The most patriotic thing we can do as farmers is rebel. ~Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy Co.

It’s on. Wisconsin is leading the battle to legalize the sale of raw milk by dairy farmers who hold a Grade A license and are licensed by Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP). This won’t be an easy fight to win. DATCP has their heels dug in, and DATCP Secretary Rod Nilsestuen will only commit to “taking it under advisement.” However, there is growing support in the Wisconsin State legislature for allowing the sales of raw milk.

Senator Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) and Rep. Chris Danou (D-Trempealeau) are the sponsors of Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) 3242/3, a proposal that would force DATCP to allow the sale of raw milk.
Wisconsin residents wanting to buy or sell raw milk should call these lawmakers. Kreitlow’s office number is 608-266-7511 and Danou’s is 608-266-7015.

Allowing the sales of raw milk from family farms would help to eliviate some of the financial hardships brought about by the current recession. It would also encourage the local community to get to know their local farmers. However, just because support is widening in Wisconsin, doesn’t mean if the proposed legislation becomes law, farmers will automatically be able to sell their raw milk.

Lila Streff of Streff Ridge Farm Goat Dairy was elated when she found out that raw milk sales were legal in South Dakota. Hers is a story of effort and achievement, and rote disillusionment. She jumped through every licensing hoop the State threw at her, spending thousands of dollars and untold worried hours to comply with every letter of the law, only to be told that she didn’t meet the licensing requirements. What good is a law that allows the sale of raw milk if the State regulatory agencies make it impossible to get a license? This is the trap we must avoid in Wisconsin. The eyes of the entire Nation are on us.

This is one of those times where consumers and producers can unite to help take back control of the American food chain. In this cause, we are united regardless of ideology, race, religion, or income level. This is our country, we make the rules, not bureaucrats.

It was bound to happen. The first weed to develop a resistance to chemicals has shown itself. Pigweed is invulnerable to man-made herbicides. Monsanto says it’s the farmers’ fault. Corporate farms are in huge trouble because they can’t harvest what’s left of their GMO crops. Check out this video from ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8767877

Does anyone else have a problem with the blurb below?

On October 24, 2009, the Monroe Lego Club joined millions of people around the world to bring attention to climate change. The Lego Club created an animated, stop-action-video to help world leaders understand that we need to return to 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.Let’s let the Lego people, with our help, share the story of how important it is to achieve 350 ppm of carbon dioxide on Earth and reduce the impacts of climate change. From Media-Citizen Global

If this doesn’t prove that climate change is nothing more than a marketing tool, I don’t know what does. It’s mighty nice of the LEGO Group to sponsor events that could put them out of business. Think about it for just one second. What are LEGOS made from? Plastic, and it is one of the most dangerous substances on the planet, polluting our water and air, and spewing boatloads of nasty carbon into the air.

National Geographic reports:

The team’s new study is the first to show that degrading plastics are leaching potentially toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A into the seas, possibly threatening ocean animals, and us.

A study from USC found that plastic children’s toys are among the favorites of marine life. It’s also one of the most dangerous.

So why are proponents of climate change willing to overlook the obvious? Further, why are they teaching children that some pollution is better than others? The LEGO Group is not part of the solution. They are the problem.

I suppose you really can fool some of the people all of the time. But they don’t fool me for a second. They might be singing Kumbaya on the magic green bus, but they’re really controlling the message. And that’s my problem with the whole “green” ideology. As long as you’re nice to them, then it’s okay to stink the place up. But if they don’t like a particular corporation or individual, they single them out and pummel them like bullies in a school yard.

On second thought, maybe LEGOS are the perfect symbol of global warming. Like LEGO blocks, global warming can be whatever you want it to be.