Trying to Push a Small Farmer Out of Business is a Serious Game…
In 2011 Mark Baker, a Michigan farmer and military veteran, began a fierce battle with the DNR over his right to raise heritage pigs. They claimed his pigs were feral, even though these dangerous pigs were kept in pens, and this fight cost him thousands of dollars. The charges were dropped 10 days prior to trial because they knew the public was getting worked up, and they didn't want the whole story to come out in the open. At the same time, restaurant clients turned their back on the Bakers out of fear of the government’s power. At least 10 times in the past year Mark has had “customers” call, acting interested in buying large numbers of pigs; they'd chat with him a while to get information and then abruptly call back a week later to cancel, so then he'd have to continue to buy expensive feed for all those animals that were ready for market. Last winter there was a big snowstorm and Mark was taking their son to Lake City. Mark's 3/4-ton truck is 41 years old and it was rumbling a lot, worse than normal. They pulled over and found that someone had backed the nuts off the wheel so the lugnuts were almost falling off the truck. “Our youngest is four years old and this is all he's ever known. Our kids have gotten serious briefings on strangers and about people possibly coming into the house. I think they figure, ‘If we can get to him mentally, then maybe he’ll quit.' This is no way to live, we just want to be farmers.” Now, also due to government pressure, he can no longer get farm insurance! These mind games and dirty tricks are causing intense financial and emotional pressure on Mark, his wife Jill, and their 8 kids.
Why Does Government Want to Limit Our Access to Real Food?
Here's Mark's take on this, and it makes sense. He feels there are some pretty big reasons why our government doesn't want us to have good sources available for real food:
- Food is a 25 billion dollar industry — nutrient-dense real food cuts into that profit and decreases our dependency on processed foods and factory farms.
- If we eat better and become healthier, this will decrease our dependency on the pharmaceutical and health care industries — these are BIG businesses, but we don't have to tell you guys this.
They're still figuring out where to go from here, and are hanging onto hope because they know they have quality products to feed people who care about what they're eating! So for now, let’s rise up as the traditional food community and family that we are and show how we care about each other…
How YOU Can Help the Bakers AND Other Small Farmers Near You
1. How you can help Mark & Jill:
It’s easy, and you get to enjoy high quality, delicious, pasture-raised heritage pork:
We have a storefront on the website and they can order through that. There's an item called “UPS shipping” if they want it delivered and then choose the Baker's Green Acres shipping as the location on checkout. People can also just e-mail me orders if they have trouble or questions: [email protected].” (Jill Baker)
By the way, a reader reminded me in the comments that they offer more than just pork: you can also get eggs and chicken from them or purchase cow shares for milk! They even offer classes on farming and butchering. Visit their main website for contact info here: BakersGreenAcres.com. I'm assuming they'd also be willing to do drops if you could help set one up like I explain in #2 below, the same reader said they have done drops in Traverse City, and maybe still do?
(To read more about the Baker Family's story and the cruel persecution they've been through, see the links below.)
2. How you can help the small farmers near you and preserve YOUR access to real food:
Recently I decided to stop getting our meat from the local farmer we bought from regularly. Click here to read why in #3: How I got Lazy and the 5 Ways I've Recommitted to Real Food. So I was on a quest to find a new source for pastured meats from a farmer I could get to know, who I trusted to raise animals humanely and out on pasture, and who was knowledgable about how to feed what was best for the animals and for our family's health. It took a while, and a lot of calls and farm visits, but I found some great options. One farmer about an hour North of us was even willing to make regular drops right by us (or even at my home)! So with very little work on my part, I began organizing a drop. This helps all of us who need a good source for meat from safe, healthy, properly raised animals, and it helps this farmer have an income to count on. Here's what I did, and it really wasn't difficult: I emailed every friend and/or family member I knew who had ever shown even a vague interest in sourcing quality food. I asked them if they might be interested in a regular meat and egg drop, and to let their friends or family know if they might be interested. If they didn't respond or they said no, I didn't bother them again. If they said yes, I added them to my special email list (easy to set up in gmail), and let them know when the first drop was, when the order was due to our farmer, and gave them a price list. That's it. Moving forward I'll likely email everyone a price list monthly with a reminder on when orders are due and when/where pick up is, but that's all — it'll take 5 minutes. Now I've helped a great family and a farm that I want to succeed, and I've helped friends plus our own family source food that we feel good about eating, and it's delivered a mile from here each month — any of you could do this! Questions? Ask me in the comments and I'm happy to answer anything.
The farmers doing things right need us as much as we need them
We can't leave them to hang out there alone, we have to stand with them and help them succeed! Especially with Thanksgiving this week, let's not only tell our farmers that we're grateful, let's show it, too. Share your stories of how farmers and consumers can work together and meet each other's needs, I'd love to hear from you. 🙂
Back story/previous posts on the Baker Family:
(Oldest to newest)
- Communism Anyone?
- You Can't Make Me Shoot My Pigs
- Stand With Us and Help Save the Baker Farm
- A Judge with Common Sense?!
- Scumbags in the State of Michigan
- Bakers Green Acres Court Case Update
VIDEO UPDATE FROM MARK DECEMBER 28th, 2015:
MARK'S VIDEO UPDATE ABOUT THE RAID ON 12/23/15:
Helena Miller says
I have no words. This breaks my heart. I want a pig for sure!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Helena Miller — please go to the post linked above to find out how to order a pig! I’m ordering some pork from him today. He needs our support, even if it’s just to be able to sell his pigs so he can move on. Otherwise he’ll have to shoot them. 🙁
Helena Miller says
I will do that thanks
Jodie Hagan says
Such a shame.
Venetia Reed Adams says
Prayers for the Bakers!
Lisa Cascio says
This is insane. Who are these govt people? They must take in a lot of fluoride & GMO “food” to make them good little order takers who don’t question & do the govt’s dirty work.
Heather Anderson says
This is crazy! I am calling them tomorrow telling them to STOP IT.
Alison Westermann says
I feel so bad for him…..the state is really trying to just get him to leave. I will never understand spending so much money after someone so small creating income for the state and creating commerce. Makes no sense, besides having hugely overreaching government officials that need something to do. So sad. He has such a healing and life giving and incredibly tasting product.
Rachel Wachs says
I’m a in the Lansing area…I plan on heading into the offices. This is crazy.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Awesome, Rachel Wachs!
Dara Weaver says
Can you start a petition?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Dara Weaver — for now I’m just going with what the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund asked us to do, and that’s MAKE CALLS!
Thomas Martin says
Amazing how these raids have been stepped up under Obama. A Christian minister and farmer/rancher here in Texas was fined $3,000 for selling raw milk just recently. If you work hard, earn a living, support your family – you are now evil and must be eliminated.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Ugh, I heard about that. It was in Fort Worth, wasn’t it?
Thomas Martin says
Yes, and their farm isn’t even in the same county as Fort Worth!! I am working to get them a better attorney and also working with Reps from Austin to stop this nonsense.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Oh, man, I’m so glad you’re working on their behalf, Thomas Martin!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Here’s more on the situation: https://violationsofthepublictrust.blogspot.com/2015/12/update-mark-baker-still-under-scrutiny.html?spref=fb
Denise Gallie Rollick says
I could not believe this when Mark posted on Thursday! This case has been settled in court but they must have their revenge because Mark didn’t knuckle under. Thanks for staying with this, Kel!
Evelyn says
I am sickened by this govt abuse of honest, hardworking, law abiding, citizens. It must stop. God bless them and all who are being persecuted for freedom/truth.
Organic Rose says
Kelly, keep spreading the word on the Internet. We must take back our power for REAL food. Thank you for keeping up with the Bakers. There are others also that are being bullied all over the US, but the Bakers have borne the brunt of it.
Sally_Oh says
We just elected a food freedom governor in Kentucky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHCabZcgeWc It’s definitely the way to go!!!
KitchenKop says
Wow Sally, he looks like a good one!!!
Dawn says
To bad those businesses backed out of their orders. Hogs/pork raised on pasture where the Hogs are allowed to forage he’s store bought, commercially raised pork beat by a mile!! I wish we could find pork, (heritage breeds or otherwise) around my area!! It tastes the way pork SHOULD taste!! Not the pale “tastes like cotton” stuff they pass off as pork in the stores!!
Cindy Landskron says
It’s the very powerful commodities trading at work here. The industrial agriculture business runs the show, they support politicians with campaign contributions, pau lobbyists, then get corporate tax breaks in return. They own the aisles at the supermarket and control the GMA, who lobbied to sink the GMO food labeling legislation. They own people at the FDA, through cronyism and it just goes on from there.
Carol Clayton says
Kelly, can you send me info on where, what, and cost for sourcing real food? Thanks!
KitchenKop says
Sure thing Carol! 🙂
Heather says
Very nice family and wonderful farmers to buy real food from! Sad to read that they’re still going through this stuff. 🙁 We have since moved, but were so appreciative of all they offered when we lived closer.
Heather says
Something worth noting… They deliver weekly quite a ways from their farm. We were in Traverse City. Buy their cow shares for milk, eggs, chicken, pork….so much more.
KitchenKop says
Thanks Heather, I’ll add that to the post!
Kel
Michele Whaley Zeck says
i cant believe this is still going on with the Bakers! Sadness =( and BS
Carol Wells says
I buy local in Ga., government needs to handle what they’re supposed to an leave families alone…
Kate Bowen says
Crazy. So important to buy from local farms and support legislation that protects diversified family farms.
Deborah Horstik says
Disgusting! Maybe if the government spent more time governing the processed food, we wouldn’t have so many cases of e coli!
Tawnya Howell says
Yes MI is a crappy state, you can’t buy local organic anything hardly and you can’t trust the farmers market sellers when you ask them questions. My co-op was shut down for a bit 2 summers ago.
Lindsey Knoth-Rodenburg says
I’m in Mecosta county and there are soooooo many feral pigs. His are not feral pigs.
Alison Westermann says
Such good pork….and great family.
Linda says
I got so riled up I forgot this, Kelly, happy Thanksgiving to you & your family. Let’s pray it isn’t too late to turn this country around.
KitchenKop says
Same to you Linda!!! xoxo,
Kel
Jill says
Maddening. We have got to get these abusive, government goons out of their positions of power!
Laurie Garza Penninga says
Thanks for sharing their story… praying for them!
Linda says
Hey again, hubs said when Mark gets orders those “customers” should have to pay up front at least part of the bill. They would be less likely to cancel. Next election vote that governor out of office.
Linda says
Kelly, it’s very disheartening to read that they are still having problems. Big Govt has gotten too big (and they want to get bigger). I wish people in this country would wake up to what’s going on. Govt does not care about us. That is obvious with Monsanto getting everything they want, and forced vaccinations heading our way.