State workers, together with members of the Pennsylvania State Police, raided Amos Miller’s Lancaster County farm Thursday, reportedly because of an investigation into the farmer’s supposed violations of state meals security codes.
The raid was performed underneath the authority of the Pennsylvania Division of Agriculture, together with the state police, in keeping with the Lancaster Patriot.
Miller, the farmer, has been concerned in a protracted dispute with each the state and federal governments over meals and meat inspection and well being safety tips after officers have accused him of promoting harmful meals that doesn’t meet inspection requirements.
Pennsylvania officers declare that they had been contacted by public well being officers in New York and Michigan about sicknesses reported in minors who ate the uncooked milk merchandise bought by Miller, Lancaster Online reported.
The search warrant, dated Jan. 3, that the Pennsylvania well being brokers served on Miller “sought, among other things, illegal raw milk and raw milk products, including eggnog,” the media outlet stated.
The company added, “Miller has never licensed his retail operation.”
The state additionally claims that incidents of sickness date again to 2016, and the newest case was Dec. 19.
On high of that, authorities implied that one particular person died because of consuming food bought from Miller.
“[T]he Food and Drug Administration said it identified listeria in samples of Miller’s raw milk and found it to be genetically similar to the bacteria in two people who developed listeriosis — one of whom died — after consuming raw milk,” Lancaster On-line reported.
Sheri Morris, performing bureau director of meals security with the Pennsylvania Division of Agriculture, was reportedly notified by the New York State Well being Division about “a confirmed positive case of a foodborne pathogen (STEC – Shiga toxin producing E. Coli) in an underage individual” who supposedly consumed meals objects bought by Miller, the Lancaster Patriot reported.
Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie blasted the raid in a submit on social media platform X.
“With all of the problems in society today, this is what the government wants to focus on?” Massie wrote, including, “A man growing food for informed customers, without participating in the industrial meat/milk complex?”
“It’s shameful that it’s come to this,” he railed.
Seems to be like Amos Miller’s farm is being raided.
With the entire issues in society in the present day, that is what the federal government desires to concentrate on?
A person rising meals for knowledgeable clients, with out collaborating within the industrial meat/milk complicated?
It’s shameful that it’s come to this. https://t.co/pWwjp6cgPh
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 4, 2024
Massie has been lively in making an attempt to craft legislation to permit farmers to promote farm merchandise on to shoppers with out being regulated by state and federal officers.
For his half, Miller, whose farm has been raided earlier than, has claimed the rights of a “sovereign citizen” to promote his merchandise to whomever he desires. He has cited the flexibility of adults to purchase his merchandise in the event that they wish to, Lancaster On-line added. And he’s additionally citing his Amish faith and his proper to freedom of faith underneath the U.S. Structure.
“Sovereign citizen adherents believe in the legally baseless assertion that individuals, and not courts or lawmakers, can decide what laws to follow,” Lancaster On-line defined.
Miller’s legal professional, Robert Barnes, issued a press release concerning the authorities’ try and power Miller into compliance, the Patriot reported.
“Today, the Department of Agriculture of the State of Pennsylvania suddenly came, without notice, raided Amos’ farm, and detained everything Amos had in the farm’s freezer. They did so in a lawless manner, without appropriate authority, in violation of their own rules and regulations, despite never objecting to the prior resolutions reached with the federal government, and despite a complete failure by the state to even reach out to Amos’ known counsel,” Barnes stated.
“The state’s own rules require advance notice, reasonable time frames for inspections, and a showing of credentials, none of which occurred here. Instead, the state unlawfully obtained a search warrant, based on materially false statements in an affidavit by a high-ranking state official in an agency with a known grievance against independent farmers like Amos, and, after the raid and finding no evidence of wrongdoing, then illegally ordered detained every item of food in one of Amos Miller’s coolers, including buffalo meat not even subject to federal regulation,” Barnes added.
“The detention order is patently illegal under Pennsylvania law. Despite the constant harassment, Amos will continue to do all he legally can to provide the food his members deeply need. Amos thanks you for your continued support at this critical time for food freedom in America,” the legal professional concluded.
The scenario is definitely a sophisticated one. Adults completely ought to have the freedom to make offers with farmers immediately and skip processing crops and large meals producers in the event that they so want. However state officers even have a duty to take care of security for the general public. It’s a thorny subject, particularly when minors turn into concerned.
Ultimately, the federal government should keep in mind that People have a proper to cope with whomever they need. But when Miller’s chemical-free natural meals had been as harmful as officers say, one would assume he wouldn’t have any clients left after so a few years of being focused as a public menace.
This text appeared initially on The Western Journal.
