Government Raid Seizes $90,000 of Healthy Food Grown by Nourish Cooperative
They raided this cooperative and placed all their produce under seizure - in total, over $90,000. What's more, they forced them to dispose of 2,000+ pounds of hog carcasses just to make a point.
By: Ashley Armstrong
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Nourish Cooperative is a farm cooperative that provides fresh, whole foods, such as low-PUFA eggs, raw milk, and “needle-free” grass fed and/or corn- and soy-free meat
On November 3, 2023, 15 of their corn- and soy-free, low-PUFA hogs were seized due to a misunderstanding on processing
On May 28, 2024, the cooperative was raided, and over $90,000 worth of product was put under “cease and desist” by the state of Michigan
The raid took place over the course of about four to five hours, and started with four government employees arriving in a government marked car, including a human food inspector, an animal food inspector and two dairy inspectors
Nourish Cooperative is fighting back to protect traditional foods and the right to access these healing products from small farms
There is a lot of fearmongering circulating in mainstream media about the “Avian Influenza”. In parallel to the fearmongering, there has been a large increase in the number of inspections and surveillance. Creating fear would certainly help better maintain control of the food system, wouldn’t it?
On Tuesday, May 28th, our farm co-op was randomly “inspected” (raided), and over $90,000 worth of product was put under “cease and desist” by the state of Michigan, including all raw dairy. As this is an evolving story, I will share what we know to be true thus far.
Nourish Cooperative is a farm cooperative that my sister, Sarah, and I started with a few other first generation regenerative farmers in September 2023. After several years of a steadily increasing demand for our farm fresh products (such as our raw milk, sourdough, and “needle-free” grass fed and/or corn- and soy-free meat), we simply could not keep up with the demand ourselves, which led us to create a “cooperative” (co-op) of several small, local regenerative farms.
Our goal is to produce the highest quality food possible while working with Mother Nature through the use of regenerative agriculture practices. This cooperative grew faster than we could ever imagine, and with that, I suppose, more problems arose, inevitably. If interested, you can read more about Nourish Cooperative here.
First, 15 Hogs Stolen — ‘Their Lives Went to Waste’
Our first stint with the government happened last fall on November 3, 2023 when 15 of our corn- and soy-free, low-PUFA hogs were seized right before my eyes due to a misunderstanding on processing. I was forced to put the 15 hog carcasses in the back of our pickup truck, pour used motor oil on them, and then drive them to a nearby landfill and pay to dispose of 2000+ pounds of hog carcasses.
I will never forget the smell at the top of that landfill! This was devastating — not only was thousands of dollars worth of product *literally* destroyed, but the lives of these animals went to waste. We could have used them ourselves, donated them, or fed them to our animals.
That’s a huge issue for us — we take pride in the methods in which we (and all of our farm partners) farm — rotationally grazing our animals to fresh pasture near daily, living as Mother Nature intended so they can express their innate instincts ensuring they have the closest to “natural” lives they can possibly live during their time on earth.
To know that they lived and died for no reason other than to sit in a landfill so the government could make a point — that hurt. And it hurt our spirit for a period of time, too. Thinking: Is this even worth it? Are we in over our heads?! There seems to be a block at every step of the way, when you’re trying to raise food traditionally, organically, and unadulterated.
But we persevered, which is how Nourish Cooperative expanded to carry not only various different types of meat and unique products (such as gelatin-rich bone broths and traditionally made sourdough products), but various types of raw dairy as well, including sheep, goat, and A2A2 cow dairy products such as raw milk, cheese, kefir, cream, butter, yogurt, and so on.
Most of us in the health space are familiar with the troubling laws around raw dairy, and we’re aware that raw dairy sales are heavily regulated, even illegal, in most if not all states.
This is where things get super confusing, as the laws differ by state, and in Michigan, where our co-op is located, the law states that one way to sell raw dairy is to establish a herd-share and require customers to pick up their dairy from your farm. Another option in Michigan is to sell your raw dairy as a pet food supplement, which is the route we decided to take.
All Raw Dairy — $90,000 Worth of Product — Seized
Raw cheese is actually a little simpler. One thing all states do have in common is that raw cheese, made in a legitimate, inspected facility, that’s aged for at least 60 days, is legal to sell and buy (7 CFR § 58.439). This is why you can buy raw cheese in stores such as Walmart and Meijer. It’s not illegal, yet, on May 28th, around 1 PM EST, all of this came into question for us.
During the raid of our cooperative, all raw dairy was placed under seizure — in total, over $90,000 worth of product. What this means is that these products (all milk, cheese, butter, etc.) were counted and tagged, and that we are not allowed to sell, use or even move these products without a government official present.
So no using these products for our personal use, no giving these products to our animals — simply put, these products have to remain where they were, unless we choose to discard of them, and in that case, a government official would need to be present to ensure we discarded of them appropriately, to their standards (which basically means, they’d need to go to literal waste). Remember the pig situation I mentioned ...? Talk about deja vu, in the worst way possible.
Keep in mind, this was a Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day, and business was going as usual. We had over 350 orders to pack up and ship out to our cooperative members and their pets, the majority of which included raw dairy (sold as a pet food supplement).
The raid took place over the course of about four to five hours, and started with four government employees arriving in a government marked car, including a human food inspector, an animal food inspector, and two dairy inspectors.
The inspectors spoke to the highest in the chain of command available at our farm, which was Brandon, our head of operations (and Sarah’s fiancé). Brandon informed the government employees that he did not feel comfortable showing them around the facility since it was not his place, and gently pointed towards the farm's “NO TRESPASSING” signs.
However, since Nourish Cooperative has a “Food Warehouse License” in Michigan, they notified us that they’re allowed to show up and inspect at any time, and requested to be shown around our facility.
Five-Hour ‘Inspection’ Leads to Cease and Desist Letter
What began to unfold over the next four to five hours was these four inspectors, going through our fridges and freezers, tossing products around, and deciding that all of our raw dairy and a few other products were placed under seizure. Including the raw cheese.
The issue they had with the raw cheese was that the plant number was “not identifiable” on the label. However, Brandon read off the plant number to the inspectors directly from the label in front of them, and this information was also given to the main human food inspector the week prior verbally during a phone call.
So, we provided the plant number where our cheese is made ... but they said they couldn’t read it on their own. Even if the font size was too small, why did the product have to be put “UNDER SEIZURE”?
UPDATE = the cheese was released from seizure eight days later on Thursday, June 6th after the plant number was again communicated and the legality of raw aged cheese for human consumption was proven through 7 CFR § 58.439.
As for the other raw dairy products (like milk and butter) sold as a pet food supplement, we were told that the entire situation started as a label miscommunication. We were told that there were some issues with our labels since we did not specify what pet the product was for, and did not include serving suggestions. (For example, for dogs, feed two tablespoons.)
Our labels were submitted in March and our check was cashed for a pet food license. But, instead of going back and forth with us to help us get our labels approved, there was the surprise inspection, and immediate seizure of all products.
We have made the suggested changes, and resubmitted the labels for approval the evening of the inspection, but now we are all of a sudden being told that it is illegal to sell raw dairy as pet food.
“Michigan does not permit the sale of raw milk for human or animal consumption, therefore relabeling the products will not fully correct the (label) violations cited.”
Hmmm I am not so sure about this. For example, in the past week I have called over 10 pet food stores throughout the state of Michigan who sell raw goat milk for pets.
Talk about selective enforcement? Despite this being an unannounced “regular inspection,” this group of government officials arrived with a pre-prepared Cease and Desist letter (unless they printed it in their car), and asked Brandon to sign this letter. Brandon declined saying he was not in the position to sign.
Truthfully, we are kind of in limbo right now and have no information on how to proceed forward (despite making the suggested label changes).
We cannot touch any of the products (raw milk, raw butter, raw cream, raw cottage cheese, etc.) that are still under seizure (only the raw cheese cease and desist order was removed). We can’t eat it ourselves. And we can’t feed it to our animals. All of this product will go to waste!
The most unfortunate part of all of this is that for many of our farm partners, our co-op is their only market — they rely on our market to make a living. So, how are they supposed to pay their bills? What do they do with all of the product?
We’ve been able to help dozens of small farmers improve their farming practices, expand their operations, and make enough income to actually be farmers and quit their off-farm jobs. (Did you know that 96% of farm households derived some of their income from off-farm sources in 2019?1 Meaning, many farmers require other jobs to support their farm.)
You Have a Right to Access Real, Healing Foods
As a co-op, we shouldn’t have to black market real, healing foods (which, to be clear, we are not doing — we have attempted to comply with the law and regulations every step of the way) or, as consumers, have to bend over backwards to try to source these products. Starting Nourish allowed these farmers to focus on farming (the right way), and actually make a living doing so. We hope to continue to provide this opportunity to other small farmers as the co-op continues to grow.
Just as unfortunate, our co-op members rely on us for these foods. Many of our members have food allergies or sensitivities, or other health conditions, that require them to source pure, unadulterated foods. Or they just choose to source the highest quality food available because it makes them feel good, and they want to support regenerative agriculture and small farmers.
While these members are buying the raw dairy for their pets, they obviously can do as they please with these products. It is not up to us to decide what someone does with their dairy.
Our members are upset, and they’re fired up at the same time. The support that’s rolled in from members of Nourish and beyond is incredible to see; more and more people are choosing to source their foods from small farmers, raising food the traditional way, and we don’t see why there should be so many obstacles to do so.
(Well, we do understand, as Big Ag spends millions of dollars each year on lobbying to ensure the rules and regulations make it so that it is very hard to be a small farmer or co-op in their centralized system.)
Regardless, we must work within the framework we are given, and even though it may not make sense to us, or to our co-op members, there are ways in which we can move forward — and we are hopeful we will be able to fully back in business soon.
Since May 28th, we’ve had to stop selling all raw dairy products (except raw cheese which is again available for sale) and other products seized by the government, but we are still providing grass fed meats (beef, yak, lamb), and corn- and soy-free, low-PUFA chicken and pork, as well as raw pet food chubs, pure Michigan maple syrup, raw honey, and a few other products on our website.
Fight for Your Right for Nourishment
We ship these products all across the United States. While the website shows we are currently closed and not taking new members, we are diligently working on opening up more spots for incoming members, so if you would like to join Nourish, please reach out to our customer service by clicking here with a request to make your membership active, or with any other questions you may have.
If you would like to support our co-op during this challenging time, to help us recover from the $90,000 product loss, and help us cover our mounting legal fees, we have an ongoing GiveSendGo fundraiser in which you can support us by clicking below.
Alternatively, you can buy a t-shirt with our current motto — “Fight for Your Right for Nourishment” and a small percentage of that sale will go to our business. Any effort to support is greatly appreciated, we are determined to not let this be the end of Nourish, and we’ll do everything in our power to ensure we can keep moving forward.
As far as what the future holds, I mentioned we are currently in limbo with all other raw dairy products. This may require us to pivot our business plans and find a new way.
I will not lie, I have questioned “why in the heck are we doing this?” a few times in the past week — why put us at risk? Well, those thoughts have passed. We have to make a change. So what I can now say with confidence is that we will never give up. These traditional foods have not only helped to heal my sister and myself, but hundreds of our customers and members as well. They’re invaluable, and they’re worth fighting for. Fight for your right for nourishment.
About the Author
Ashley Armstrong is the cofounder of Angel Acres Egg Co., which specializes in low-PUFA (polyunsaturated fat) eggs that are shipped to all 50 states (join waitlist here), and Nourish Cooperative, which ships low-PUFA pork, beef, cheese, A2 dairy and traditional sourdough to all 50 states.
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it seems that they are afraid of progress on some fronts of sustainable agriculture and livestock. Organic and regenerative food and agriculture be the norm, rather than just the alternative. OCA often talks about our long-term goal with Regeneration International and our allies: to make organic and regenerative food, agriculture, and land use (and natural health) the norm, rather than just the alternative. As Vandana Shiva, our lifelong ally, points out, this would be “the solution to the soil crisis, the food crisis, the climate crisis and the crisis of democracy.” OCA and partners around the world, including Mercola.com, are dedicated to addressing critical issues of environmental pollution, nutrition, junk food, declining public health, climate change, soil health, biodiversity, pollution and water scarcity.
Forced migration, economic justice and rural economic development. “We need to stop corrupt politicians, the Big Ag lobby and the global elite from subsidizing degenerative chemical and fossil fuel intensive agriculture, GMOs, laboratory foods and factory farms. Current global subsidies, which target the usual activity of degenerative agriculture, amount to $700 billion a year.
By shifting priorities, we can pay organic farmers and ranchers not only a fair price for the food and products they produce, but also pay them to sequester excess atmospheric carbon in soils and aboveground plants and trees. in addition to providing other key environmental services. such as preserving clean water, improving soil fertility, protecting biodiversity, wetlands and wildlife habitat,,,,” https://organicconsumers.org/organic-bytes-newsletter-797-scale-up-regenerative-and-organic-farming-now/ .-- https://organicconsumers.org/imagining-a-greater-organic-reset-4/ .--
people like Will Harris and Shiva deserve our gratitude for standing up for healthy eating, animal welfare and nature. In a recent interview, Vandana Shiva said, authentic yields are achieved by traditional farms like the ones she promotes as the founder of Navdanya, a non-governmental organization that promotes biodiversity conservation, organic farming and farmers' rights, and which has trained more than a million farmers in food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture over the last two decades. “While industrial farms consume ten polluting units to produce one unit of food, in ours nothing is lost because, just like in nature, everything works in cycles and everything is used,” she explains.
In this dialogue with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, Shiva says: Agroecology, sustainable agriculture that works with nature, instead of depleting it, is the solution to hunger, poverty. “Ecological farmers, regenerative farmers must unite to anyone who is on earth, because anyone who is on earth can start taking care of the earth and not participate in destructive war activities.” "In a crumbling world where there are 'cost of living marches' everywhere," where people can't pay for food and rent, "BlackRocks and Vanguards and asset management firms" seek to control $4 trillion of dollars in financial assets.
People must send the message that “our world is not for sale,” he said. Shiva and Kennedy also discussed how agroecology produces more nutritious food than a “One Ag” monoculture design. “Our work shows that the more biodiversity is enriched, biodiversity is intensified rather than toxics and chemicals.” You actually have more nutrition,” he said. https://www.globalresearch.ca/nature-not-sale-vandana-shiva-tells-rfk-jr/5791064 (08/22/2022) Vandana Shiva: I think our job, Dr. Mercola, is that an extinction is occurring. They call it the sixth mass extinction. Most people think the sixth mass extinction is about other species.
They don't realize that much of humanity is being pushed to extinction. Independent science, good healthy knowledge. That food is health, as Hippocrates said. Indigenous learning systems, ecological agriculture, small farmers. In Bill Gates' design, everything that makes life, life, that makes society, society, that makes the community, the community, that makes healthy beings, he would like to take this to extinction because he is afraid of it. to independence and freedom and health and our “beingness.” He wants us to be things, but we are beings. https://www.globalresearch.ca/boycott-fake-food-role-regenerative-agriculture-worldwide-health/5741264
After twenty years of competing, in industrial plantations soil organic matter has decreased by 14%, while in organic farms it has increased by 99%. Shiva attacks the big chemical and food industries for having reversed common sense regarding how to grow food: “They made us believe that without chemicals you couldn't produce food.” 75% of the Earth's problems are related to the way we produce food. The danger of industrial agriculture is the effects of chemicals on plants and soil, which consumes 75% of the planet's fresh water and is responsible for more than 70% of soil destruction.
All this consumption of resources has not made the Earth a more fertile place, but rather, by destabilizing its natural cycles of the earth and nature. Shiva proposes a change from the current mental framework, of domination and instrumentalization of the Earth, to one of love and respect for biodiversity. If we get rid of the illusions of the global technophile capitalist caste and learn to live according to the limits set by nature, the earth will deny us its food.