The Public Awakens

We need a few more incidents like Gordon Fraser and Nova Scotia's Turkey Trauma to get the public fully awake and aware.

Gordon Fraser, in his Nova Scotia butcher shop, has been
stopped from butchering turkeys after more than 34 years.
Photo: CBC News

I had previously blogged about the Nova Scotia small rural butcher, Gordon Fraser, who has been butchering and an abattoir for 34 year without incident (see here, here, here, here,and here).

In one recent article by CBC News about Gordon Fraser being shut down from processing turkeys any more, the article attracted 15 comments from the public.

I find it interesting that all 15 comments are in support of Gordon Fraser.

When was the last issue that 100% of the public's opinion was in support of something?

With the 5,000 signatures on the MLA's petition to the Nova Scotia Legislature, will it be enough to turn the tide against the millionaire monopolists, in favor of small, safe, affordable, and local agriculture?

If not, the LIberal Government had better watch out.  This could soon become an election issue, if not in Nova Scotia, perhaps all across Canada.

Canadians are awakening, slow but sure, from their long deep sleep.  Like a grumpy bear coming out of their den in Spring, the government had better ensure that they have been doing the right things while the bear slept.

The consequences could be deadly.

Mis-Guided Mission?

Nova Scotia's Turkey Trauma continues unabated.  Is it based upon a mis-guided Mission by the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Keith Colwell?

Does anybody recognize this person?  Who
might it be?  Could it be the nameless
bureaucrat who decided, approved, or acquiesced
to shutting down all of Nova Scotia's
small, local abattoirs?

The Chronicle Herald in Truro, NS covered the Minister's address and Q&A session at the annual meeting of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture held on Nov. 27, 2014.  This may seem like ancient history to write about this 6 months later, but you'll soon see why the review is necessary.


A Good Question

Farmer Robert Richards from Dutch Brook, near Sydney NS started it off by telling the Minister "This is not appropriate business” for the NS government to allow an inspection crackdown on small meat processors that has forced longtime turkey processor Gordon Fraser of Pictou County to turn off his turkey plucker.

Minister Colwell responded that:

• "Food safety takes priority over everything"; and
  
   
• Warned that if that facility or any other uninspected facility in the province processes food that causes someone to get gravely ill or die, Nova Scotia producers won’t be selling their product anywhere, and
  
  "That’s the last thing we need in Nova Scotia."

I find both of the Minister's answers to be very telling.

Analysis of Minister's Answers

The Minister's first answer seems to be hyperbole on food safety.

Yes, food safety is important, but isn't the only issue to be considered.

For example, if food safety truly take priority over everything else, then this means that striving for food safety perfection comes first and foremost.  The Minister is proposing that it doesn't matter if adequate quantity of food is available to feed the people, or that its affordable, or distributed to all regions, just as long as food safety is perfect.  Obviously, that leads us in the wrong direction.

First of all, there is no such thing as "perfectly safe food".  There will always be some risk, no matter how small that risk may be for a particular food.  What we need is adequate levels of safety from managed risks, that considers safety, nutritional content, affordability, tasty, and readily available in all areas of the province.  Balance, not extremeism of food safety, first & foremost, regardless of the cost and feasibility.

If a wildcat farmer or incompetent food producer causes a food safety disaster, it can severely hurt the industry, both big and small producers.  In that, I think everyone agrees.  However, that risk is far greater with the large, mechanized, poorly inspected, widely distributed foods; not a small local producer with 34 years of excellence.

By placing too restrictive controls or prohibitions onto the people, the government makes it less safe.  When people lose their freedoms unjustly due to some bureaucratic whim, the people will become frustrated and seek alternatives to restore their rights and freedoms.  Non-compliance with the law is often an option.  Black market operations, where the consumer helps sponsor and hide the back alley solutions, will naturally spring up.  Eventually, something will go wrong, and the disaster will occur, in spite of the government's ban.

Another Question

Robert Parker of Central West River asked the Minister why a solution could not be reached to keep the small butcher shops open while ensuring health and safety.

No answer by the Minister to Robert Parker's question was recorded in the Truro Daily News article.

Pictou North Colchester Federation of Agriculture passed two resolutions in support of gordon Fraser and similar other abattoir-butcher shops.

Unfortunately, their parent organization, Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture defeated both of these motions when they were asked to ratify the local chapter's actions on a providence-wide basis.  See coverage on this NSFA meeting here.

Robert Parker believes the NSFA defeated these motions because the provincial body is more concerned with the mega farms, rather than the small farmers, and mega-farms are helped by destroying the small. local farms.  That theory was dismissed and denied by a spokesperson for NSFA.

When the province-wide NSFA defeated the two motions, the Nova Scotia government likely assumed incorrectly that they had adequate cover to ignore the situation.

Mis-Guided Mission

I have been told that when Minister Colwell took office, he adopted a personal Mission (or vendetta ?) to close down all non-certified abattoirs and food processing plants.  He is said that prior governments and MLA's were not willing or able to take on that Mission, but he was going to do it.

Some may think that Colwell's personal Mission is due to lobbyists working for the millionaire Big Ag-Big Food bosses who whisper in his ear.  The Minister sayshe is only motivated by better food safety for the people of Nova Scotia.

For now, I will take the Minister at his word, until we have prima facia evidence to the contrary.

However, the question remains, is Minister Colwell more committed to food safety, or to shutting down all of the small abattoirs?  Is Minister Colwell more interested in the means, or the goal?  What would he decide if he learns that shutting down the small abattoirs makes food safety worse, or more risky?  Would he still be committed to the means, rather than the end goal?

Reasonableness and flexibility, or stubborn pig-headedness?  Is Minister Colwell willing to listen, and consider other facts?

Hopefully the Minister will re-consider his priorities and plans before it is too late.

Ontario went too aggressive in 2004 after Justice Haine's Meat Report, contrary to Justice Haines' recommendations (see Meat Regulations Gone Wild).  Ontario subsequently lost almost all of its small independent meat processors in the following years.  Since then, OMAFRA had to admit its mistake, offer grants and subsidies to build new replacement abattoirs, and retract the excessive regulations.  The Ontario meat industry still has not recovered, in spite of these huge efforts and expenditures.

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.

Food Safety, but at what Price ?

The NS's Turkey Mafia moved to shut down a rural butcher shop-abattoir that served the local small flock turkey farmers for 36 years. Nova Scotia's Agriculture Minister Cowell justified the actions of the Turkey Mafia by claiming that uncertified butcher shop-abattoirs cannot be allowed to continue operating due to the food safety issues and liability.

The re-use of the Mockingjay broach from
The Hunger Games seems fitting for Nova Scotia's
war against Small Flock Turkey Farmer
Source

For our previous Blog postings on NS' Turkey Trauma, see here, here, and here.

I call them the Turkey Mafia, as they are a handful of special interest, millionaire turkey farmers who somehow got a monopoly on turkeys in Nova Scotia by getting friendly politicians to pass more and more restrictive laws under Supply Management.  Armed with lobbyists whispering into the ears of bureaucrats and politicians, the Turkey Monopolists can safely act like their namesake Mafia, shutting down small flock turkey growers and those who supply them.  This unfair and unjust action under cover of Supply Management rules and food safety smoke screen, helps the Turkey Mafia protect their monopoly from any competition.  This helps the Turkey Mafia more quickly move from being paltry millionaires, and more quickly become newly minted billionaires.

It is our view that these Supply Management rules should be for the greater good of the public.  Supply Management should not be encouraging and enabling the Turkey Mafia to do price gouging, oppression, and abuse of the public; all of which have been going on for decades, all across Canada.

However, Minister Cowell is correct that food safety is important; but at what price?

If the food produced becomes too expensive to afford, it will rot unsold on the grocery store shelves; a loss for everyone.

Inspection and testing is important.  Restaurants throughout Canada regularly get inspected for cleanliness and following food safety protocols, and if necessary Health Inspectors can take bacterial swabs from key, critical surfaces in those restaurants.  Why can't that occur for small, rural abattoir-butcher shops too?

The formal, government approved systems for huge Big Ag, Big Food, Supply Management Mafia and their huge slaughter plants are the ones that have been killing Canadians.
 
Witness Maple Leaf Foods in Toronto, a Federally inspected & approved (supposedly, Federal inspection is a higher standard than just Provincial inspections) abattoir & meat processing plant that killed 22 people and made 58 seriously ill from food contaminated with deadly listeria bacteria.  Where were all the government protection systems then?

Witness XL Foods in Alberta that in 2012 poisoned 18 people with deadly E.coli 0157:H7.  In spite of XL Foods being the 2nd largest beef slaughter plant in Canada (or perhaps because it was), it was allowed to continue running with poor operating procedures, and even non-compliance to those half baked procedures, resulting in numerous batches of beef trimmings being contaminated for up to 2 years before the massive recall in 2012; all occurring under the government's negligent eyes.  Where were all the government protection systems then?

Unfortunately, there are many other examples of the government's system enabling the poisoning and killing of Canadian citizens who put too much trust in the government and their faulty food inspection systems.

University of Guelph, CFIA, and other scientists report that 30% to 80% of the raw chicken on grocery store shelves are contaminated with deadly bacteria, and 50% of those contaminated birds have Superbugs, resistant to 1 or more human antibiotics.  Again, all of these are produced by millionaire Big Food, Big Ag systems under the government's negligent eye and their mandatory inspection system.

Joel Salatin, a farmer with an on-farm butcher shop in Virginia USA regularly produces chickens and turkeys, one at a time with a sharp knife and a farmer's skill and care.  His birds have 1/10 of the bacterial contamination that's usually present in the birds produced by the large, automated factories operated under the USDA's approved system and inspectors.

It's the skilled and caring people, not the government's paperwork, that keeps the food safe. 

So based on these facts, should Gordon Fraser be allowed to continue to serve his customers and community with safe, nutritious, and affordable turkeys?


It appears the answer is a resounding YES!


Most or all of Gordon Fraser's customers for the past 34 years feel the same way.

Turkey Talk for Nova Scotia

Small Flock turkey growers in Nova Scotia are in trouble, under attack from the Turkey Mafia.  Here are some letter of support for our members and friends Down East.

In a previous Blog posting (see Turkey Trauma ), we described the loss of an important, small abattoir-butcher shop in Millbrook NS, run by Gordon Fraser.  We described how the supply of turkey poults (young turkeys) to small flock turkey farmers has been cut off from Larkin Bros. in PEI.  With no source of poults, and nowhere to get your fully grown turkey butchered, the small flock turkey farmers of Nova Scotia have been totally stranded and beached on the rocky shore of Supply Management.  The Turkey Mafia have done their dirty work very successfully.  They made no coup de grace, but indirectly made the fatal blows that will cause the withering on the vine.  A sneak attack from the rear.

In support of our brothers and sisters in Nova Scotia, SFPFC has written a number of letters to call attention to this mean spirited attack by the Turkey Mafia.

Here are copies of the letters we sent so all to see:

Email 1: To the Liberal Government of Nova Scotia (Premier, Minister of Health, Minister of Agriculture), and local MLA Karla MacFarlane, PC

Email 2: To News 95.7 FM (Halifa NS), thanks for their news coverage of Turkey Trauma in NS

Email 3: Request for additional Ag. News coverage of Turkey Trauma in NS

Email 4: To MLA Karla MacFarlane (PC), Pictou West NS

What more can we do to expose these insideous, indirect attacks on the small flock turkey farmers of Nova Scotia?

While Nova Scotia's small flock turkey farmers are under attack today, don't think that this is the end of the SM Mafia's attack on Small Flockers.  If you breath a sigh of relief that you have escaped their persecution, think again.  Political apathy will seal our fate.

They Thought They Were Free

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

 Martin Niemöller ( 1892 - 1984), a German Lutheran pastor
and theologian born in Lippstadt, Germany

speaking of the Jewish Holocaust in Nazi Germany

Turkey Trauma

Small Flockers are again under attack from the Supply Management Mafia; this time its all about turkeys.

The Turkey Farmers of Nova Scotia ("TFNS") have ordered Larkin Brothers in PEI to cease and desist in the selling of turkey poults to small flock poultry farmers in Nova Scotia.

Turkey poults are young birds raised from day old chicks.  Turkey chicks are somewhat difficult to raise, so there is often a high mortality rate.  Small Flockers often choose to pay more for poults, raised from day old chicks for the first week or so by experts, helping guarantee their success.  That is how Larkin Bros. help and service Small Flockers.

Larkin Bros. is not a hatchery.  They buy the day old chicks at retail as a farmer is allowed to do, then raises them to poults, then re-sells the poults to other farmers.  Property rights are supposed to be enshrined in the Canadian constitution.  That means that you can buy or sell your property to others, unless the law specifically prohibits you from doing so, and that law is reasonable and justified under the circumstances.

TFNS has a different opinion.  In a letter to all Small Flockers in Nova Scotia, TFNS said (copied from the Facebook page of Larkin Bros.):

Monday, February 23, 2015
Hello
Please take note of this notice.

TURKEY FARMERS OF NOVA SCOTIA
PO Box 407, Canning, NS B0P 1H0 • Phone: (902) 582-7877 • Fax: (902) 582-5326 •
info@turkeyfarmersofnovascotia.ca

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO FREE RANGE LICENSE HOLDERS
And
Vendors

This notice is to advise that you are not to order poults from Larkin Brothers. as he is not a registered Hatchery.

You are to order direct from a registered Hatchery as noted below. For your convenience we have added their contact information.

Quebec Turkey Hatchery Gerry Paquet QC G2A 2E2 418-842-3687
Cuddy Farms Judy Glover ON N2p 2N7 519-245-1592 ext229
P&H Hatchery Gail Ruttan ON N4N 3L7 519-364-1770
Couvoir de Mont 1986 Inc Richard Dumont QC G0L 1K1 418-898-2747
Hybrid Turkey ON N2G 3W5 519-527-0847
Couvoir Unik Inc Sylvain Rocheleau QC J0J 1K1 450-347-0126
Frey's Hatchery Ken Frey ON N0B 2N0 519-664-2291
Hybrid Turkey ON N3H 4R7 519-653-3527
Cuddy Farms Ltd 2008 ON N7G 3H6 519-245-1592ext234
Couvoir de Chicoutimi QC G7H 5B7 418-693-8244
Couvoir Simetin Inc. QC J7N 1P3 450-258-2404

Any free range license producer or Vendor that orders poults from a business that is not on the list will jeopardize their status as a free range producer or Vendor and subject to a monetary penalty.

The Turkey Mafia has their million dollar monopoly to protect, and they will do any devious or other action to stop or slow down Small Flockers from serving themselves and their local customers of safe, affordable, nutritious, and locally grown turkeys.

This is same or similar to the attacking of Aaron Hiltz by the Nova Scotia Egg Producers  in Oct. 2013.

More recently, TFNS has attacked Gordon Fraser (see also here,  here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,  here, here, here, here, and here. ), a 4th generation farmer in Millbrook Nova Scotia who also operates a safe, clean, and humane butcher shop cum abattoir for the past 36 years.  Last Fall, TFNS told him he was no longer allowed to process turkeys in his on-farm butcher shop, unless he becomes a licensed abattoir under Provincial or Federal Regulations.  Gorden Fraser specializes in serving Small Flockers and small farmers for beef, pork, and lamb.  Removing this rural butcher shop-abattoir means Small Flockers have no where to go with their turkeys in Pictou County, as the next nearest licensed abattoir is too far away.

Gordon Fraser estimates he would have to spend around $500,000 to build an abattoir in full compliance with TFNS' requirements.  That isn't possible, nor affordable.

Bureaucratic over-reach by TFNS, plain and simple.

NS' Dept. of Agriculture could implement exceptions for butcher shops, farmers, and small local abattoirs who offer full disclosure to the public.  Unfortunately, they cater to the millionaire and their lobbyists who constantly whisper into the politicians ears, protecting their client's monopoly to the detriment of the public.

Aaron's Eggs Day in Court

I previously Blogged about a rebellious, but soft spoken small flock egg farmer in Nova Scotia who is in the gun sight cross hairs of the #ChickenMafia and their henchmen, the notorious #ChickenPolice (see Aaron's Eggs.

I subsequently wrote how SFPFC and thousands of NS citizens intervened on Aaron's behalf, so the Nova Scotia government decided to intervene, and finally the NS Egg Board relented by doubling the small flock exemption (100 birds to 200), and proposed an auction of 2,000 bird quota for small flockers, to be divided in 4 lots of 500 birds each.  If Aaron applied and was lucky enough to win, we would have an exemption for 700 birds, so he could keep his present flock of 700 (see Give Credit where Credit Due.

I received a call from Aaron today, saying the #ChickenPolice continued with their charges against Aaron, and he recently spent his first day in arraignment court pleading Not Guilty to all charges.  Aaron said he considered the ease and speed of pleading guilty, but he just couldn't do it.

I had previously offered all of SFPFC's legal research to Aaron in preparation for our Ontario rebellion against the #ChickenMafia.  WIthin a few minutes, I had an email off to Aaron, but the email server choked on the 38 MB of file attachment. Doing a compressed zip file wasn't much better.  I'm going to have to upload all these precious files to a Internet Cloud File Server, so Aaron can download everything.  I hope Aaron's Pro Bono lawyer finds it useful.

While I had Aaron on the phone, we quickly discussed strategy.  His parting remarks were that he obviously needed to learn a lot more, really quicky.

Indeed he does.  Just like Wiley E. Coyote, those #ChickenPolice are a nefarious bunch.  The advantage for the #ChickenPolice, they have the government to do their dirty work for them

Once the offense notice has been issued by the #ChickenPolice so as to protect their monopoly, the government steps in and takes over.  The power of the state and their bottomless pockets are now against Aaron, while the #ChickenPolice can sit back, relaxing in their front row seats while the brash Crown Attorney attempts to sink Aaron and his young small family on their family farm.

There ought'a be a law.