Originally published May 17 2013
The trial of Vernon Hershberger, another raw milk farmer facing prison time for producing real food
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Just a few days remain before Amish raw milk farmer Vernon Hershberger of Wisconsin faces a corrupt legal system with an ingrown vendetta against the production and distribution of real food. Beginning on May 20, 2013, at 8 a.m., Vernon, who has been falsely accused of committing numerous food distribution violations in his home state, will stand before both jurors and judge at the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo, Wisc. And right across the street at the Al Ringling Theatre, a cohort of food freedom patriots will gather to support him and educate the public about this important issue with an even known as Grow Your Food Freedom.
In case you missed it, Vernon is one of many family-scale farmers that in recent years has been illegally targeted by both the state and federal government for producing clean food and sharing it with his friends and neighbors. Vernon has been operating a private food club that distributes raw, unpasteurized milk and other goods from his farm to local shareholders, a setup that does not require, and actually prohibits, the uninvited involvement and interference of state and local governments.
But Wisconsin's oppressive, food industry-influenced agriculture department, which is vehemently opposed to the consumption and distribution of raw milk, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided back in 2010 to go after Vernon, raiding his property and threatening him with persecution for the non-crime of sharing farm-raised food with consenting private club members. And what has taken place since that time against this innocent man and his family can only be described as malicious food terrorism by rogue government forces on a mission to destroy food freedom.
You can read a full account of Vernon's battle with the authoritarian police state here:
http://www.vernonhershberger.com/history.html
Help support Vernon by attending 'Grow Your Food Freedom,' spreading the word about the persecution of American farmers by government tyrants
Though he has committed no crime whatsoever, Vernon has been forced into a trial where he will have to defend himself against four criminal misdemeanor charges, none of which are valid. If ultimately convicted of these charges, Vernon faces up to 30 months, or two-and-a-half years, in jail, as well as fines amounting to over $10,000.
"The outcome of his trial will set precedent for all food clubs around the country!" states an announcement on Vernon's support page. "If Vernon is found guilty, not only could he go to prison for more than a year, we will see criminal charges, or the threat of criminal charges, used to shut down buying clubs around the country and limit the food choices of peaceful Americans!"
Area residents and those willing to travel to Baraboo can watch the trial live at the Al Ringling Theatre beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 20 and continuing through Friday, May 24. At this time, WISC-TV Channel3000.com is the only news agency being allowed inside the courtroom, and the station has indicated that a live stream of the entire week-long trial will probably not be streamed on its website. However, others will be allowed to film the trial from the overflow room.
If you do choose to support Vernon by attending Grow Your Food Freedom, you will also have the unique opportunity to hear from prominent speakers and food freedom advocates such as Mark McAfee of California's Organic Pastures Dairy, The Complete Patient writer and journalist David Gumpert, Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute, and biodynamic farming expert Joel Salatin, among many others. There will also be several film screenings at the event.
You can view the entire speaker lineup and event details by visiting:
http://www.vernonhershberger.com/trial-updates.html
http://www.farmersontrial.com/2013/05/14/grow-your-food-freedom/
Also, be sure to check out the official Farmers on Trial page to learn more about the persecution of American farmers and how you can help stop this dastardly trend:
http://www.farmersontrial.com/
Sources for this article include:
http://www.vernonhershberger.com/trial-updates.html
http://www.farmersontrial.com/
http://youtu.be/FeqeAAvvlPY
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
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