Eventually, there will be a sentencing hearing in Ellsworth on charges against Dan Brown but NOT this week.
Well, we should have known better than to expect swift justice. We had a conference call between all 3 attorneys, myself, Judy and the judge to talk about what was going to happen on Thursday. We were hoping that the judge would rule on the motion to stay so we might be able to stay in business this summer. However as of now, the hearing tomorrow is postponed for at least a month. I will let you all know more as things unfold. - Dan and Judy Brown
The Judge will also be hearing arguments on Dan's motion requesting a removal of the injunction against him. It could be very instrumental in Judge Murray's decision if AS MANY supporters attend as possible.
I know it's a lot to ask and you are all very busy with your own lives, but we need to let Judge Anne Murray know that there are more eyes on this than just my wife and myself. So call, write, email everyone you know and have them all there. -- Thank you, Dan and Judy
In an incredible decision rendered on May 1st, the Hancock County Superior Court ruled against farmer Dan Brown on his motion for summary judgment. The Court instead granted summary judgment in favor of the State of Maine and issued an injunction enjoining Mr. Brown from selling raw milk and other food products from his farm stand. Read more . . .
Until recently, the Maine Department of Agriculture had a policy of allowing small, unlicensed milk producers like Dan to sell raw milk from their farm as long as they did not advertise or solicit the sale; he's been selling raw milk from his stand since 2006.
In April 2011, the Town of Blue Hill passed a local ordinance exempting small local producers from licensing requirements. Dan will be represented by Fund General Counsel Gary Cox and co-counsel Sandy Collier on Thursday. Click here for details on Dan's case.
Farmer Dan Brown's fight against the Maine Department of Agriculture is about your community's ability to protect family farmers, share meals, and ensure access to healthy and culturally appropriate food.
A petition with over 5,000 online submissions was delivered to Governor Paul LePage in 2012 but to no avail. It began:
Recent rule changes by the Maine Department of Agriculture - including poultry processing and raw milk sales - are making criminals out of hard-working Mainers who are growing and processing food to share in their communities.
Now the Department of Agriculture and State of Maine are suing Dan Brown, a man milking one cow and selling jams, pickles, and other prepared foods from his farmhouse kitchen. If successfully pursued, this lawsuit will have a chilling effect on Maine's growing local food movement and the promise of real economic development in our rural communities.
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit [EIN 20-8605130], defends the rights and broadens the freedoms of family farms and artisan food producers while protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient-dense foods. Learn more About Us.
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Please forward this digest to others who are concerned about protecting locally-sourced nutrient dense foods and preserving sustainable small family farms and artisan food producers as well as defending the rights to sell and to access the foods of one's choice from the source of one's choice.
