I thought organic food was a good thing…
Friday, December 5th, 2008 By David Hansen
The Lorain Morning Journal reports on an incident where the Ohio Department of Agriculture seized food, computers and documents from a Pittsfield Township organic and natural food cooperative.
I’ve glanced through the Ohio Constitution and am hard-pressed to see where this document controlling our government’s activities gives the Ohio Department of Agriculture the authority to seize anything, let alone some beef, turkey and personal effects.
But then again, I’m not a constitutional lawyer so that’s why our Maurice Thompson of our 1851 Center for Constitutional Law will be taking a look into this.
Some report that the ODA called out a SWAT team or two to effect its taking. Curious to find out more about this, if it is true. I get it that to cops looking at it from the outside a place like this might look no different than a meth lab or big underground marijuana grower, and that they would want to pull out their full arsenal of situational control tactics. Still, aren’t there better ways to handle this kind of thing in cases where the line between legal and illegal behavior is so thin and blurred? Cato has some thoughts on this.
Tags: Big Government, ODA, Organic Food, SWAT
December 6th, 2008 at 10:49 am
wow that really sounds bad, i myself love organic products and everything, but there in USA thing are really screwed up.
Natural food is what should we all eat, but gov and big companies usually make problems for normal man.
December 7th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Great website, I really like what you have done. Keep up the great work.
December 17th, 2008 at 8:43 am
[...] have offered comments on a recent police raid in LaGrange, Ohio on a family’s organic food co-op and their [...]
December 20th, 2008 at 9:13 am
This story has gone viral on the web over the past two weeks with every nutcase on the blogisphere spouting New World Order conspiracy theories and inviting miltia-type action against the police state. Thankfully the Buckeye Institute has lent credibility to the story and has stepped up to defend the Stowers’ constitutional rights by filing suit against the ODA, the Lorain County General Health District, and the Ohio Attorney General (see the main page). I think you should have added the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office to your list of defendents, as it appears that they’re the ones who went overboard in serving the search warrant. All this for possible violation of a third-degree misdemeanor? Good luck in your quest to get the Stowers’ property back and Manna Storehouse back in business.
December 21st, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Thank You I wish every state had you guys backing people up. We ourselves have been bullied by state and county officials in NC these little counties take their power and abuse it grossly, Something Needs to be done. If you know any one who can help us. Please send them our email. Our situation is with DHS which is abusing its powers severely all over the country.Amazing thing is most of us are like the Stowers religious I know 3 families right now who are being wrongly bullied by the local county governments and DHS ,HELP!. Again thank YOU so much.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I am so glad I don’t live in Ohio. What a bunch of malignant bureaucrats .
It is hard to believe a community of neighbors would act against each other in this way. I don’t really understand it. We are talking about food here not drugs. Why does the government care so much and who gave them the power ? The people need to take back their state. Throw the bums out!