USDA Finds Organic Dairy Perpetrating Fraud- No Fines; No Cert Loss

[nosmokes]

I think we should just disband all the regulatory agencies until we have a competent administration and the constitution is back in force. We're just tossing good money after bad at this point.
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original-cornucopia

USDA Finds Largest Organic Dairy Perpetrating Fraud - Fails to Levy Fines or Yank Certification

Watchdog: Organic Community “Taking the Law into Its Own Hands”

CORNUCOPIA, WI: Announcing the filing of additional legal complaints with the USDA, and threatening civil litigation, the nation’s most aggressive organic watchdog, The Cornucopia Institute, blasted the USDA for not penalizing the industry’s largest organic milk producer after government regulators found that they have perpetrated consumer fraud by violating the federal organic labeling law.

On August 29, the USDA announced that Colorado-based Aurora Organic Dairy had willfully violated 14 provisions of the regulations of Organic Food Production Act. Aurora operates a dairy processing facility in Colorado and five giant factory-farms in Texas and Colorado. The USDA investigation began after the agency was alerted to organic irregularities at Aurora’s over two years ago.

“This giant agribusiness enterprise, with majority ownership by Charlesbank, the investment arm of the Harvard endowment fund, was found to have illegally confined their cattle to feedlots, depriving them of fresh air and healthy grazing conditions as required by law,” said Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute. In addition Kastel stated, “Aurora was also found to have brought in conventional cattle to their operation instead of milking cows that had been managed organically for their entire lives. This corporation was out and out cheating.”

The fact that the founders and managers of Aurora had been some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the industry, having also founded Horizon Organic Dairy prior to its purchase by Dean Foods, has left many in the industry resentful of what they call a “sweetheart deal” between the USDA and the giant dairy operator.

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complete article here

[terip64]

1. I love my local farmer, raw milk and other great stuff, like cheese and kefir...n/t

[Fridays Child]

2. This is Bushworld™. Deceit and consumer exploitation are prized.

Some dairy industry executive could get a Presidential Medal of Freedom out of this.

[Cha]

3. Quite the legacy the reject from

harkin oil has given the world..karma's a Bitch, however.

http://www.stewwebb.com/FRAUDS%20ARE%20US%20AT%20MDC.html