Urgent for Raw Milk Lovers in every state and country

Hi, Raw-Milk Lovers in every state and country,

We have failed to stop California's new law AB1735 that will make commercial raw milk relatively extinct in California, and eventually every state. Organic Pastures Dairy and Claravale Dairy failed to file for Injunctive relief in their lawsuit. That means that it could takes months or years to resolve in court. The same thing that happened to Stueve's Natural Dairy in 1999 which bankrupt that commercial raw dairy producer that maintained about 2,000 cows.

As everyone can see from the article below, the state's response on Friday December 28, 2007 to Claravale and OPD's legal complaint was:

"Right now, the department is preparing to enforce the law when it takes effect," Van Rein said.

As I cautioned Ron at Claravale, Mark at OPD and Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund via emails, all of the niceties and assurances from any government official is nonsense regarding raw milk unless it is in writing and legal. As the State's spokesperson Van Rien stated, the State is preparing to enforce the new law January 1, 2008, and Mark McAfee's assurances from State officials that raw milk would not be interrupted were shallow and not legally binding.

We must get our consumer lawsuit mounted immediately. To get that lawsuit going and through the Injunctive process, $40,000 is required. To go beyond the Injunctive process, it will cost a lot more. Right To Choose Healthy Food gave $25,000 to begin the process. Right now, we need at least $15,000 to see us through the Injunctive process to stop the state from enforcing AB1735.

Please act now because raw milk will not be on your shelves in California very much after January 1, 2008. PLEASE donate immediately at www.SaveRawMilk.org

At that website, you can sign-up to be a petitioner/joiner on the lawsuit. We have about 500 people who have joined so far. We would like to have 10,000.

Thank you and have a wonderful New Year!
healthfully,
aajonus vonderplanitz, phd nutrition



San Francisco Chronicle

California dairies sue to stop enforcement of standard on raw milk

Carol Ness, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, December 28, 2007

California's two raw milk producers filed suit Thursday to keep the state from imposing a strict new standard that, they say, would put them out of business.

The suit, filed in San Benito County Superior Court, is part of an all-out effort by the raw milk dairies and the estimated 40,000 dedicated raw milk consumers in California to forestall enforcement of the new law, AB1735, which takes effect Jan. 1.

It was filed by Claravale Farm, which recently moved its herd to Paicines (San Benito County), and Organic Pastures of Fresno against the state Department of Food and Agriculture.

The agriculture department hadn't yet seen the lawsuit and had no immediate comment, spokesman Jay Van Rein said.

"Right now, the department is preparing to enforce the law when it takes effect," Van Rein said.

The new standard, he added, is "just a matter of staying ahead of the curve on food safety."

For the first time, the law limits coliform bacteria in bottled raw milk to just 10 per milliliter, the same standard that pasteurized milk must meet.

The lawsuit contends that "it's not technically possible nor economically feasible" for raw milk to meet such a low limit.

Van Rein, however, said California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura has checked with his counterparts in Washington and Pennsylvania, which also have adopted a 10-coliform limit, "to make sure their dairies have been able to comply."

The suit also contends that the raw milk producers are being unfairly singled out because there are "no standards in place for other food providers, for example beef, poultry, pork, eggs, vegetables, bakers or fin or shell fish, to comply with a coliform limit in the food stuffs they produce."

Fans seek out raw milk specifically because it contains enzymes and beneficial bacteria that are killed by heat pasteurization.

Coliform exist everywhere in the environment, and most don't cause illness, both raw milk and food safety authorities agree. Raw milk is already tested for the pathogens that do, such as E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter.

Public health authorities have a contentious history with raw milk, which many see as dangerous.

The federal government doesn't allow raw milk to be sold across state lines for human consumption.

California has the nation's biggest raw milk industry, and its vocal consumers have maintained pressure on state government to keep raw milk available. California is one of just a handful of states to permit raw milk sales in stores; many more allow retail sales directly from the farm.

Raw milk proponents see AB1735 as a way for the state to effectively ban raw milk without actually saying so. The two dairy owners were not informed of the proposal as it went through the Legislature and weren't offered the chance to make their case against the coliform limit. Passage was routine.

The lawsuit asks that the law be declared unconstitutional and the court keep it from taking effect.

In addition, the owners of Claravale and Organic Pastures met for more than two hours last week with Kawamura to make their case that the limit is overkill and can't be met. They also have met with AB1735's legislative sponsors to argue for repeal.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/28/BAAPU5K48.DTL

California Raw Milk will live!

The following is quoted from a newsletter from Mark McAfee who runs the Organic Pastures Dairy Farm in California:
fffffff"It will be a happy, healthy New Year indeed! California consumers have spoken loudly against AB 1735's biased, scientifically unsupported restrictions on raw milk. Your passionate voices have been heard.
In the last three weeks, the California raw milk battle front has been abuzz with tremendous grass roots effort, back stage political activity and high level meetings. As a result, the course of California raw milk history has been changed.
Here is a brief update of the progress:
Three things protect your raw milk in California:
1. The Secretary of Agriculture has offered political support.
A.G. Kawamura has dedicated himself to safe raw milk for California, declaring that "AB 1735 standards will not act as a de-facto ban on raw milk." Secretary Kawamura made this statement adamantly and repeatedly at a December 20th meeting with Claravale and Organic Pastures dairy representatives. He pledged to review our four-inch stack of documentation entitled "AB 1735: The Unheard Argument" and promised to work with us to assure the continued availability of raw milk.
2. A new law will be introduced in January reversing AB 1735. An investigation has exposed certaiin CDFA employees who met without authorization and, using erroneous data, advised staff members of the Assembly Agriculture Committee to place "eight special anti-raw milk words" into AB 1735. All CDFA agency legislative matters and bills must be reviewed and authorized by the Governor's office, as required by the Executive Branch and administrative policy and procedure. Instead, highly misleading information was used to rapidly and secretly pass AB 1735 on a "consent item" basis without discussion or open debate. Assemblymen and State Senators who voted for AB 1735 are now very upset that they were misled, and support immediate repeal on procedural grounds. The Attorney General's office might step in, having noted an aberrant violation of established process in furtherance of a "biased agenda that is far from being a consent item."
3. A lawsuit is being filed this week in San Benito County. Part of that lawsuit includes an injunction which legally secures raw milk producers against enforcement of AB 1735 until a new law can be passed.

While the raw milk fight is far from over, the safety of the California raw milk supply has been secured with multiple layers of strategic political, legislative and legal efforts. Hearings will soon be announced as part of the new bill and legislative process that will start in January. Your participation will continue to be essential to deepen the protections put in place.

Keep sending a powerful message: In order to strengthen our work going forward, we ask that you take pictures of yourself and your family holding raw milk bottles from Claravale and/or Organic Pastures Dairy. Write on the picture: Please support repeal of AB 1735." Then mail them to the Governor's office, your State Assemblyman, and the State Senators' offices. The impact of a personal plea with a picture of your family is worth a thousand words.

Congratulations to all who participate in the "grass roots raw milk revolution." Your thousands of letters and calls made all the difference! California raw milk is SAFE from AB 1735 and those that sought to eliminate this sacred healing whole food.

Warmly, Mark McAfee, Founder of Organic Pastures Dairy"

Post Script: a US Senator has introduce legislation that allows transportation and sale of unpasteurized milk and milk products, as long as the milk both originates from and is shipped to states that allow the sale of unpasteurized milk and milk products....

Stay informed regarding raw milk in California

Keep yourself informed regarding the California state raw milk issues and actions.
Your actions count and may make the difference.

A California dairy that provides excellent raw milk...

is warning us that the State of California has passed new legislation which would severely limit the availability of raw milk. Find the details and the way to support their actions now.

Raw milk - act now so you can benefit from the raw food diet in the future

AB 1735 ACTION ALERT
Final action short of lawsuit necessary
to overturn AB 1735

Please, immediately contact:

California Senator Abel Maldonado
CA Secretary of Agriculture Mr. A. G. Kawamura

As a direct result of your recent actions, key assembly representatives support overturning AB 1735.

However, California Assembly members expressed concern that we do not have the support of California Senator Abel Maldonado who head the agricultural committee and California Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. A.G. Kawamura.

It is critical that we create an avalanche of political pressure by sending them strong messages (see below). Please call and FAX Abel Maldonado and A.G. Kawamura immediately. Faxes are more important than calls but both work best. Thank you.

Contact the CA Senator Maldonado immediately!
<>
Senator Abel Maldonado (R)
California State Capitol
Room 4082
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4015 or (805) 549-3784
Fax: (916) 445-8081

<> Contact the CA Secretary of Agriculture immediately!

A.G. Kawamura
Secretary of Food and Agriculture
1220 N St., Suite 400
Sacramento, Ca. 95814
Phone: (916) 654-0321 or (916) 654-0433
Fax: 916-654-0403

suggestions: The following points may seem harsh but they reflect truth (see "Background" below). The Senator and Secretary need to know what has happened on there watch:

1. I want and need raw milk to maintain and increase my health and well being. It should not be so regulated that it will bankrupt dairies and not be commercially available to me.
   

2. Certain staff members within CDFA who maintain personal prejudices against raw milk participated and conspired in an illegal, secret and silent process to deny me access to raw milk.

3. Demand that they use their powers to immediately suspend or reverse AB 1735 and the "less-than-10 coliform" standard for raw milk in California.

4. Demand that the CDFA staff who misrepresented raw milk science and snuck the groundless coliform standard into AB 1735 be dismissed immediately

Background:

Certain staff members in CDFA introduced negative language into a bill which would be applied to an industry which it regulates. That is illegal activity which defies written administrative policy and must not be tolerated within CDFA. The normal legal process requires CDFA to bring any legislative language to the attention of the governor's office prior to contacting an assembly committee. CDFA misrepresented facts, claiming AB 1735 was so insignificant that it could be handled “as a consent item” and did not require discussion or debate. Other substantial and material misstatements of fact also occurred to keep AB 1735 secret and silent.

This may be the last effort needed to overcome AB 1735. Please call and FAX your letters today. See www.SaveRawMilk.org

Green Star juicer

for the asking or for the cost of shipping.
A Primal Diet person has moved out of the USA and will
simply get a new juicer in her new location. This Green
Star juicer works perfectly; it is in San Diego. First come
first serve. If you want it shipped to you, I suggest you
tip the person who has been taking care of it as well as
pay the shipping.
Make sure you are first by calling or faxing to (323)230-9809

Raw Milk hits the news year after year.

The Real Reasons Why Raw Milk as part of the raw food diet is becoming more popular.
Should This Milk Be Legal? New York Times, August 8, 2007
See how concocted the attack on raw milk is.

What would Thomas Jefferson on the topic of

children's health, specifically the ongoing efforts to enforce vaccination? And efforts to enforce drugging children in schools?
"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny."

Thomas Jefferson
(submitted by a 3rd party)

Drinking raw milk is a life style for this family, creating health, happiness and longevity.

My story about drinking the raw milk is simple. When I was born my mother didn't have any breast milk to feed me and so she fed me with raw cow milk. I am 34 now and for all my life I've never had any disease and I was in the hospital only once - after car accident. How my mother knew about the raw cow milk? She is from a village originally and there drinking the raw milk is simply a life style. Raw milk, raw cream, raw butter, raw eggs and e.t.c. My aunt is 85 now. She lives in a village. She is still working hard and has never been in the hospital either. I remember myself being there - I was drinking raw milk in the morning, day, night - whenever I wanted - and it was beautifully tasty. I am drinking raw milk now (for 2 years after the break of 12 years - thanks to God, my friend Eef and Aajonus!), I feel myself perfectly healthy, I look good, I got my teenage perfect skin tone back. My kids are drinking milk as well. My 2 years old daughter drinks only raw milk with raw butter and raw honey - and she is fine too. Yes, my mother are healthy too and she never been in the hospital and never had any disease. But she is always saying that she wants to go back to the village and live there - and one of the reasons is that she want to eat this extremely healthy and very tasty food again - raw milk and raw everything that they usually have - the people who didn't forget the natural life style who live in balance with God and Mother Nature.

Healthfully,
Zana K.

Raw milk assists with energy and mental clarity.

I drink raw milk because it is a complete (whole) food, and
pasteurized milk is not.  Nature has designed raw milk in
such away that it will protect me from toxins.  My health
has been bolstered ever since I decided to drink raw milk,
and the impacts are not only noticeable on a physical level,
but also a mental level.  I am able to execute my days
activities with energy and clarity, mainly from the vitality
that raw milk provides me.  Before, consuming raw milk I
lead a very sluggish life.

Ricardo A.
Phoenix, Arizona

Vital information about keeping raw milk available...

Learn the science behind why AB 1735 is well-intentioned but misguided. Learn how to defend our right to choose raw milk as a healthy food.
Also - tell us your story about why you drink raw milk. Put it on the blog and email your raw milk story to mystory@saverawmilk.org.

We have a poet with us, who is on the raw food diet!

She is contributing her poem entitled:

Love Feels Hurt Too

Love cannot be controlled

Love cannot be bought

Love cannot be sold

Love cannot be manipulated

Love cannot be duplicated

And Love cannot be created by Spirit

Love is Love

Love cannot be anointed

Or be appointed

As protection from fear

Protection from pain

Love does not exist for Personal Gain

Love seems to live in the shadows of Poems and Songs

And Love on this Planet always tries to find where Love belongs

For Love sees that so many many Hearts are Closed

So even Love has discovered

And knows

That this is not a Place that is warm

A Place where Love can find a Home

For this is a Place where Mortals seem to Believe

That Love gets Lost

and Love does Leave........

deena karabell copyright 2005

Gypsy has done well with the Primal Diet...

Dear Aajonus,

my name is Gypsy Taub. I am a TV host and media activist in the Bay Area.

First of all, I would like to thank you for saving my life. I read your book on the Big Island of Hawaii when I was told that I most likely had cervical cancer. I refused the invasive diagnostic procedures that were offered do me by the hack doctors that hack your body parts off and call it a cure. They wanted to chop off half of my cervix just to see if I had cancer. So I said: "Thanks, but, no thanks!" Instead I started looking for a natural cure and found your book. I started eating a lot of raw foods and drinking a lot of raw milk. Within months the problem was gone. I can’t thank you enough! I feel that the best thing I can do to express my gratitude is to inform other people about your book.

Needless to say that I was mad to hear about the legislation against raw milk. I am familiar with the CODEX scam that the WTO is pulling on the whole world where they banned vitamins and supplements and made them prescription drugs. I remember how they were taken to court in Europe and lost the case, and since CAFTA was met with enourmous opposition in the US CAFTA was sort of abandoned (as far as I am aware), and CAFTA was supposed to be a tool to implement CODEX. So CODEX was averted for the time being. I am well aware of the conspiracy by the pharmaceutical industry to eradicate alternative medicine especially now when so many people are waking up and choosing alternative medicine.

Raw food lover asking you to get in touch about where to live...

I am summarizing an entry from DD looking for a better life with more abundant raw food.
She is looking for sources of good food including raw dairy products in the area of Miami Florida.
She is considering living in areas that interest her AND have the necessary raw dairy products
(milk, cream, butter, eggs...). This could include Southern Californa, certain communities in Mexico (nearest Puerta Vallarta) or NYC . She would like to hear from anyone who cares to communicate about the above or other locations where the raw food diet, specifically the Primal Diet, can easily be followed. You may contact her directly at deniman@hotmail.com or make comments on this blog.

How can one take part in making raw milk available?

I gave an incorrect link regarding questions about raw milk, the following is being posted: How can we regain our right to choose raw dairy? Simply, we help educate those around us about our need to make raw milk available, and persistently demand from our public officials that we have the freedom to choose the healthy foods that we want and need. Being tenacious will assure that we will probably succeed. When we changed that law in Los Angeles County, every lawyer and politician told us it was against all odds. We were tenacious for 3 years and we succeded where others had failed for 30 years. The key was having the proper information presented simply, articulately and concisely. All of the documents we used to change the laws can be found on this site in chronological order under Resources, Supplemental Report In Favor Of Raw Milk.

Stronger and healthier... on the Primal Diet

Man..... or should I say woman..... you look like you are back among the living now. I am very, very happy to see that. You look stronger and healthier than in a long time. Good pixs. Be sure to put these on your web site and get rid of all of the old ones you have anywhere unless you just want a few as a reminder of where you have come from.

Love you....Pop

It was a delightful experience for me to read "Primal Diet"

I recommended both books to one of my patients and she immediately asked me to order them. It was a delightful experience for me to read "Primal Diet". Rarest occasion: I agreed with each word of the book. I did not speak with Dr. Vonderplanitz yet, but in my thoughts I am immensely grateful to him. Such a powerful weapon!
Dr. Victor G., Brooklyn, N.Y. Medical Biochemist and your friend (in latest edition of Who Is Who in America)

Giving the Primal Diet credit in arresting the cancer

In this last recent visit September 2007 at the Bio-Medical Center in Mexico, based on the X-Ray, they saw some positive progress!
The medical doctor there explained to me that the X-Ray is not nearly as sensitive a tool as is a cat scan or MRI so it was not possible to see shrinkage in the cancerous tumors on and in the
spine, the competence of the Mexican radiologist notwithstanding. However, they did see a 2 centimeter shrinkage in the biggest of the benign fibroid tumors. For the medical doctor, radiologist and oncologist there, that's a fairly good shrinkage. In their experience this was a possible sign of positive response in that this shrinkage usually goes along with or precedes shrinkage in the actual cancer. That, plus the fact that the blood tests over the last few visits have held steady, and in particular the immunoglobulin levels. These are the rogue white blood cells being generated by the cancerous bone marrow, which don't really defend you like the real ones do. An increase in immunoglobulin levels would show more tumor burden and vice versa. In my case, the immunoglobulin levels have been decreasing ever so slightly over the last few tests.
And the clincher: they want to see me 6 months from now instead of in 3 months, glory hallelujah! They also requested I get a new MRI done just before I go there again, and bring it along, for another comparison with the original. By then, this would make them a year
and a half apart. I will request an MRI at the Los Angeles hospital, and also request to see both MRI's myself along with the oncologist locally, and see what he has to say about them, even before bringing the new one down to Mexico.
By indications so far, I have not really been giving the natural methods I have used, and particularly the primal diet, the credit they apparently so richly deserve, even if only in arresting the cancer. Of course we read about natural miracles in books and hear about them in testimonials (and more testimonials ) but in some sense they have had an unreality for me, and a status almost like "toys", as far as their workability is concerned.
However I continued to use those same testimonials to bolster myself up, the ones that always sound so good when it's happening to someone else. You might chalk up some of my dissenting skepticism perhaps to my parents who always staunchly support the medical establishment, plus my lack of experience with natural remedies in a situation where it really matters. Also I have tended a bit to blot out any losses in the medical field with cancer patients (some of
them very close to me), to say nothing of having been told explicitly that no medical cure is available for people with multiple myeloma. And as the grass is always greener, I even started
playing with the fictitious idea of attributing magical powers to the medical establishment, which they admittedly do not have with all types of cancer. Also, why give myself too much hope and have it prove out to be wrong? So I had a pretty good little thing going between unabashed confidence and the lack of it, meanwhile always following the directions I had, and going for a full and complete return to health, and gearing myself up mentally to make it so!
It should be said that the Biomedical Center gives you dietary guidelines to follow. I went over this with them, but I chose the Primal Diet instead, and—in retrospect—I am Soooooooooooo glad I did. The diet given at the Biomedical Center is primarily grain and veggie based. The Primal Diet (all raw) includes meat and dairy, and is so rich in nutrition, and has felt so rejuvenating. I have been able to stay within the Bio Medical Center's guidelines, in terms of
no white flour/white sugar, processed foods, and other prohibited foods as well. However I felt very lucky to have the best of all possible worlds with the Primal Diet, and I feel that that one
factor is what kept me from reaping the consequences of expanding tumors that I was warned about, within the first 6 months of treatment. They know (and understand) that I am not taking any of the vitamin and mineral supplements they suggested. Congratulations must go to to Aajonus Vonderplanitz for the research that led to the Primal Diet, since my remarkable results are largely a credit to that diet.
I would be terribly remiss not to say that as a Scientologist I was getting spiritual help from my church, mostly through my husband. I feel there is no substitute for a good spiritual approach, for any of us who seek values and triumphs in that way.
So there it is from the horse's mouth.

Barbara

The cancer is not be spreading - is the raw food diet guiding us through the storm?

The 2nd visit to Mexico last December was a living nightmare. This is where they made the first comparison between what was diagnosed originally in September 2006 and what they were looking at now 3 months later. Whereas in September 2006 I had about 3 liver enzymes
that were somewhat high, in December I had about 8 of them out the roof, so much so that they were concerned either that I also had hepatitis (I understand it's not a great idea to have cancer and hepatitis at the same time), or that the cancer had now metastasized to the liver. In addition the doctor said I was anemic. I had other bad points (who can even remember the litany of test results he rattled off to me) and also I had a full blown kidney/bladder infection. Since they already had a sample of my blood, I gave the go-ahead for a hepatitis panel. The doctor said he'd call me in a few days when the results came back. Then he reiterated the usual disclaimers that this may not go away at all, etc. After a few hours of near retching and near fainting with my knees buckling under me, my husband helped me to make it on the shuttle and back to the hotel north of the border. While I normally don't watch television, in this case it performed its function admirably--a form of "dull-a-bye-baby" even better than the drugs I continued not to take
during that time period. When I woke up the next morning, I could say "it's a new day" and life did just what it does sometimes, by carrying on without me until I stepped on to the playing field once again. The doctor did call from Mexico a few days later to say that I had no hepatitis. An ultra sound done at the local hospital later, revealed no metastasis to the liver, or other internal organs, such as kidney, bladder, spleen, etc. We were still functioning on the good news that the cancer had not spread or gotten bigger in 3 months, so hope was once more on the horizon.
The following March for whatever reason I was once again back in pain and in the wheel chair. The cancer was still not spreading, so I asked "what gives"? My hospital doctor's evaluation after re-examining the original MRI, was that the architecture of the spinal bones was so compromised, that any shift in movement could cause that phenomenon. Their physical therapist at the hospital (all in Los Angeles) gave me some exercises that might help to build
muscle, and warned against sneezing or coughing (or try to do so with support at the back and a pillow in front), as that could precipitate a spinal fracture which would be problematic. He said
this was not theoretical, but that this type of thing had actually happened.
Subsequent visits to Mexico (after that extreme low point in December) were relatively calmer. Liver enzymes went lower, and other things in their tests seemed to be going more toward normal ranges though not by much. In a way, every visit seemed to be much
like the previous ones: all is holding steady, but no positive progress, such as bone regeneration as yet. So I learned to be grateful for the fact that the cancer still wasn't spreading. More
and more, it began to seem like the true miracle that it really and factually was! I came to accept the fact that the doctors at the Bio-Medical center in Mexico would want to see me every 3 months for some time, while they kept looking for "positive progress" without finding any. I learned to accept the fact that it might take a while to reverse the cancer, since after all, these were all natural methods...all this, while I continued eating the primal diet exclusively, and the recommended herbs. I was determined to hold the confidence I had originally in what I was doing, and also in the fact that I felt (after reading approximately 30 books and even more
articles on cancer) that I was partaking in the best treatment possible in this situation--again without getting too exotic with other things that hadn't been statistically proven nor specifically
recommended by either my nutritionist, Aajonus, or the Bio-Medical Center doctors, unless I knew that what I was doing was definitely not working or that more was needed. Also, I felt there was some sense to not flying off in all directions and doing a little of everything, for who knows what benefit. And there is always good sense in putting one's most positive face forward and trying to reassure everyone, as well as reassuring myself.

This part of the story gives the cancer details and initial actions taken.

As soon as I could, I saw Aajonus for an exam and specific diet plan, got my medical records out of the hospital in Los Angeles including the x-rays they took at first, the CT scan and MRI, plus copies of the contents of my medical file, and within a few days my husband and I were off to Mexico to get the herbs.
I will quote some of those medical file reports dated 9/2/06:
"multiple spinal metastases. Unknown primary cancer. There is complete replacement of the sacrum especially the upper portion by a probable neoplastic process. Large fibroid uterus" (this one in the uterus is a benign, meaning a non-malignant tumor) "measuring 8.8 cm in diameter for the dominant fibroid. There is also involvement of various vertebral bodies by this metastatic process. Please see MRI for additional information on vertebral body metastases."
The doctor at the hospital showed me the MRI on his lap-top computer. I didn't know to look for a sacrum that should have been there, but the doctor did point out that same large tumor covering the first 3 lower vertebrae. There were masses, lesions and damage everywhere on the spine. The 2nd largest tumor was at the top of the spine, at the base of the skull. As for the main large non-malignant fibroid, it was oval in shape, and quite large.
In addition to the first visit to Mexico, my husband has taken me back to visit the Bio-Medical Center every 3 months since September of '06. Their usual tests have been blood, urine and X-Rays, in addition to the original X-Ray, cat scan and MRI which I brought with me on my first trip there. I have likewise seen the local hospital oncologist locally every 3 months, usually just before each trip to Mexico. He knows I don't want chemotherapy, since it is known not to have much success with the type of cancer they think I have. (In the absence of a biopsy, I was told that my most likely type of cancer was multiple myeloma). The oncologist said that multiple myeloma could be monitored with blood tests alone, so mercifully I did not have to keep doing more cat scans and MRI's beyond the first ones. The advantage of having the X-rays done in Mexico is that they don't give you a lot of radiation (they give much less than cat scans), and also the radiologist in Mexico is able to see what he needs to see from these, namely spread or shrinkage, indications of new bone growing
etc. By the way, the Bio-Medical Center is not your "mom and pop" herb shop--they have medical doctors, a radiologist and oncologist, and lab technicians, and the full support staff that they need.
In that first visit to Mexico, the medical doctor there advised me to get radiation on the lower tumor, so it wouldn't expand any further. That one expanding could have resulted in loss of bladder control, bowel control and the function of the left leg entirely. I was told that the herbs might not be of help right away because it usually takes 3-6 months for them to level in the blood stream to be able to have any effect on the tumor. I had already partially lost bladder control, and my head had developed an involuntary "shake" that was perceptible to me but not to others, so what the doctor said was not out of line as far as I could see. Also, the MRI showed
the cancer in the bone marrow, with the spinal nerves nearby or next in the line of attack, so to say. Back at home, Aajonus, based on his experience with himself and others, thought that radiation was not a good idea. Plus the local hospital doctors wouldn't order radiation (or any treatment) without a biopsy, so there I was between the proverbial rock and the hard place. If ever I wanted to go in to training to develop what might remotely resemble a few
nerves of steel, now was the time...
I did not get any radiation. I continued with the primal diet and I started taking the herbs, and continued with life, seeing family and friends, writing poetry and (oh my gosh) trying to figure out our taxes. None of the bad consequences ever materialized. Around October through December I was developing more mobility, and was feeling much better than I expected (the diet being especially rejuvenating). I could walk, drive the car, and care for myself mostly. With the bold confidence of the truly naive, at that point I even figured the cancer would be gone in a few months, no problem.

A cancer survivor in-the-making gives us her story

This was sent to me by Barbara - the same lady whose photo was taken as she strangles the cancer monstor, at the bottom of the home page of www.wewant2live.com. It is being presented in four parts.

First let me give the usual and appropriate disclaimers that I am not qualified to give medical advice of any sort.

Anyone with diagnosed cancer should seek competent medical help or as they so choose.

What I am relaying is my own story only. It goes without saying that it is up to anyone with an illness to become informed, ask any questions and make the best choices for him or herself. There are resources available for information and help, a few of which are known to me. If my story gives any hope or incentive to another person with cancer, then it will have been worthwhile to assemble what's written here, with much personal information about myself, and send it along to you.

Also nothing I am saying should be construed to mean that I am against all medical treatment for all situations, because that would not be true. A combination of two circumstances namely, no medical cure in sight for what I had, and my inclination to favor natural treatments first, steered me in the direction of choosing the holistic route as the sole source of treatment for myself at the outset. I figured if medical treatment options came along later that might prove successful, I could always use them in addition to, or instead of what I was doing. And I continued paying monthly health insurance premiums, since I knew I might need doctors and other hospital/medical resources, come what may.

During the Labor Day weekend of 2006, I was told at a hospital in Los Angeles, that the reason I couldn't walk was because I had advanced spinal cancer. This was after an MRI and CT scan were done. The doctor told me that the cancer had most likely metastasized (spread) from some primary source, but they did not know from where, since these same tests showed that the internal organs were apparently "clean". Since it was Labor Day and they had a skeleton crew, I was sent home to call in and schedule a biopsy, so that they could take a tissue sample and determine the primary source. I was also told to schedule radiation--not that this would cure me, but it could possibly cause the largest tumor at the base of the spine to shrink some. The first thing I did after I was gotten home (with the help of crutches and a walker), was to get internet data on biopsies. According to what I read, the risk of causing the cancer to spread by dragging known malignant tissue from the spine through the body, was not worth knowing what the primary source of the cancer was, without exhausting other methods first.

I then called a nutritionist Aajonus Vonderplanitz as he was already familiar to me. He had dealt with cancer patients, including his own situation which was over 30 years earlier. I had seen Aajonus about 6-7 years earlier. I went on the primal diet then for a year, and had a big resurgence in health, since I was finally able to handle insomnia and get good sleep and heal. Then I figured I didn't need it anymore since I was now "healthy", so I went off the primal diet--big mistake. In our Sept 06 visit, Aajonus agreed with my internet research that doing a biopsy first might not be advisable, plus it might not be necessary in order to start treatment. I know that holistic practitioners tend to view cancer as a whole body disease, as opposed to a disease of one or more particular organs. There is certainly no harm in starting to treat the whole body. He then proceeded to give me a diet plan to follow of all raw foods, at least until I could see him for some non-invasive testing called iridology, which is an examination of the irises of both eyes. He also recommended certain herbs that were non-toxic, and told me where in Mexico I could get these herbal preparations. The main herbal tonic is based on Harry Hoxsey's formula, and the clinic is called the Bio-Medical Center. It is located in Tijuana.

Thanks Nathan for your Primal Diet and Amish farm experiences!

More about Nathan!

I am satisfied with the Primal Diet - experimenting and refining...

Epilogue

It has been nearly 2 years since I first wrote the Amish Diaries. I prepared this for blog publication while sitting in an open air kitchen in the middle of the jungle on the Big Island of Hawaii (where this photo was taken), typing and editing the last of The Amish Diaries. I am wondering how successful it is going to be and if people are going to find it interesting. I think about how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.

I am still friends with Albert and talk with him regularly. Because of my experience living with him, I fell into becoming his “broker” and was able to get him some large accounts. He is now busier than ever and is sending his products all over the United States and even into other countries. However, he has had many close calls. The PDA (Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, I like to call them the PDA-Holes) is well aware of his and other Amish and Mennonite activities and have tried to shut him down numerous times. Luckily, the PDA is so inept and unorganized that simply by Albert asking the PDA inspector for his identification when he comes to his farm is enough to confuse and set them back for months. Also, Aajonus Vonderplanitz and The Right to Choose Healthy Foods organization have been instrumental in helping Albert prepare legal documents, assist him with court cases and most importantly, simply know his rights. It has truly been a pleasure and a learning experience to watch the legal savvy of Aajonus in action. Without his love, knowledge and countless hours he has donated, Albert and many others, would have been shut down a long time ago.

As always I am still constantly experimenting with and refining my diet. Living with Albert was a powerful transition point for me from a Weston Price diet to an Aajonus Vonderplanitz Primal Diet. So far I am very satisfied with Aajonus’s diet and recommendations. After years of being fooled by unhealthy looking false gurus, I feel I have finally found a friend and a teacher who, frankly, knows what the fuck he is talking about. I have a home in Los Angeles right by the local Primal Diet style raw foods co-op and have been able to integrate myself in the community there. Having that resource of hundreds of people who are doing the same “weird” diet as me has been integral in my healing. I regularly correspond with Aajonus. As the months go by I find my respect and love for him grows. He is always very kind and humble and continually inspires me to learn more about the world around me. I credit him with saving my life and I will always be thankful for his tireless efforts to learn what makes us healthy.

I am submitting this blog while living at Pangaia, a permaculture and raw food community on the Big Island of Hawaii with about 8 other people. Pangaia is offering me the chance to get truly “primal”. I have gone spear fishing, wild boar hunting, slaughtered goats and drank the fresh blood. I believe that I will never know the true power of food unless I find the best quality available, Pangaia is offering me that chance. I have found that everything people say can kill me actually makes me stronger. I have eaten 1 year old rotten meat, pig intestines, brains, raw organs, fresh blood, feces and I haven’t died yet. It is a constant effort to undue years of brainwashing and force myself to be open to eating things which, for lack of a better term, are revolting. However, if there is one thing that I have learned, it is that when it comes to my health, it is usually the last thing I want to do or the thing that I am most adverse to, that ends up being what my body needs to heal. The fact that thousands of others have blazed the trail before me, and that I am not the first raw astronaut, offers some hope and comfort.

Living experience on a raw food farm - acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

First and foremost I would like to thank Albert, his family and all the other Amish I hung out with who helped bridge the Amish/English cultural gap by allowing me, a raw meat eating, eccentric surfer from California into their homes and lives. I would like to thank my Mom, Dad and brother for putting up with my new choice of lifestyle once I came back from the Amish. I know raw chicken, 8 month old rotten buffalo meat and the multitude of scary and smelly jars that cluttered our house and refrigerators took some getting used to and I want you to know that without your love and support, it would have not been possible. Diane O’Connell for her continued love, support and help in editing the book. Mary Beth Clark and her son Mathew for being my kindred raw spirits, and motivating me to get it published. Manis and everyone at Pangaia for providing a loving raw food community for me to live, work and experiment at. James Steward and everyone at the Rawesome Co-op for providing a place for me to sell my book and by creating an epicenter of health and community. My current success with my diet would not have been possible without the Rawesome Co-op. Weston Price Foundation and Sally Fallon for getting me started on the path towards health and activism and for supporting so many local farmers. The Right To Choose Healthy Food Foundation for their activism and support of local farmers. Aajonus Vonderplanitz, my good friend and raw food compadre. I credit you with saving my life. Your attitude and love for the truth is a continual inspiration for me and I look forward to growing together in the future. Finally, I would like to thank all of the “astronauts” out there. Those people who are willing to dietarily boldly go where no one has gone before. When friends and family have turned their backs and said you were crazy and that eating raw pork, pig intestines, trichonosis, rotten meat, rat lung worm, brains, mongoose, baby mice was going to kill you, you still pushed forward because you needed to know the truth. Your persistence and dedication has helped thousands of people to get healthy. I hope all of the raw foodists realize that most of them would never have transitioned to a raw diet if it wasn’t for the pioneers who had tested the waters by eating things i.e. raw fish, raw dairy that at the time, were considered extremely dangerous and crazy. I have learned that the biggest obstacle to my health is my own prejudices and close-mindedness and I implore the raw food community to support scientific, unbiased and unorthodox research. You raw pioneers truly understand me and are my kindred spirits and I thank you for your inspiration. Everyone lives, some of us die trying.

And I would like to thank Mary Jo for editing and support. I would like to thank Jim Ellingson for his tireless efforts in getting my first book online and for believing in me."
Preface

So how does a “never worked a day in his life” white boy from the suburbs of Dallas, Texas end up living with a raw milk bootlegging Amish family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania? To put it simply, the common love of good food.

I first met Albert at a Weston Price conference in Long Island, New York. I was volunteering for the event and one of the event organizers, a kindly old man named Harry was allowing me to spend the night with him. Albert as well as another Amish named Mathew Fischer were selling their wares at the event and needed a place to stay. So Harry invited them to stay the night also and we had a big sleep over party.

It was the next day that I truly began to fall in love with the idea of living with Albert. His booth was a veritable buffet of life. Cheeses, yogurt, eggnog, creams, eggs, breads, kvass. This was the first time in my life where I was truly able to eat anything I wanted without fear of ill consequences. I remember eating a cup of one of his homemade egg-nogs, then being so overcome by the flavor and nutrition that I asked for 2 more. The more I ate the better I felt (usually the more I ate, the worse I felt with food). My stomach was bulging but I was fat, happy and felt no pain. I was starting to believe that I found the answer, that I could actually feel good for once in my life. Years and years of praying to God to make me better were finally coming true. Then it hit me, I was graduating cooking school in a couple of months and I was required to do an internship. Why not ask Albert? He agreed immediately and that is how The Amish Diaries began.

What follows is nearly the exact transcription of my diary entries of living with Albert from December 13, 2004 to January 14, 2005. If it was up to me, I would have left it exactly as I had written it. However due to reasons of clarity I have been advised to do some minor edits, add foot notes and an index of names. Also, names and places have been changed in order to protect Albert and the other people mentioned in the book. As you will find out, the Amish are a private people and I wish to respect that. Besides what I have mentioned, everything that you are about to read is exactly as I have written it. It is my intention to preserve the soul and “rawness” of my experience and have the reader be able to experience the excitement and newness just as I was experiencing it.

There are many reasons I wrote The Amish Diaries. I wanted to bring to light the extraordinary struggles that ordinary people go through in order to make healing food available to the masses. In this day and age, nutrient-dense food is a luxury and not a right and I want readers to see that without the continued efforts of people like Aajonus Vonderplanitz, Sally Fallon, Albert and many others, their access to healthy food will be become more and more restricted. To this day, Amish Farmers are still being illegally harassed by the PDA and other government organizations and whether it keeps happening or not is up to you. You the reader must not expect others to do it for you, or as the old story goes, once everyone else is gone, no one will be left to stand for you.

I also wanted to share the journey that I went through as I was figuring out “which diet is right for me”. I often tell my friends and clients who are in the process of changing their diets that they need to be aware of how big a shift they are making in their lives. Friends, habits, lifestyles, living situations and relationships will all be drastically affected, for better and for worse, simply by changing what we put in our bodies. The public is generally not aware of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual pain that people like myself and others must go through when we change our diet. We don’t do it because it is a fad or we are [hypochondriacs]; we do it because we must in order to live. There is an intense amount of self-reflecting that goes one. A continual building up and breaking down of the ego that must be done in order to rid oneself of the self-imposed mental barriers that much of the time are the real cause of our unhealthiness. I want others to see that they are not alone and it is normal for these feelings and situations to happen. If my suffering can help a few people transition easier in their diet, then I am doing something right. It has been said that it is easier to change ones religion than one’s diet and in my experience this has been true.

I hope you enjoy The Amish Diaries as much as I did writing them. When you have finished reading please check out Right To Choose Healthy Foods [an organization set up by my good friend Aajonus Vonderplanitz, that fights for us to get the foods we need to be healthy] and make a generous contribution. .

Living experience on a raw food farm - memories of the Amish

Day 33 1/14/05

A cheerful light skinned, plump, black man just walked into the train car. He announced, “Tickassss Out! Take ya ‘tam!” I asked, “How ya doin?” He said, “Fine, sounds like the train’s fawlling apaaaart.” The train was making a lot of noise. I said goodbye to everyone today. I didn’t stop to say bye to Elizabeth, Naomi, Peter or Susan. The driver was ready and I felt bad making him wait. I shouldn’t have felt bad, I should have said goodbye. I played a final best 2 out of 3 in Ping-Pong with George. He beat me both times. He is the official “Grass Fed Farm Ping-Pong Champion.” He is the “Organic Ping-Pong Champion.” I told him that I am going to come back and surprise him one day and ask for a rematch. I want to catch him off guard so I might have an advantage. I’m going to miss them, not in a huge way. Enough to make me think fondly of them. I’m sitting on a train with all of these English. I feel different, even more different from them now. I don’t want this feeling to end. I only want it to grow stronger. I don’t want to watch TV, radio, music or movies. I don’t want to want to do those things¹. I think of all the years that I’ve wasted watching TV with my family. We could have been out taking a walk, throwing the Frisbee, talking, creating memories. I feel angry at a society that has taken this from me. It has warped the minds of the people I love, destroyed their health, cheapened our relationships. I don’t know how to feel or who to be angry at. I just want everything to be okay. I want my family to be okay. I want my dad to not die soon and have his health². I want him and my mom to make money and feel secure. I want them to have occupations that are meaningful and help people. I want them to be fulfilled. I want to have a loving relationship with my brother. I want him to love me and want to spend time with me. I want to make my parents happy and proud of me. I want to make money doing something that I love and that helps people. I want to surf, in warm waters, really, really well. I don’t know how many of these things are going to come to pass. I’ve been finding out that generally, what I feel, comes to pass. Half of me is confident and filled with purpose, the other half is scared, timid and has low self-esteem. Am I going to make money? Am I going to have to go to another school and learn more? Am I going to have to learn about astrology and start doing that? Am I going to have to start eating raw food all the time? I don’t want to be anything else. Massage therapist, Nutritionist, Chef, Astrologer. I just want to be Nate, surf and help people. The train just passed a parking lot where I saw a kid doing BMX jumps.

1 That feeling still remains, but the willpower doesn’t! I fell right back into my own habits as soon as I got back home. Society is just too addictive for me.

2 Several years before that, my dad almost died in the hospital from a “heart infection”. The doctors had to saw through his chest and replace part of his heart with a pig’s. The doctors said that he probably got the infection from flying on a plane. I do not agree with their theory. I have eaten raw chicken brains, poop, raw meat, raw dairy and 5 month of buffalo kept in a glass jar on my stairwell at room temperature since I was at that Amish farm. I have not died and have only gotten stronger because of it. I know hundreds of people who eat that same food and they are healthy. How could “some bacteria on a plane” have almost killed my dad, if I eat bacteria and pathogenic-laden food every day and feel great! No one has been able to answer that for me yet. Healing my father has been one of the driving forces behind my quest for health.

Living experience on a raw food farm

Day 32 1/13/05

I’m hanging out with Albert and Marie right now. Lucy and Lisa are asleep on the couch. The wind is howling outside. The chimes are chiming. Albert is using my cell phone. I let him use it so we could hang out instead of him going to the phone outside. I hope I’m not being a bad influence. It’s fun though, to be a bad influence. Marie and I are eavesdropping on what people are saying. Some customers are bitching, others are just leaving orders. It was really warm and windy today. Extremely warm and foggy. Albert complimented me today. He said that the Amish made me a farmer and a Dutchman. I liked that. Cultured Bloodered Milk is a funny name.

Living experience on a raw food farm

Day 31 1/12/05

I woke up at 5:00 am this morning. I got picked up at 6:00 am to be taken to Christian Ackerman's to butcher a pig. The driver almost left without me. Peter didn’t know I was getting picked up and told her it was the wrong house. I had to run after her. She was fat and pimply. It was still dark out and extremely foggy. We started talking about the Amish. She drives a lot of them around. She thought I might be Amish. She found it surprising that I was able to live with them and they let me. She asked if they have running water or take showers much. I said, “Yes, they do take showers.” She said, “They smell a lot of the time when she drives them.” She asked, “Is it going to be hard for you to butcher a pig?” I said, “Not really.” She said that she doesn’t eat too much meat and that whenever she does she usually feels gross and will stay away from it for months. She doesn’t eat read meat, eats a little chicken, fish and usually turkey. I asked her if she feels good when she eats organic grass-fed meat. She didn’t know what that was. I explained to her what they did to cows in factory farms. She said, “That’s mean.” Christian I met at the conference a week ago. He’s a young guy, about 23. He has a wife, two kids and a whole farm to take care of. I ate breakfast with him and he made some eggnog with coconut kefir. I thought it was funny and neat that this Amish guy knew about and liked coconut kefir. Breakfast was good. We went to the butcher shop. I helped out his brother Michael in the barn a little bit, sweeping the hay etc. Christian has 15 Jersey cows. One has a crooked face. They killed about 2-3 pigs yesterday. They were Homer’s and he was going to come by and help today. I spent a couple of hours cutting them up. I talked with Christian a lot about Weston Price, Amish and English, etc. He said he used to have his own construction business and had a cell phone. He said he needed the cell phone in order to run a successful business but he is glad that he doesn’t have to have it anymore. He said it would never stop ringing and he felt that the radiation caused cancer. He had a friend who used to always chew on the antenna and ended up getting a blister on the inside of his lip. He talked about how the Amish aren’t perfect like everyone thinks and how they are human too. It was a good time. Michael, his brother, is 15. He was making beef jerky and gave me some. Christian had a bite and said, “Hmmmmm, RAW” It was funny, like a Raw Meat Commercial. They used whole garlic, whole onion and naturally fermented soy sauce. It was good. I cut up the pig into different sections for scrapple, bacon and sausage. I was working on grinding up the lard in a meat grinder and Homer came in with his son Andrew. Andrew was crying a lot. Later as we were cutting up pork, Andrew would take the bone and eat the raw meat off the bone like it was nothing. Homer said they gave Andrew raw meat every once in a while and he loves it. I thought that was great. They don’t like giving him raw pork though.¹ We took some of the cooked bones and some organs out of the wood-fire oven and I saw Andrew walking around munching on a liver. I hope my kids are like that. The kidneys were the delicacy that day. As soon as we took them out of the wood fire oven, everyone went after them. We added some salt and they tasted incredible. I felt really good, a little bit like when I eat a raw liver. We went to eat lunch, it was the best meal I’ve had since I’ve been here: extremely decadent spare ribs, tender and fatty beef, sweet potatoes cooked in cream and butter, peas and carrots, fermented salsa, cottage cheese, yogurt with raspberry sauce, milk and of course, butter. I showed them how it is possible to eat the spare rib bones if they are cooked long enough. They fell apart in my mouth. They tried it too and seemed to like it. It’s funny how a lot of these Amish people who are into the Weston Price stuff are open to just about anything, even raw meat. I feel I could get them to eat anything if I told them Sally or Aajonus said it was okay. I ate till I was stuffed. I still felt decently good. When we finished eating, we went back to the barn to make scrapple and sausage. Scrapple is pork scraps, organic lard and fermented grain (Christian does corn, wheat and oats with a kefir culture). I mixed it in the wood-fired kettle, it was great. I was addicted to Scrapple when I first came to live with Albert. I left with Homer Adams. We stopped to get some gas and Homer stepped out of the car. The driver turned around and said, “I’m trying to figure you out, are you Amish or what?” I told him, I was helping them out with some stuff. He told me how he thought they were weird cause they live like it’s the 1800’s. He said he drives a lot of them around. On the weekend, he’ll take a bunch of Amish girls to the beach and they will put on two-pieces. He said he’s had a couple over at his house swimming before. He said on weekends, there will sometimes be these huge Amish parties that 100 kids will go to. He said he used to have a 12 passenger van and the he would charge Amish kids $12 a pop to take them home. He said he would make $200 a night sometimes and would be up to 3 am. I stopped at Homer’s; he had his nephew drive me home in a carriage. He was about 12 years old². It was extremely foggy. It felt like a Disney land ride with fake fog. I already said what I ate today.

1 Sometimes, people have funny rationalizations. So raw beef and fish is okay, but raw pork? GROSS! I think people believe too much that they read. People freak out about salmonella in chicken, but maybe the salmon industry made that up to get people to eat more salmon. Then, the chicken industry retorted by creating the “mercury in salmon” theory. The chicken and salmon industries both attack the beef industry by saying that red meat is bad for cholesterol and the heart. But the beef industry counters by promoting the image, “Real men eat 10 oz steaks!” Beef, chicken and salmon all gang up on pork. The Pork industry needs to hire better PR people. “The other white meat”, just doesn’t cut it.

2 Many of the Amish that I was with, would give their children responsibility at young ages. For example, teach them how to drive horse and buggies before they were 12 years old. I like this way of parenting and felt it was more beneficial. Among the English, it’s like, “You are such a cute baby, look at the cute baby. We do everything for our baby.” Then the kid starts going through puberty and isn’t as cute anymore and the parents say, ‘Get a job! Get some responsibility!” The kid doesn’t know what to do because his parents never showed him how and he gets blamed for it. That is how it was for me. When I went to college, I didn’t even know how to do laundry. Parents need to take more responsibility.

Living experience on a raw food farm

Day 30 1/11/05

Hand hurts too much to write. I caught 200 chickens that were to be sold at an auction today. Luckily, I didn’t have to kill them. Peter told me we had to clean the entire hen house tonight of poop, it’s over 300 feet long. I was thinking “Uh-uh”. We didn’t finish it thank God. They will finish tomorrow when I am interning at Christian Ackerman’s. My hand fucking hurts and is sore. Breakfast was eggs, bacon, and fermented stuff. Lunch: chicken brains and eyes (all raw, brains taste surprisingly good, not a raw gross smell at all). Dinner was ham hock, mashed potatoes, peas and pickles.

Living experience on a raw food farm

Day 30 1/11/05

Hand hurts too much to write. I caught 200 chickens that were to be sold at an auction today. Luckily, I didn’t have to kill them. Peter told me we had to clean the entire hen house tonight of poop, it’s over 300 feet long. I was thinking “Uh-uh”. We didn’t finish it thank God. They will finish tomorrow when I am interning at Christian Ackerman’s. My hand fucking hurts and is sore. Breakfast was eggs, bacon, and fermented stuff. Lunch: chicken brains and eyes (all raw, brains taste surprisingly good, not a raw gross smell at all). Dinner was ham hock, mashed potatoes, peas and pickles.

Living experience on a raw food farm

Day 28 1/9/05

Lazy day. We woke up late. Too late. We started eating breakfast at 11 am. I took a nap afterwards, and then it was 2:30. I had to let the cows out. The day went by pretty quickly. It took me over an hour to write the diary entry from the previous day. Too tired to write it last night. I finally ate “intestines and contents” today from a turkey. I chose the turkey over the chicken because the turkey’s livers looked really good, almost dark purple. I figured the intestines would be good too then. The intestines weren’t too bad, the poop inside was pretty gross. I think it made me feel better. I’m pretty sure it did. I had a lot of energy. I think my liver felt better. Can’t wait to leave. Breakfast was raw unborn egg nog, cheese, hash browns and eggs. Lunch: eggnog, intestines and contents.

Living experience on a raw food farm

Day 27 1/8/05

We woke up around 5:30 am this morning. I was getting picked up by Homer at 6:30 am and I wanted to help out a little bit before I went. We were going to an 8 hour conference by this Mennonite Nurse named Melissa who was giving a lecture on Ten Steps Towards Super-Duper Health. She invited several of the Amish farmers to set up booths and sell their stuff. Albert wasn’t going to go, they were going spend the weekend at Albert’s sister’s. They couldn’t get a driver who was cheap enough. But at the last minute Albert decided to go to the conference too. Homer was late picking me up, Albert ended up taking me. Before he left, he was talking to Marie in her bedroom. She was crying and saying something in Penn. Dutch. We left and went to the conference. Melissa said there were going to be 150 people there. There were about 70. It was largely a mixture of Mennonites and Amish. Mennonites are like Amish Light or Diet Amish. They have to wear plain clothes like the Amish, but they can be light blue or have floral patterns though. The women have to wear white caps, and without the strings that the Amish women have. They can have cell phones and drive cars. They can get divorces only if they are “mistreated”. It is looked down upon if they re-marry though I think. They have to look really plain. On a whole from what I saw, they were usually fatter and were less eye-candy than the Amish. I helped Albert set up a little bit. We were set up right next to Futurorama Hearing Instrument Center. It seemed like a glorified hearing aide company. They had a sign which said they were voted best Hearing Instrument Company 2 years in a row by the main Lancaster Newspaper. They had this big sign up with a group photo of the 5 main people that worked there. It was 3 women and 2 men. They all had their names up there with letters after them. One or two of them had a B.S. and some other weird letters. My favorite one was “HIS” (Hearing Instrument Specialist). The three women were sort of attractive in a weird Lancaster, Pennsylvania way. One guy (the owner) was short, fat, had a widow’s peak and a round head. The other was giving this kind of sexy serious look - like if James Bond were a Hearing Instrument Specialist, he would look like him. The only letters after the “sexy look” guy’s name were “HIS”. I don’t think he had as much educational training as everyone else. One of the guys and one of the women were manning the booth. They were both the owners. The guy was the short, fat, widow peak one. He had this weird, nervous twitch when he wasn’t paying attention or thought people weren’t looking. He would blink a lot and shrug his shoulders. He was really going at it. Albert brought way too many boxes and coolers, he said he’s used to not having enough so he tried to bring extra this time. I went into the kitchen to help out. Sara, the bread lady was there with her husband Mervin who I hadn’t met. Abe Stoner and his wife Annie were there too. Abe Stoner is a dairy farmer who deals with a lot of Sally Fallon people. Homer Adams and Christian Ackerman were at the conference also. They were manning their booths in the main area. Peter Aeschelman and his wife Barbie (which seems to be a pretty popular Amish name) and ten year old daughter Sylvia came in. They are a freaky looking family. They look like the Adam’s family. Peter is super tall and gangly, with a big, long face and some missing teeth on the sides. He looks like an Amish Rob Zombie. He looks like he should have fangs and long yellow fingernails. His kid looks like Wednesday (Adams’s family), big pale face, red eyes, his wife is short with a skinny face and pale complexion. I have mixed feelings about Peter Aeschelman. I’ve heard from some Amish that he is kind of shady. They said he pasteurizes his yogurt before he makes it and still calls it raw. This is generally done to make it more creamy. He doesn’t produce dairy, only meat. He is kind of like Sally Fallon's Amish middle man. He buys products from people like Albert, Sara and Homer then resells them. I have mixed feelings about him. He’s really hardcore Amish. He has 11 kids (one reason his wife looks so worn out); he won’t go to Disney land again because it’s “owned by the gays”. He grabbed my arm pretty hard one time and ordered me around a little bit. He brought a lot of his “kvass,” which is a Russian addictive, naturally fermented soda (not organic or as healthy as people make it out to be) and was happily pouring it out to as many people as he could during lunch time. By the way, I was at the conference to help cook lunch. Maybe he’s just a good businessman. He’s also heading down to Florida in a couple of days to help one of his customers who distributes cream for him. His customer’s buildings got destroyed by the hurricane and he is going to go down there to help rebuild it. So I don’t know what to think of this guy. I’ve come to realize lately that I am a horrible judge of character. We were able to joke around a lot as the day went on. We made jokes, I told him to bring me back some sand when he goes to Florida and he said, “I’ll bring it back between my toes.” Maybe he’s good and bad. Working with all of them in the kitchen today made me not want to leave Pennsylvania. It was the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been here. We were cracking jokes the whole time. The kitchen had a pro-kitchen dishwasher, the kind where you put the dirty dishes on a tray, put it in the metal box and slide the walls down. They could not figure out how to turn it on and make it work. I figured it out, and every time they needed the dishes washed they would ask me to do it. They started joking about how, thank God I was there and how I am the best dishwasher ever. It was extremely easy to operate. All I had to do was put the dishes in and slide down the walls. It would then automatically turn on. I didn’t tell them this; I thought it was funny. When I finally told them how easy it was, we all laughed. There was a vitamin company called “SuperPepPills” there. The speaker Melissa was supporting and working for them. They had a machine called a bio-platonic machine which was supposed to measure the level of cartenoids (anti-oxidants) in your body and tell you your “body defense score”. Then depending how good your score was, the average was 20,000-25,000, they would tell you how much of their vitamins you needed to take. You put your hand on the machine and a blue laser would shine on it. I got 30,000. Ann the speaker had 44,000. The rest of the people in the kitchen ranged from 20,000 to 40,000. Homer Adams got 76,000. We were all joking about that. The people who were doing the test never saw a score that high before. He started selling them on the value of fermented vegetables and raw milk. The Amish and I loved that. If anyone could have gotten 76,000, it would have been Homer Adams. We told him that he scored so high that he was going to go back the other way now. That he was so healthy, that he is going to get sick. We couldn’t stop joking about that and how for breakfast he had six eggs, bread and as much butter as bread on it. The speaker, Melissa was introduced on stage by this fat, ugly, diabetic, extremely unhealthy Mennonite lady named Rita. She was talking about how much the vitamins had helped her and how much better she feels since working with Melissa. Again, another extremely unhealthy looking person in my life trying to tell me how to be healthy. WARNING! WARNING! I did not enjoy the speaker. She was a nurse who was really into Western Medicine and then went to a conference by Sally Fallon and started combining the two. She is like a combination of Sally Fallon, modern crap science, “Praise the Lord” and “You need supplements to be healthy.” She borrowed a lot from Sally, she even had some of her slides from her Weston Price slideshow. We kept making fun of her. We asked each other if we thought that someone needs vitamins to be healthy, we all said, “No”. We kept on saying, “Melissa, will get there soon.” We were also making fun of ourselves, saying, “If they’re not talking about grass-fed stuff, we don’t care.” I had a wonderful time. I ate a lot. I talked to Dorothy McCoy there. She’s English and is pretty heavily involved in the Weston Price Association. We talked about how she’s had Chronic Fatigue for 13 years and now it is getting worse. I related since I am tired all the time also. I asked her if she knew of Aajonus and would try the raw meat thing. She seemed grossed out by that. I wonder if that would help her¹. Albert was still acting a little weird today, off and on. We talked about the raw meat thing a little more. I explained it a little better. He even said that he might try it. We got the Jersey in her stall today, she kept on breaking free. She dragged me again a couple of times. I told Albert I should climb on top of the pipes and then grab her chain and hook her up. We didn’t do that. Instead, we got her squished in a stall with another cow, then we tied a string behind her on the two poles so she couldn’t get out. It worked.

1 I meet people like this all the time. They say they want to be healthy and will do anything to get it. What this usually means is that they will do anything to be healthy, as long as it fits into their comfort zone. The only solution for this is that the pain gets so bad, that they have to step outside their comfort zone or die. Even though they were dying they will still eat crappy food. It is easy for people to forget the pain they were in before. I know some people whose cancer was reversed by The Primal Diet.

Living experience on a raw food farm

Day 26 1/7/05

Tired, super tired, sore. Super tired and sore, super sore, sore. I woke up earlier, not necessarily early this morning. 6:00 am, we had to have a lot of packages out by 10:30. I had to get up earlier. I got out there, it was still dark. Peter was already in the barn cleaning the gutters (which is really a two man job) by himself. Every time I see him I always say, “HHHHHEEEEEEYYYYYYY!!!!” ... really loud and excitable. He likes it. He smiles and says, “HEY!” back. I help him clean the gutters. He puts the shovel in the gutters, lifts up the poop and starts pushing. I have a piece of hay-bale string, tied around the shovel. I grab both ends of the string, wrap them around my hands and elbows and walk backwards. Poop is heavy! I have to put my back into it. The ground is sometimes slippery with urine and poop, I have to watch my step. We start talking about different things. He says they might stop having the Organic Valley milk truck come to his farm, they are able to use enough of it for marketing directly to the public. That makes him happy. He says he really enjoys what he’s doing and they’re starting to make better money doing it. He says that he’s happy that he can make money doing what helps people. He says, “It’s really hard to pay off the farm.” They are barely paying back the interest right now. He says he can’t wait till he has the farm paid off so he can just worry about making good products¹. He said that he’s going to miss me... that it won’t be the same without me there. It really touched my heart. I told him that he needs to come visit me in California. He smiled at that. He said he hasn’t had a vacation in years. He has never seen the beach to the ocean before. I don’t think he knows what a dolphin is. I’d love to show him what a dolphin is. I’d love to win the lottery so I can pay off their farm and have them be able to produce grass-fed Jersey milk and meat for me for the rest of my life. They are really good people. We finished the cows, I ran over to where Albert was and began getting packages ready. I took a heaping tablespoon of high vitamin butter oil mixed with cod liver oil. I got a huge rush or energy and was bouncing around. The work was easy. We were late getting the packages out. The driver was getting impatient. Albert could sense this and felt bad. He tried to joke with him. Albert was packing an oxtail. He took it over to the driver and said, “Do you know what this is?” Driver said, “I can guess.” Albert started laughing and said, “I know what you think it is, you think it’s a penis!” It was really, extremely, funny to hear Albert say that at that time. I kept laughing as I was cutting the cheese. We finished the packing. I bottled some whey and went into the kitchen. I was talking with Elizabeth and Naomi (Yomo). Elizabeth said, “I heard you’re on a diet, who told me you’re on a diet?” Naomi asked if I was on the Aajonus raw food diet. I felt ashamed for some reason and I kind of brushed it off. I had to break down ten chickens into boneless and skinless parts. These were the same chickens that I caught, killed and gutted. Now I’m doing the final thing. I was sick and tired of chickens. I wanted to quit when I found out I had to do ten of them. I originally thought I only had to do four. Naomi showed me how to break the chicken into parts and cut the meat off. She said she used to work at a market. She’s really good and fast at that. She asked me what Aajonus’s diet was while were chatting. I told her it’s a lot of raw meat. She didn’t really say anything. I was eating a couple pieces of the raw chicken. I offered her some. She said, “No.” It didn’t really have a particular taste at all. I ate it and felt really charged and energized. I got really good at cutting the chickens up. Before I did the chickens, I played Naomi in Ping-Pong. She’s pretty good. She’s aggressive and impatient. She’s a red-head, she has a lot of fire in her. I was beating her and then started going easy on her near the end. She then beat me. I won 3 or 4 and she won 2 or 1. I played George next. He beat me 4 games to 1. I started beating him with this killer new serve I had. It bounced once on his side then would bounce diagonally. He was never prepared for it and I got him every time. I then used it so much, he caught on and then it didn’t work anymore. We had to chase pigs today. The smaller pigs were getting too big and needed to be moved under the chicken house with the bigger pigs. Chasing pigs is extremely difficult. They ran fast and if we tried to herd them one way they would go right around us. Good thing I ate that raw chicken, it gave me the energy I needed to chase them. Pigs are like the corvettes of the barn animal world; low to the ground, fast and able to make sharp turns. We had to yell stuff like, “HHHEEEYYY!” and “YAAAHHH!” and “GETTA’ IN THERE!” really loud and in deep, scary, scratchy voices so they would go where we wanted them to. One pig wouldn’t come in. We chased him all over the property. I dived and tried to get him, I missed but I touched him. We finally got him in. Albert was acting kind of weird towards me. Not talking or smiling too much. We went right into the barn after that. He was still acting weird. I had been suspecting it was the raw meat thing. I brought it up half-jokingly if he told Naomi and Elizabeth if I was doing the “Aajonus Diet”. He kind of laughed and slightly denied it. He then admitted it and touched me on my chest like when someone touches me on my shoulder. It felt like a caring touch. He was kind of looking down, sometimes smiled. I told him I wasn’t on his diet, I was just trying it for a day or two. He said that it was fine and it was okay for me to try that if I wanted to. It didn’t seem like he really meant it. I told him I want to cook for people to make them feel better. I said Aajonus cured himself of cancer and other diseases that he attributes towards eating raw meat. I told him I need to experience every diet so then if I need to cook for someone who is sick, I can help them. He understood that and said that it made sense. I said that people thought I was going to get sick that it was gross to drink raw milk, but now I know that raw dairy is healing because I have tried it. I would have liked to have experimented more diet-wise being here; his farm is definitely the place to do it. I don’t know if raw meat conflicts with his religious ideals or what. I could tell it made him uncomfortable. I didn’t want that to happen. When I brought it up, he said it was kind of funny that I decided to switch from Sally to Aajonus all of a sudden. He was laughing though. I believe everything is okay now. We were sweeping up the rest of the hay when Peter came and said there was someone to see Albert. He was a tall English (non-Amish) guy. Albert told me to go finish sweeping the hay. I started sweeping. I tried to listen in on the conversation. I heard things like “equity”, “I know you like raw milk but…”, “You’ve had your fun…”, “Bacteria…” “You guys are on thin ice.” He said that twice². Albert and Peter didn’t seem too happy. They finished talking and he left. Albert wasn’t talking much. I asked him a couple minutes later who that guy. He said, “He used to be the old organic certifier for Peter.” I asked him, “What he was there for, to say hi?” Albert said, “Yes.” We had to chase the six new Jerseys into their stalls. It was very difficult. It was their first time in a new barn. We had to fight to get them into their stalls. Once they were in the stalls, they didn’t know how to stand in there correctly. They would stand in the gutter and kick at me if I got too close. It felt like prison almost, and they were the new inmates. I could imagine the Holsteins yelling, “FIIISSSHHH!!, FIIISSSSHHH!!” It was funny. One Jersey would not go in, we kept fighting her. We would get her in the stall and she would then bust out and make a break for it. I would grab her chain as she came running by. I tried to slow her down and grab her neck like they do in rodeos. I didn’t slow her down at all. I was being dragged really fast and almost got slammed into other cows a couple of times. I felt like I was playing football and I tackled someone and they were dragging me towards the goal line. It was fun though. Albert was a man. He grabbed the Jersey’s tail and was twisting it to try to get her in the stall. I was too afraid to get kicked. He was a super farmer man. He was right up against the butt of the cow grabbing and pushing and yelling. He was very brave. That’s what a man is, someone who wrestles cows for a living. For breakfast I had raw veal cubes, eggnog and cheddar cheese. Lunch was a hodge-podge of sour creams ( piima, crème fraiche and sour) and raw chicken.

1 It is very difficult for an Amish farmer to make enough money to support himself. Albert says that Organic Valley would pay him $22 for a hundred weight of milk (100 lbs). 100 lbs. is about 8 gallons ($2.75 a gallon). Albert has 3 options. 1. If Albert feeds the cows mostly grain, they will produce 3-4 gallons a day. 2. Mostly grass with a little bit of grain, will be closer to 3 gallons. 3. If he feeds them only grass and hay, they will only produce 2-3 gallons a day. Albert has 50 cows. Option 1: He makes between $562-$750. Option 2: Around $562. Option 3: Around $375. As you can see, financially it makes far more sense to produce an unhealthier, grain-fed milk instead of a healthier part grain/part grass or grass only. Another note, once he pays for the cow feed, electricity and the hundreds of other miscellaneous things it takes to run a farm, he is making a very small profit. It is no wonder most family farmers never get out of debt and end up having to sell their farms.