 Mark Baker with Senator Darwin Booher testified before the Michigan Senate Agricultural Committee in 2012 Photo: HarteIsOnline — Visit bakersgreenacres.com
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Mark Baker filed a complaint in February 2012 against the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) over the impending implementation of an Invasive Species Order (ISO) that prohibited certain swine. The ISO was supposedly issued in 2010 to control the feral pig population in Michigan and went into effect April 1, 2012.
DNR issued a Declaratory Ruling in December 2012 which made it clear that most any pig in Michigan–except those of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs)–would be considered prohibited based on physical characteristics.
More about the Michigan swine ISO
Action Alerts:
10 July 2013 – Preserve Heritage Hog Breeds & Support Mark Baker in Michigan This Friday 7/12/2013
10 April 2012 – Stop Michigan DNR Power Grab
As a member of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, Mark requested financial assistance with his case. He is currently being represented by Attorney Michelle Halley; she successfully handled the case for Randy Buchler. The Fund is not an insurance company and cannot guarantee representation on all legal matters; possible representation is just one of the benefits of membership. View other FTCLDF Cases.
You can help the Fund by donating to defray the legal expenses involved in this and other important cases.
Prefer to make a tax-deductible donation? For details,
go to farmtoconsumer.org/PIL
 Mark Baker and Family : “We are a small family farm set in a larger farm community in beautiful northern lower Michigan. Local food, sustainably grown, is something we value and promote. Pasture, the product of sunshine and soil, is the basis of our meat production.” |
We’ve decided that our Mangalitsa and Mangalitsa hybrid pigs are important assets to our farm for many reasons. Not only do they produce really good food, they do it in an ecologically responsible manner. These “back to basics” hogs thrive in our northern Michigan climate and can grow on any kind of feed.
They utilize grasses, roots, root crops, animal parts (heads, feet, heart/liver/gizzard from the chickens), and end-of-production garden plants to grow. They do not require oil dependent means (feed or shelter) to provide high quality food for many people. We’ve been impressed with their mothering skills and hardiness in a wide variety of conditions. “Hybrid vigor” is a term that aptly describes the productiveness of such animals. On top of all that, they are generally pleasant, cooperative animals, as pigs go. We’d hate to lose these and other heritage breeds of hogs in the local food community. — from BakersGreenAcres.com
MICHIGAN – MARK BAKER’S LAWSUIT AGAINST DNR
 Photo courtesy of BakersGreenAcres.com |
When Mark Baker filed his complaint against the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in February 2012, DNR countersued seeking a judge’s ruling declaring that Mark would be subject to fines unless he disposed of all pigs identified as prohibited in accordance with the swine ISO.
Incidentally, it was discovered during deposition that the Michigan Pork Producers called a meeting and convinced DNR to call ‘feral’ every pig with a straight tail or curly tail; the only exemption DNR gave was for pigs in confinement, which DNR refers to as ‘domestic hog production’, thereby condemning heritage hog farming in which the pigs are typically raised outdoors.