Declaration of "Food" Independence
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No, "The Government" is not trying to shut down the food supply…
People are.
As we prepare to celebrate the Declaration of Independence, let us keep in mind some of the core principles this document embodies.
Words that are hopefully familiar to us all inspired the signers to stand behind these principles with their lives.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident…”, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
Let’s examine the second half of this paragraph for a moment:
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen headlines recently screaming that the sky is falling while trying to convince you that the “big bad government” is trying to shut down the food supply.
Many years ago, I would have agreed with anyone arguing that “The Government” was trying to shut down small farms.
5:00am armed raids on small farms, the absolute prohibition that some states had against raw milk, the hoops that farmers had to jump through to sell custom exempt chickens at a farmers market… All of this was indicative of a system of government willing to harass honest farmers simply for providing a healthy option to local buyers.
But things in government are different now. Not perfect, but definitively changing.
It seems that many “small farmers” have forgotten the core of who they are and the principles some used to espouse: localized food for American communities.
The thing is, these big “small farm” businesses are THRIVING. They have national reach–some of which rely on heavily regulated and subsidized infrastructure. And some of these “small farm” businesses rely on revenue not based on food production at all. While some are in the 1% of elite wealth and returning to the land.
And they all charge exorbitantly high prices unavailable to most middle and low income Americans.
But hey, in a capitalistic economy, all these things are great, right?
Is “The Government” trying to shut down small farms?
True or not, the worst part of all is that this sensationalism takes real energy and effort away from problems in our food system that desperately need your attention.
Problems that we have the tools to fix now. And must fix before a crisis strikes.
Declaration of Independence as related to food.
The “unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” declared that the states were independent from Britain with a new country being formed out of its former colonies.
Such is our new food security movement. Small farmers, ranchers, and consumers create independence from a system being hijacked by people whose primary objective is excessive profit from an extractive system rather than a regenerative one.
Like the Declaration of Independence, our food security movement’s motivation is to escape the extensive oppression and corruption that our honest and health conscious food producers and consumers are being subjected to.
One place in national media that we are constantly seeing and hearing about this is in Lancaster County, PA. To be succinct, the Amos Miller case. The black market.
But it’s much more prevalent than that.
And there is no savior who will rescue you.
It is a fact that the Declaration of Independence encapsulates the colonists' motivations for seeking independence. I mentioned corruption and oppression. There is a new type of taxation being forced upon us–inflation via food pricing.
Something to think about this 4th of July is that our food security movement has very similar ideas compared to the Declaration of Independence:
- All consumers are created equal by God and given the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That starts with affordable access to healthy local foods—via participation and cooperation.
- The main purpose of the government is to protect these rights. We have to identify and take advantage of laws and exemptions already on the books and advocate for better access to locally producing our own healthy food.
- If a profit driven individual, group or organization tries to withhold these rights, well, producers and consumers have the right to revolt against the people who are trying to take those rights. And we should—peacefully and through advocacy efforts!
Our movement’s goal should clearly be that consumers, ranchers and farmers rally together in an organized and transparent effort in order to re-create food security through building self-reliant communities around localized food production.
Working together to ensure the basic needs of our communities is a fundamental principle of a fair and just representative republic. It is not socialism, it is active responsibility in the best way possible.
Where do we start?
By exposing and disarming profit-driven sensationalism.
Letting go of the “savior” farmer mentality and cultivating a hyper local food system, not mail order.
Equipoise the knowledge of food production and processing by learning about it and teaching our younger generation.
Here is what is actually happening.
Sensationalists are creating fear to compel you to donate to their fundraisers, buy their product, and then get very angry and indignant eventually raising your pitchforks and becoming fodder for the ”big bad government.”
Yes, even sensationalists you like and “trust.”
Don’t be fooled into that. It is destructive on its best days and the dichotomy it creates is killing us.
Who do they want you to pitchfork? What will the end result be of all this sensationalism and siphoning of your energy?
Many of the big names in the “alternative” food spaces are so quick to condemn the government.
That’s what they sell. They sell these ideas and you’re buying them–big time!
Where is this coming from?
How does this end?
Let’s consider a couple of scenarios…
1. Government is terrible and is trying to shut down our food supply.
What if it is true that “The government” IS trying to shut down small farms? What does this even look like? Because reality tells a different story. There is more access than ever. You can get any food you want from anywhere in the world. We have a successful import/export system. Imperfect, for sure, but you can literally get a grassfed steak from New Zealand or Australia (and many people DO).
Meanwhile, more states than ever are carving our cottage kitchen exemption laws, legalizing sales of raw milk or expanding currently legal sales. They are responding to the needs of their populations. Municipalities are implementing community gardens, and hard-working “no name” farmers everywhere are building successful communities around them.
I’m no government apologist. I believe we need to carve out many more massive exemptions and create a hyper local food system that can support us in times of crisis.
But that brings me to my next point….
2. What if these sensationalists are successful in getting the government out of our food system?
What then? Do you have the ability to feed yourself locally? Do you know the first (or second thing) about growing veggies, planting fruit trees, raising chickens, milking a cow? How would you test imports?
“Buyer beware?” Do you even know the questions to ask to learn how your food is produced? Do you know which farmers are lying to you about their “Grassfed beef” just so they can get the sale? Or which farmers don’t pay their labor a living wage? What would you do if suddenly something happens in our society that destabilizes the food we need? What would actually happen if these extremists got their way quickly?
Do you know right now who you can trust?
A complex system like this cannot–and should not–be changed quickly. That would lead to destruction and chaos and incalculable loss of life.
Yes, I want all CAFOs to cease. I want neighbor to neighbor transactions for food, fiber, and fuel to happen throughout our still great nation. I want us to share the abundance from our gardens, understanding the ecosystems where we live, work and play.
All of that is, I believe, VITAL to the flourishing of our culture and our loved ones.
But angry demands and sensationalism fomented by “food warriors” making huge speaking fees and profiting from social media frenzy around “big bad government” isn’t going to accomplish that.
Your hard work however, WILL.
If you believe that there are more than a few narcissistic personalities calling certain shots in government, I get it. I lean in that direction also.
However, you’ve got to consider the hundreds of thousands of contributors, just like you, underneath all of them who are literally working day in and day out to shift our food system towards a participatory system.
And what happens when, not if, but when:
a natural disaster or an infrastructure collapse causes major transportation issues…
a solar flare breaks down our electrical infrastructure…
a supply chain breakdown halts industrial production or processing paralyzing our avenues that we take for granted…
nefarious hackers disrupt vital internet infrastructure or access points…
social unrest causes heavy-handed responses leaving stores empty…
economic inflation causes entire socio-economic groups to be hungry and desperate…
What then?
It’s happened before and it will happen again. It’s happening now in other parts of the world.
These are all likely scenarios that have nothing to do with the government trying to shut down anyone or create food shortages.
In fact, many good people in the government are actively working to thwart disasters.
Could you possibly just be too busy buying into the anti-government sensationalist propaganda to see it?
It’s time to get off the “government is the bad guy” bandwagon, climb aboard the “WE ARE THE government” train and ask ourselves “what AM I doing to actually produce food today or create neighborhood food security?”
In any of the above mentioned scenarios, 100 miles–heck even 50 miles–might as well be 1000 miles. You can’t count on your mail order grocery purchase with high priced meat, dairy, fruits and veggies–made even more expensive with outlandish delivery fees–when crippling regional or national disaster hits. You’ve got to count on your neighborhood. How reliable is that?
Building hyper local food systems is the ONLY answer. And that’s up to you–not the government.
Here’s the bottom line.
Our food system will not improve until we have more than 1% of our population in production.
Way more. Let's start with 2%.
That means normal people, not just “farmers” who take responsibility for some level of food production and/or processing.
1% of our society currently produces all of our non-imported food. Like it or not, a subset of these 1%ers are leading us around by the nose, getting consumers scared, upset and triggered by claims that the government is shutting down our farms even when states all over our still beautiful country are passing laws and creating exemptions that favor a hyper local, neighbor-to-neighbor food system.
There is no freedom from dependence without responsible action.
Maybe those making all the big bucks on mail order meat and fear mongering over a “scarce” food supply don’t want you to be locally empowered. Don’t want you to be free. Are these folks becoming the new elite by overcharging you on food while underpaying the people doing the labor?
Try chewing on that overpriced gristle for a bit.
It’s only a hyper local, transparent food supply that will create the food security so many are desperately searching for right now. And that doesn’t come from shoving meat on an airplane or semi truck. It comes from farming, ranching and consumer boots on the ground where you live, now.
Here’s a challenge for you: find a farmer or rancher within 100 miles (50 if you can) of where you live or work and get meat from them. Grow 1 (more) veggie, herb, flower or fruit each year. Start small if you have to. Learn what grows natively in the ecosystem where you live that is edible and nutritious in an emergency–including fish, birds, squirrels, rabbits and deer. Be confident in your ability to harvest, process and prepare *some* of your own food.
Just a little food for thought…
Wishing YOU a happy and safe Independence day!
I am called to share in-depth investigative articles with salacious details about my experiences in the “food freedom” movement–the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you appreciate these articles and want to see more of this work, please consider a paid subscription, or if that is out of reach, please share this Substack with others. This work helps to support my family.
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Happy Birthday America! Well written Liz: may you flourish in God's Will!
RB