Citizens organize rally to defend raw dairy farmer facing three years in prison

Thursday, March 01, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: Vernon Hershberger, raw milk, rally

(NaturalNews) Wisconsin raw dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger has had it tough, as government tyrants in the Dairy State have repeatedly targeted him for legally supplying raw milk and other farm-fresh foods to members of a private buying club, for which he now faces a potential three-year prison term and more than $10,000 in fines. In his defense, a group of food sovereignty advocates will be holding a rally on March 2 at the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo, Wisc., where he is set to appear for a court hearing.

The Wisconsin Department of Agricultural Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) remains under the false assumption that it has the authority to restrict Hershberger from distributing raw milk and other raw dairy products to individuals in his community who want these items. This bloated bureaucracy has arbitrarily decided that such distribution is the equivalent of retail sales, and has proceeded to harass and tyrannize Hershberger and his family throughout the past several years, which has culminated into his arrest and upcoming trial (http://www.naturalnews.com).

So beginning at 11:00 am on the front steps of the courthouse on March 2, food freedom activists will respond to this government abuse by distributing Declaration of Food Independence pamphlets to passersby and event attendees that explains how humanity's God-given right to food sovereignty is not a government matter. Various members of Hershberger's buying club will also speak to the crowd about food freedom issues.

"The FDA reign of terror against family farms who are serving the needs of private buying clubs is culminating in one Wisconsin farmer facing federal charges," said Kimberly Hartke from the Weston A. Price Foundation. "Citizens deserve the freedom to choose, and are staging an event in support of this principled farmer, Vernon Hershberger. He is being dealt with unjustly, and is standing strong with the support of the families he serves" (http://hartkeisonline.com/).

Prior to the main event, there will be a "Rights Workshop" featuring raw milk activist Max Kane; Canadian farmer and raw milk speaker Michael Schmidt; food freedom activist John Moody; author and blogger David Gumpert; dairy farmer and speaker Mel Olsen; Raw Milk Freedom Riders and Farm Food Freedom Coalition co-founder Liz Reitzip; and freedom activist and constitutional scholar Michael Badnarik. Following the workshop will be a farm food dinner.

To learn more about the Vernon Hershberger rally, visit:
http://rawmilkfreedomriders.wordpress.com/