmer’s intent was not only to get a milk products plant license but Palmer’s computer and business records which,
also a license to sell retail raw milk. In November 2008, her inspector con- according to Palmer, only dealt with pasteuriza-
ducted an inspection of her milk barn and processing plant for licensing; tion charts.
the inspector told her that everything looked good and that she would call CDFA has told Sharon that it will not act
Sharon if she could think of anything that still needed to be done to have on her license applications until the litigation
the facilities in compliance with licensing requirements. The inspector against her is resolved. Palmer’s inspector,
called a week later requesting a technical drawing for her supervisor but with whom the farmer had a good relationship,
asked for nothing more. has been kept out of the loop during the entire
The state investigation into Sharon’s farming operation began during investigation by CDFA. Sharon has not distrib-
the first week of December 2008 when a detective from the Agricultural uted any dairy products to the Rawsome Food
Crimes Unit of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department (VCSD) went Club since the day she was arrested. She has
to the farm in response to Sharon’s complaint that some grain had been been dumping all milk produced since that day
stolen. While the detective was at the farm, he witnessed a member of the as well. CDFA has admitted in the recent past
Rawsome Food Club picking up raw milk and raw cheese; the Sheriff’s that herd share agreements are legal. Moreover,
Department then informed CDFA. Instead of contacting Sharon to ask her Sharon has never sold any cheese produced at an
what she was doing, CDFA along with VCSD and several other county unlicensed facility to the general public. General
government agencies launched an undercover investigation into her busi- Counsel Gary Cox of the Farm-to-Consumer
ness. Legal Defense Fund is representing Sharon and
On the morning of December 18, undercover agents from CDFA is attempting to convince the Ventura County
and VCSD bought cheese at the farmers’ market from Healthy Family Prosecutor’s Office not to pursue charges against
Foods (HFF). Agents also obtained HFF cheese at the farm after Sharon the farmer.
refused to sell it to them saying she was not licensed to sell on the farm;
the agents insisted that they needed the cheese right away for a holiday
party so Sharon gave them the cheese at no charge. The sheriff’s depart-
96 Wise Traditions SPRING 2009