January 2, 2023

In the case of Amos Miller, we all lose.

Our new food system cannot be built on extremism and sensationalism. It has to be built on honesty, integrity and grit.

 

 

Instead of gauging our Food Freedom movement's success on how much “non compliance” farmers can get away with, we need to look at the reality of how far we can move the mindset of our fellow Americans and shift policy for all farmers and those who depend on them—EVERYONE.

 

Amos Miller settled with the USDA prior to the scheduled December 16, 2022 contempt of court hearing. As part of the settlement, it seems he signed yet another consent decree, another promise we can only hope he keeps (this time) as his case is recklessly and needlessly chewing up valuable solution-orientated resources.

 

In the consent decree, he agreed to certain terms for a reduction in the amount he owes to the USDA.

 

This is not a victory for the local food movement as Miller claims. Far from it. 

 

Miller's behavior--both inside and outside of court--has created a contentious situation. Miller's assertions (through the language used in his membership agreements, court documents, and general discourse) that he is exempt from all US laws, does not create greater access to local food. Rather, these assertions open the flood gates of enforcement against those who hold these views and those who are even peripherally associated or curious.

 

There are many farmers in Amos Miller’s Amish network who proudly thwart regulations. They are not doing so because they have a deep knowledge of safety issues and strong integrity. In fact, many of them disregard even the most basic sets of food safety standards and have no desire to learn more. They are profit driven.

 

These extremist views perpetuate an aggressive attitude against advocates who work towards peacefully changing the enforceable policy. This fringe mindset is that if you are not adamantly against the USDA (and ALL their policies), you are for burdensome regulations and against small farmers, and therefore, not to be trusted. This is a false dichotomy.

 

Are there several good Lancaster area Amish farmers that practice safe and healthy farming only to be retaliated against by black market kingpins? In my experience, absolutely.

 

It is heartbreaking to fathom the damage he is doing to the Amish community’s reputation. By all accounts, it appears that there are only devastating losses to show for his unwillingness to operate in a more transparent and honest manner.

 

 

Discerning Americans understand that the monolithic policies of the federal agencies overseeing our food supply are not designed to scale for smaller producers. We can, and must, change these policies. Until we do so, the agencies will continue to enforce the policies in place and continue earning the disdain of many frustrated Americans.

 

We've built momentum towards changing the rules around custom slaughter. We’ve created more exemptions for small-scale farmers. When the agencies encounter those like Amos Miller who refuse to see the sense in safety procedures, they– understandably–don't become inspired to shift policy favorably in the direction of further exemptions for small scale farmers.

 

Has Miller’s case created vulnerabilities for other small farmers? Absolutely! Especially the small farmers already trying to transition into a better and safer form of production practices.

 

 

It appears that Amos' "supporters" have fundraised hundreds of thousands of dollars on his behalf. Ostensibly, to create a favorable situation/court outcome for local foods or small farmers who want to sell directly. But where does that money actually go? Perhaps it is being used to pay for his court fees? Maybe paying for attorneys who "negotiated" his recent settlement? It’s certainly NOT going towards changing policy on behalf of all farmers.

 

 

 

We can move into a food secure future by avoiding extremism and sensationalism on both sides.

 

Millions of American moms are not extremists. We don't want to disband the entirety of our regulatory agencies. We also know that’s not going to happen and are tired of the discourse that centers on that notion.

 

What we want is a food system that works. One that works for ALL OF US. The way to do this is to find those who support a small-scale local food system within the agencies and who will work with us on scaled policies. They are there and they are working on the same goals we have.

 

Until we relearn how to truly be food secure on the hyper local level, the fact remains that these agencies are in place and will continue to oversee most of the nation's food supply–the food supply we all currently depend upon. The only way to opt out of that is to opt entirely into a hyper local, community-driven food system.

 

Start planting seeds.