On March 11 Magistrate Judge Jessica Brewbaker dismissed a criminal action the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania brought against Amish farmer and Fund member Christian Zook after ruling that the Commonwealth had not proven its case at a hearing before the magistrate held in Cumberland County District Court. The Commonwealth had charged Zook
FTCLDF Cases
Updates and press releases on the various cases handled or funded by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF or the "Fund") are posted below. Click on the titles below to view the full post.
If you have questions about any of the cases, you may contact us online, email us at [email protected] or call 703-208-FARM (3276).
Morningland Cheese to Be Destroyed
A two-and-a-half year battle between Morningland and the Missouri State Milk Board over cheese embargoed at the Morningland facility will be ending on January 25 when Milk Board officials will be carting some 32,000 to 35,000 pounds of cheese off to a local landfill for disposal. Morningland owners, Joe and Denise Dixon, have invited members of the public to be present for
New Trial Date for Hershberger Case
The criminal trial for Amish dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger of Loganville, Wisconsin has been rescheduled for May 20 at the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo. The trial is slated to run five days; it had been scheduled to start on January 7. A pre-trial hearing in the case has been set for May 7. The reason for the postponement was
Victory in Michigan! Shady Grove Farm Protected by Right to Farm Act
Fund members Randy and Libby Buchler of Shady Grove Farm learned today that their farming operation in Forsyth Township, Michigan can continue. Judge Thomas L. Solka of the Marquette County Circuit Court ruled that “because defendants’ farm . . . is protected from nuisance suits under the
Jury Vindicates Farmer of Criminal Charges Related to Minnesota Food Buying Coop
A significant court victory was won for food rights on September 20, 2012 when a Minnesota jury found farmer Alvin Schlangen not guilty on all three criminal misdemeanor counts for violations of the state food and dairy code. The case was referred by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and brought by