Reason.tv: Q&A with Farmageddon’s Director Kristin Canty
by Reason TVGuns drawn, a SWAT team kicks in the door of a private business. Are the cops there for drug dealers? Mafia mobsters? Terrorists?
No, the long arm of the law is out for the real dangerous contraband: raw milk and grass-fed chickens.
Nick Gillespie sits down with Kristin Canty, director of Farmageddon: The Unseen War on American Farms, a new documentary about small farms and co-ops that have been raided by the Food & Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state-level agencies and have had their products seized and destroyed. One particularly gruesome case involved a flock of sheep being killed because of the non-existent threat of the sheep acquiring Mad Cow Disease.
Farmageddon does more than document government overreach; the movie also takes issue with FDA claims that raw milk and other products popular with foodies are unsafe and filled with dangerous bacteria. In a country where more and more folks are embracing small-scale and organic agriculture, the government is on a collision course with a growing subculture.
Canty says this is only film she intends to make. She aspires to open a farm-to-table restaurant in Massachusetts, a venture that will be made all the more difficult by onerous and misguided regulations.
Shot by Meredith Bragg and Josh Swain. Edited by Anthony L. Fisher.
Approximately 5.28 minutes.
Go to http://reason.tv for downloadable iPod, HD and audio versions of this and all our videos.
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
58 Comments
Time for farmers to exercise second amendment rights. Our founding fathers specifically included the right to bear arms so that the citizenry could protect themselves from their government. I'm not advocating violence, just a little awareness by the government that the Giant is awakening, and he sleeps with a gun beside the bed!
Guess the FDA got tired of watching the DEA have all the fun.
When can we storm the regulators and "seize and destroy THEIR products" and put them OUT OF BUSINESS??
Sure sign of a progressive planned society. A monopolized, one way, authoritarian attempt at a solution.
As a Atheist libertarian with a great love for scientific rationalism, this story leaves me profoundly conflicted.
I see the victims as hippie Luddites who are taking chances with people's health. Science has brought us an ability to travel around the world in less than a day; an end to smallpox and near-end to polio; an ability to retrieve any piece of information, from anywhere in the world, using a device that fits in your pocket.
But I see the enforcement agencies as over-reaching thugs who are trampling people's freedoms, and I see a ominous willingness on the part of everyday Americans to accept that (just look at the lack of backlash against the TSA!)
Update: I've made my decision. Smelly hippie Luddites have every right to be smelly hippie Luddites. (When will all the moonie-eyed naturalist liberals realize that it's the political right that is also fighting for their rights, and start voting Republican?)
The Gov. is on a collision course with all of those who choose to be independent. Dependency is what they want and in many areas they have created. A quick look at Greece shows you the converse issue of dependency that when the money runs out and the dependent no longer get there due from the taxpayer, all hell breaks loose. Careful what you wish for Washington, your creating a monster that wont go down without a fight. And go down it must because there wont be a taxpayer left standing to pay for all the dolts who have there collectivist hand out.
Union cops, just doin there job, they don't follow the constitution, they have sold their soul to the government.
Be on the watch for roadside "safety checks" by the cops this weekend if you live in one of those states, but otherwise enjoy. The cops are broke, and they want a new shiny car to go with their buzz cut and government provided costume.
I am just too stupid to know what is safe to eat… Thank GOD for the all-loving Government!
Crap! I dropped my cigarette on the carpet again… What? They are legal… They must be safe, or the Government wouldn't allow me to smoke 'em – would they?
They don't want organic fams or crops raised to sell in open air markets by locals because they will lose control of their agenda. "They" want the chemically engineered crops that Monsanto has been preparing for years to be sowed and reaped because these bio-hazard seeds have their DNA structure manipulated and can cause great physical harm to humans. Thats the plan folks. It's called eugenics. It's not a conspiracy. Do the research.
Osamabama's mother was part of the plan way back when she helped in the microfinancing of Indonesian farms who for the loans were supposed to plant Monsanto seeds. Experimentally speaking, the seeds never flourished and the farmers lost all their land to the bankers so Monsanto could use the land for further experiments. They have obviously succeeded and now these seeds are being used by farmers here in the U.S. and other parts of the world, including Africa.
Now it's bio-engineering and cloning of animals. Cows bio-engineered to produce "mother's milk…the list goes on forever. The globalists are playing the Nazi Arian game but taking it a step further. They do not want competition from wholesome farmers who produce a God-given natural product. They want to experiment on us.
I DO NOT trust the FDA or the USDA because they are all government paid henchmen that want to control what we eat and what medicines we take so they can control if we live or die.
I recently read where you can buy "mother's milk" (i.e. human breast milk) on line. Is it pasteurized? Is the FDA cracking down on this also?
I can only hope they come to my outfit.
It is easy to find.
Go north of the river, turn right at the big rock, and go 18 miles until you see a faded, misspelled sign that says camp cook wanted.
It is fellow citizens stories like this that drive me back to the words of our forefathers for solace and strength.
"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." – Daniel Webster
As a Christian libertarian, I 100% agree with you. If people want to buy into this whole organic nonsense, it's their right to do so. The government should leave them alone and let them grow their food the way they want it. (Though I did have to roll my eyes at the whole people who go organic are generally "more informed," part of the video. Try more brainwashed. They tried to push that stupid organic is better belief on me in my Health Science class in college, right along with Global Warming.)
Just imagine if the Greeks had guns.
Harass honorable American farmers, yet look the other way about the hoards of people that desecrate our border and take valuable U.S. jobs from tax paying citizens. This is what the U.S. has sunk to.
What I can't understand is the deafening sound [crickets chirping] coming from those who scream "get the government off my body!" If you believe the government has zero authority regarding what is removed from your body (abortion) then it stands to reason that the federal government should not be able to dictate what you put INTO it either.
what happened to that sacrosanct thing called 'choice' ?
Shouldn't we be able to choose if we want to drink raw milk?
My body, my choice. Butt out, USDA.
No no no no! Do NOT conflate government overreach with raw milk food safety!!! Raw milk is NOT SAFE! This is not a farming issue, it's a food safety issue. Even unpasteurized juice is NOT SAFE. (See Odwalla E. Coli if you doubt it.) If you pick up raw milk directly from the farm, directly after milking, and it's been cooled and held under completely sanitary conditions — yes, it might keep and be safe for a few days. But ONLY pasteurization can completely render it safe, especially for commercial sale and transportation. Food safety laws have become unnecessarily burdensome in many many cases, but raw milk is not one of those cases. Don't undermine your message this way, please!
Well, first of all, Kristin Canty sure doesn't look like a "smelly hippie Luddite".
As far as the "hippie Luddites who are taking chances with people's health", well take a look at the extensive massive recalls of the mega food conglomerates or pharmaceutical companies, all under government control and regulation. The regulators run around like chickens with their heads cut off causing mayhem and destruction before they even have answers.
"When will all the moonie-eyed naturalist liberals realize that it's the political right that is also fighting for their rights"?
Hopefully not as long as it is taking the majority of blacks to realize it.
"Well, first of all, Kristin Canty sure doesn't look like a 'smelly hippie Luddite'. "
Yeah "smelly" was a bit over the top. But I stand by "hippie Luddite"
"As far as the 'hippie Luddites who are taking chances with people's health', well take a look at the extensive massive recalls of the mega food conglomerates or pharmaceutical companies, all under government control and regulation."
I see your point and agree with it. I was actually referring to the intentional refraining from using the life-saving science of Pasteurization.
I am an athiest libertarian scientist. You are conflicted because you are suffering from G.I.G.O. Garbage In, Garbage Out. You have been told sterile food is good food by the government. It is not. The human organism evolved as symbiotes with bacteria. Without these bacteria we can not function properly. The lack of exposure to bacteria causes your immune system to be underdeveloped making you more prone to disease.
You are full of crap. ALL food is GM food. The fekkin corn you eat, the beef, the peas, the rice, the lamb…. ALL OF IT has been GM through hybridization for the last 20,000 years.
Good luck with her dream to open a farm-to-table restaraunt. Just don't be surprised when it closes within two years because people don't want to pay the higher prices for food that doesn't taste any different than restaraunts that offer lower priced fare. As far as the whole issue of the government take downs that are highlighted, what the heck do you expect from people that would fine a small two entrepreneur's millions of dollars because they sold more than 500 dollars worth of bunnies in a year?
had to laugh out loud on that one!
that's why they're trying to take ours away from us….
The Federal Government can educate – but it's up to the individual whether they want to take that risk. The government should make the farmer warn the public if it is unpasteurized – but the stupid will eventually figure it out on their own. Should the government tell me what color my sh*t should be? Who is to decide which "case" the government should take on? They should warn – not force!
Uh-huh… I am a deist Objectivist with high aptitude for science and engineering that happens to share your well considered opinion… At 35 I felt 50 (60? more/worse?), at 41 I feel 20 something… Difference? Better food… I have no desire for the fringe edge of food – which I assume some of this stuff is… I have less of an appetite for being commanded like a stupid, wayward child… Freedom presupposes responsibilities and consequences that may not always be pleasant – It is part of the glory of living and growing (and learning). The symbiotic relationship goes beyond protein and fiber and does involve complex processes… I accept the challenge to discover what my particular body derives it's maximum state of health from… My CHOICE!!! Back in your hole – bureaucRAT!!!
How does that go again? "Keep your laws off my body"???
Thank you!! Thank you!! I've been saying this for years!!!!!! God Bless you.
As a Zoroastrian Communist with an affinity toward chicks with big hooters and a tendency toward grandiosity I have absolutely no opinion here.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger … well most of the time … sometimes.
Common sense is so… uncommon!—
The Supreme Galooty salutes you. Live long and prosper!
The Supreme Galooty knows a young lady who is looking for a position as camp cook. In addition to being a remarkably talented cook, she also has a convenient flat spot on the top of her head where you can set your beer.
"I have only one eye. Do you want me to look at the road or the at the speedometer?" – Moshe Dayan
The FDA should be abandoned immediately. It does tremendous harm in the name of the "greater good," and the small good that it actually does could better be accomplished at no cost to the taxpaying citizen by one, two or several trade organizations. If you are determined to consume raw milk, it is none of my damned business. (Therefore it is none of ANYBODY'S business, which means that the government has no business involving itself at all, at all.)
This is why I hope the entire west goes down in financial flames, never to recover. I own farms. I'll be fine. Sorry about the rest of you, but you'll just have to take one for the team. Utter financial ruin seems to be the only way left to slay this tyrannical leviathan state. A fix is beyond the abilities of politicians now.
Many of the horrible law-breakers being raided are Amish. Not too smelly, but maybe Luddite.
People have been drinking raw milk forEVER. The pasteurization makes it last longer in the fridge. If you have a cow next door, you don't need your milk to last that long.
You summed up my thoughts exactly. While I agree that an overbearing government is crazy, raw milk is a dangerous substance to deal in. I have strong memories of becoming very, very sick drinking it off of our family farm as a child.
8 of every 10 cases of food contamination are linked to "small-scale organic agriculture," (1 of 10 cases result from handling between farm and store).
…But if people are stupid enough to believe in the small scale organic food movement, they are free to do so…a little chlorine in the gene pool isn't such a bad thing – gotta get rid of those silly, stupid Obama-voting hipsters somehow
The beginning of Collectivization of the farms! And who originated that? STALIN AND MAO!!!!
Bill And Bernard Dohrn undoubtedly are behind this.
So, you think not Pasteurizing milk is good for you?
Scientific discoveries and processes are always a trade off. But certain processes have been proven to have very little downside, such as Pasteurization, Immunization, etc.
If you're telling me that any of these common, long-used, well-proved processes should eliminated, then we will forever disagree. I'm unwilling to expose myself or my children to smallpox, rubella, and a host of other deadly diseases to satisfy the ignorance of others.
LOL! I am loving this! This is all it takes folks! For everyone who appreciates liberty, athiest libertarians, christians, deist objectivists, even zoroastrian communists (want feedom? hey, i'll buy it for a dollar) to come together, ignore our differences on other philosophical issues and stand together on liberty!
We can always go back to yelling and tossing raw milk at each other once we are securely free to do so without government interference. Liberty first! Personal pet peeves second. I like it! We'll call it the "odd couple revolution!" Thank God there is at least one athiest who has not traded a dogmatic belief in gods for a dogmatic belief in government.
I mean, technically, a democrat really can't be an actual athiest anyway, right? Faith and belief in an omnipotent government does not really qualify as being without a diety, does is? Worshiping Tom, the god of agriculture, or Ken, the god of interior really can't qualify as being athiest, now can it?
I mean, once you start worshiping Steve, the god of biscuits, or Shaun, the god of urban development, you are clearly not an athiest. A cultist perhaps, but not really an athiest, right?
In this case, clearly these farmers have upset Sebelius, the god of health and humans. The church of food and drugs, and their high priests do her bidding. Like many farmers down through the millenia, the solution is clear. One must pray to the Sebelius, do homage, and make offerings to her! Ritually kill a couple of sheep (that may someday get madcow) and present other appropriate offerings. Offerings may be in unmarked envelopes or by numbered transfers to offshore accounts, at the worshiper's discretion.
Dairy food safety laws — including the pasteurization, handling and sale of milk — were developed in the good old days when the industry had as much of a say in the laws as the desk-jockey career bureaucrats. In fact more so. Used to be to get a job working as a dairy sanitation inspector, you HAD to have dairy farming or industry experience. Dairy laws protect not only the consumer, but farmers and processors as well. No one wants to kill people with their products if its preventable. Tuberculosis used to be spread by milk, and all other manner of diseases. Plus, before regulation, milk used to be adulterated — thinned with water or even other things that could affect people's health.
We either worship God or Government. You are correct.
My intention is not to insult you, but you might the help of a head doctor. I think you are paranoid. Explain this opinion to a priest, minister, rabbi, or somebody that loves you and ask what they think.
Athiest Icon, Bill Maher must have a strong immune sysem as has exposed himself to innumerable different bacteria.
Those anti-religion zelots like Maher give real athiests a bad name. REAL athiests know that they can be athiests only because of freedom of (not from)religion and would NEVER infringe on another man's right to believe in god. A REAL athiest knows that once the government is able to force “god” from the lips of it's citizens they are only an election away from having “god” force fed them.—
Small pox and all the rest of your mentioned diseases do not come from the consumption of raw milk or organic meats and vegetables… which was the topic of discussion. If you think my statements somehow include discontinuing immunization, sterlization of medical equipment, food processing equipment and other applications you should reread my statements because there is nothing there to even insinuate such idiocy. You suffer from a common problem, my ex-wife had the same issue…. I would say it was a nice day outside and she would think I was telling her to go clean the bathroom. People like you are IMPOSSIBLE to talk to.—
Was waiting to see if someone would bring this up,lol,great point my friend
I and my husband have bought and consumed raw milk,never got sick but it didn't exactly taste all that great.I also prefer unpasteurized OJ,that on the other hand tastes way better than pasteurized OJ and I have been drinking that for years. I think it should be up to the individual if they want to consume unpasteurized products, people choose to smoke.
I have never liked tomatoes throughout my life, then tried a homegrown tomato (grown by myself for my husband) at 37, now I am a convert and will only eat the ones I grow. It is amazing in the difference in taste,I now am growing my own produce and will be raising chickens,there is a difference.
A quick look at Greece shows you the converse issue of dependency that when the money runs out and the dependent no longer get there due from the taxpayer, all hell breaks loose. Careful what you wish for Washington, your creating a monster that wont go down without a fight .http://www.watchesn.com/products/big_TAG_Heuer_1.html
Very mature. I tried to be reasonable, and simply agree to disagree, but somehow you have my entire psychology figured out from the mere fact that I think Pasteurization is a good thing.
"Small pox and all the rest of your mentioned diseases do not come from the consumption of raw milk or organic meats and vegetables… which was the topic of discussion. "
I expanded the topic to include other scientific discoveries and processes that I think are beneficial to mankind.
"You suffer from a common problem, my ex-wife had the same issue…. I would say it was a nice day outside and she would think I was telling her to go clean the bathroom. People like you are IMPOSSIBLE to talk to."
Way to make it personal. Again, very mature. Impossible to talk to? Who started with the personal crap?
Bill Maher *is* a bacterium.
“I expanded the topic to include other scientific discoveries and processes that I think are beneficial to mankind. “Exactly my point. You expanded the topic and assumed an opinion for me that was not a logical extension of my opinion on government criminalizing the sale and consumption of raw milk. Pasteurization is nothing but a procedure that extends the shelf life of milk, it provides no health benefits to the people who drink milk, it actually reduces health benefits through the destruction of vitamins and proteins in the milk. That it is illegal for me to go to the dairy farm a few miles from my home and buy raw milk harvested today is insanity. That you support such nonsense identifies you as the same.Yes, that is making it personal. You see, I tend to take it personally when I find people who support laws that limit my freedom.—
"You expanded the topic and assumed an opinion for me that was not a logical extension of my opinion on government criminalizing the sale and consumption of raw milk. "
I assumed no opinion on the other processes, I only assumed that you did not support Pasteurization. I assumed it because you've explicitly stated as much several times.
"Yes, that is making it personal. You see, I tend to take it personally when I find people who support laws that limit my freedom."
Okay this is really beyond the pail. Where the f*ck did I EVER say I supported such a law? I support the process, not the law that requires it. In my VERY FIRST comment on this article, I stated as much. Learn to read!
LMFAO… Look… the topic of the article was governmental criminalization of activity that puts no one in harm's way and doesn't violate another man's rights. My post was in opposition to such insane laws. For what POSSIBLE reason would you post a RESPONSE to my post and bring up a completely unrelated procedures such as immunization if not to infer that I was against immunization as well? Maybe I over estimate you….—
Uh, again, learn to read. This thread started with my comment, not yours. You responded to me.
As for me grouping Pasteurization with other beneficial scientific processes such as immunization (you brought up sterilization of medical instruments, not me), I honestly thought the similarities – and therefore their relation to each other – were obvious: they are scientific discoveries that improve human health. I honestly didn't think I would have to spell that out for you. Who's the one being overestimated here?
http://www.infowars.com/david-beckham-reignites-h...
Paul Joseph Watson
Following the birth of the David and Victoria Beckham’s fourth child last week, the modern vanguard of the elitist, arcane and racist eugenics movement, now re-packaged as “overpopulation,” reacted by lambasting the Beckhams as a “bad example” for families, labeling them “environmentally irresponsible” for having too many kids. However, the leaders of this movement are almost exclusively comprised of ultra-rich elitists who themselves have numerous children and are rampaging hypocrites.
Full Article at :http://www.infowars.com/david-beckham-reignites-hypocrisy-of-overpopulation-alarmists/
You must be logged in to post a comment.