MORE FROM THE ROGUE FOOD CONFERENCE
This weekend we held the first national Rogue Food Conference in Cincinnati. It was like bathing under a refreshing shower all day, listening to folks who take personal liberty more seriously than government regulation.
The reaction to "it's illegal" from a government inspector varies with personality. We had Mark Baker on one side. He's a farmer in Michigan who fought the state for several years over his outdoor pigs. The state called them feral and of course he called them domestic. Finally the state backed down but then went after his on-farm abattoir.
During the years in and out of court tangling with the gun-toting government agents, he researched the U.S. Constitution and realized that the 4th and 5th amendment gave him incredible liberty. So he did not renew his abattoir license. He learned that no government official may enter personal property without a warrant.
The 5th amendment allows private contract without government interference, and the right not to incriminate yourself. By refusing the license (inspection) he simply stepped outside any arrangement with the government. He now processes meat and poultry without any inspection, no restrictions, no government oversight whatsoever.
His customers buy his meat and poultry without signing a waiver, no paper, nothing. He's been doing this now for a couple of years, in complete and open defiance of the attorney general and the government regulators, and so far they have not been able to figure out how to get him. Of course, Mark's customers are thrilled at the quality and access, at being able to choose their food.
The thought that kept coming to me throughout the day as I listened to these modern-day Ghandis is this: "they don't teach individual liberty in school government class." If you're like me, I was taught that the government knew best, that regulators were honest, that experts had the answers (like the teacher) and that the way to advance was to stay in line, obey, and trust the government agents.
We are not taught about freedom and personal liberty, about self-affirmation and transactions outside government oversight. For John Moody, my co-conspirator in this day-long event, he defied the day he realized the Kentucky Department of Agriculture assumed the responsibility of choosing what he could eat. He realized that was a hill to die on. No government agent was going to tell him what to eat.
After his food club in Louisville was raided and quarantined, he activated all the members to come, rip off the quarantine tape, defy the government order, and take their food. All but two participated and the government backed down. And, again, it's been years and the government hasn't figured out how to get them. These folks are trading in contraband every day: uninspected poultry, homemade charcuterie, homemade cheese and soups. No inspection. No label requirements.
I felt like I was breathing straight oxygen all day. You can't imagine what it does to the spirit of someone who loves freedom to listen to these rogue success stories all day. The room was full of people who have been harassed, who stood and cried tears at how government agents closed them down or threw insurmountable hurdles in front of them just for trying to get authentic food to people. Many tears were shed Saturday, but they were tears of release and joy.
The day was long. It started at 7 a.m. and went to 5 p.m. and not a soul left. Everyone was on the edge of their seat the entire day, drinking at the fountain of liberty. I wish we could tap into the choice and liberty movements espoused by other sectors of our culture: abortion choice, gun rights, LBGTQ rights.
Wouldn't it be cool if all the media attention and power of these movements could be harnessed for food rights? As a culture, we clearly care more about other things than our personal micro-biome. Hopefully, that will change.
Do you think a USDA inspection symbol on your food makes it better? Do you know what the 4th and 5th Bill of Rights say? When was the last time you read the Constitution?