Michael Schmidt is a Canadian farmer and food freedom activist who has been fighting to sell raw milk for 24 years. Schmidt, an owner of Glencolton Farms along with 150 other families, have been subjected to the all-too-familiar harassment and interference that characterizes some
Action Alert: Want local meat? Tell Congress to Pass the PRIME Act
High-quality local meat can be hard to find, and one of the main reasons is the shortage of inspected slaughterhouses that are accessible to small farmers in many parts of the country. Farmers often have to haul their animals several
Feds Admit Harassing Small Montana Meat Plant, But Take No Action
As a boy growing up in Butte, Bart Riley loved spending time at the family business, Riley Meats, on West Park Street. Young Bart and his siblings would help out cleaning the shop after his father was done cutting meat for the day
FDA Boxed in on Interstate Ban
For some time now, enforcement on the interstate ban of raw milk and raw milk products by the United States Food and Drug Administration has looked to be an exercise in futility (only raw cheese aged 60 days or more is legal in interstate commerce). Thousands of otherwise law-abiding
State Meat Processing Regulations: Taking What the Feds Give
The Wholesome Meat Act of 1967, legislation passed by Congress giving the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the jurisdiction over intrastate meat slaughter and processing, ranks as one of the worst pieces of food
PRIME Act Reintroduced in Congress; Bill Needed More Than Ever
FALLS CHURCH, VA—JULY 12, 2017—On May 25, Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act
10th Anniversary for FTCLDF
On July 4, 2007 some 500 people gathered at Jake Zook’s farm in Christiana, Pennsylvania to celebrate the official launch of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF). The event marked the realization of the
Speak Up on Animal ID Action Alert
Attend Meeting or Submit Comments
The USDA is holding a series of meetings to discuss Animal ID. We objected to the timing of the initial meetings—all scheduled during the extremely busy ranching season of April and May—and USDA has added two more meetings in
Maine Governor Signs Local Food Sovereignty Bill; Vetoes Unregulated Statewide Food Sales
It’s been an amazing past couple of weeks in Maine. On June 16, the state broke new ground for the local food movement when Governor Paul LePage signed LD (Legislative Drawer) 725, a bill giving control over food regulation to
All Charges Dropped Against FTCLDF Member for Raw Milk Distribution
Negotiations on June 14 with the Harris County, Texas District Attorney’s Office resulted in dropping all of the raw milk-related charges against the Houston-area courier. During the negotiations—conducted under the watchful gaze of some 50+ raw milk supporters who packed the