Page 86 - Summer2018

It appears their production processes. In addition, a seven- cannot walk that far to reach the green pastures.
that our and-one-half-million-dollar consumer fraud Additionally, the five-thousand-feet elevation
claim was assessed, and it was paid. The courts where these dairies are located will not allow
secretary of found that these CAFO dairies had “willfully regrowth of the pastures fast enough to allow
agriculture, violated fourteen standards” under the USDA for a one-hundred-twenty-day pasture feeding
Sonny organic regulations. The CAFO operation in season, yet the CAFOs are issued a valid organic
Pixley, California was immediately shut down certificate from their local inspectors.
Perdue, does by State of California Organic Enforcement The Washington Post sent an investigator to
not believe it (CDFA) and was not allowed to continue in Colorado years ago for week-long observation to
is important operation. However, the Colorado operations verify that the cows were being pastured. They
reported seeing only a small number of non-
were placed on probation and continued sell-
to pasture ing organic milk with protective lobbying in milking cows (dry cows and heifers) on some
cows, and Washington, DC, thanks to plenty of legal ma- pasture, but not the thousands of milk cows as

has not made neuvering and behind-the-scenes negotiations. ordered by the courts. It was also found that this
How different the state of California acted CAFO invites its organic inspectors to perform
compliance versus the state of Colorado. The state of Colo- their audit during winter months, which is the
with the rado was permissive and passive, whereas the non-pasture season. Now that this CAFO in

pasture state of California was ethically decisive. The Colorado has been able to get away with will-
ful non-compliance, other CAFO operations in
Colorado CAFO operations were able to cham-
rule an pion the political conditions in Washington, and Texas and Idaho have taken notice and followed
important even more so under our current administration. their example. The “CAFO green light to vio-
issue. They continue to operate with impunity against late” is shining brighter than ever.
It appears that our secretary of agriculture,
the USDA-mandated organic pasture rules. Ex-
perts and compliant organic farmers know that it Sonny Perdue, does not believe it is important to
is impossible to pasture ten to fifteen thousand pasture cows, and has not made compliance with
cows at one facility and have them receive 30 the pasture rule an important issue, although
percent of their dry matter from pasture with publicly stating that organic enforcement is a top
the amount of available pasture these dairies priority. The policy at USDA is that “pasturing
have. It is also impossible to take this number is overly prescriptive and hard for the larger
of cows back and forth from pasture to the dairies to perform.” Clearly, this is one federal
milking parlor two or three times a day. Cows law that they don’t like. The founders of the

NEW INFORMATION RESOURCE FOR WAPF MEMBERS
Pete Kennedy is now working for the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) as a consultant on policy and legal mat-
ters. Pete is a past president and original board member of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF). There
is no charge for consultations with him for anyone who is a WAPF member.
Pete can provide information to members about state laws, regulations and policies, including food freedom legisla-
tion and issues regarding consumer access to raw milk, cottage foods and on-farm meat and poultry processing, all areas
in which he has had considerable experience. Pete cannot give individual legal advice or recommend support for or op-
position to pending legislation. He is also available for consultation on any effort to change state administrative regulations
and policies. Pete will be responsible for drafting information alerts for members on legislation, policy initiatives and other
matters on the state level. Raw milk laws will be a focus of his work.
Pete will be consulting with members on legal issues pertaining to the rights of consumers to have access to nutrient-
dense foods and the rights of farmers and artisans to produce those foods. He will be available to work at the administra-
tive level with members having an issue with regulators in federal, state or local government agencies.
In the past, Pete has worked on numerous matters involving FDA and USDA, state agriculture and health departments
and local health departments on nutrient-dense foods. Work he has done at the federal, state and local administrative
levels includes protecting farmers against threatened enforcement actions; handling food seizure, embargo and recall
cases; and right to farm/zoning issues regarding the people’s right to grow their own food.
He will also be available for consultation with WAPF members on herdshare contracts and buyer’s club agreements;
he has worked with hundreds of farmers around the country on herdshare contracts.
You can reach Pete by phone at (941) 349-4984 or by email at pete@realmilk.com.

84 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2018