Department of Agriculture raids have been occurring in Pennsylvania against horse and buggy Mennonite dairy farmers regularly and for some time. It's getting almost no attention though the farming communities there have been terrorized by the government for doing what they have done for centuries. They came here to live in peace and freedom.
Meanwhile, farmers and ranchers have been desperate to stop the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) which the USDA said would be voluntary but the Bush administration in a last minute gift to our disappearing farmers, just made it mandatory by ordering vets to sign people on who bring animals for vaccinations even if they refuse to do so themselves. Those who refuse are given a special number indicating they didn't "volunteer."
And along with NAIS come "premises" ID which looks to be a way of tricking farmers and ranchers into signing away their land as collateral for the bailout. US farmland for US debt to the World Bank. click here. It has been almost impossible to let the urban community understand the truly totalitarian threats occurring RIGHT NOW against our farmers.
Now this ... and perhaps THIS will finally hit home for those who care about their community supported agriculture (CSA) and want real organic food, not industrial food with an "organic" label applied by corporate agriculture which first got the USDA to eliminate its competition - real farmers producing real food.
"...SWAT police, armed for riot control weapons, packing automatic rifles and armored for a terrorist response stormed a family food cooperative in Ohio.
Agents from the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture with the S.W.A.T. team did not give any explanation to the family other than a warrant, did not provide them a phone call, did not charge the family with anything as they burst into their private home. But what they did do was make a big mess, taking over ten thousand dollars of merchandise with them, reported the IVN Bureau Chief."
Here's the most thorough thing I've found so far and it has numbers to call, too. Every CSA member in the country needs to get on the phone.
pictures by one long pee; Slideshow by Laura Laurentslideshowview all 2SWAT Raids Co-Op in rural Ohio