Most people balk at being controlled. No one seems to like to be told what to eat, what to wear, or to be made to do things they do not want to do, yet, every day, we are subliminally subjected to all those demands and we willingly comply. We are provided with huge stores with shelves upon shelves of food. Most have little idea what is in the packages they purchase, but if it is in the store, it must be OK, right? Fashion is another societal dictate. We are shown fashions and whether we like them or not, eventually, because the stores only carry those fashions, we are brainwashed into accepting them and happily wear them. Without this constant change, the fashion industry would lose billions of dollars. After all, everyone must keep up? We discard perfectly wearable clothing that is "out of style" in favour of the only clothes we are offered in conglomerate stores. Long days gone by, people sewed their own clothing, but fashion dictates were still in place. And daily, we are herded to employ means of entertaining ourselves, rather than going out in nature or enjoying just being outside. Few in cities grow gardens, yet it has been demonstrated over and again, that the therapeutic effect of gardening is as good for us as the fresh organic food we can grow. In some areas of the world, growing a garden is illegal. So is harvesting rainwater. Are you beginning to see the broader picture?
A small farm such as the Fat Ewe is heavily regulated. The Canadian Food Inspection Association has demanded that all sheep and cattle, thus far, are tagged with a traceable radio frequency tag, so they know exactly who is producing food and where it goes. The farm has to be registered with a premise identification number just to purchase supplements, like sheep minerals so the government can trace exactly what is carried on at the farm. Refusal to tag means that the lambs can never go to a butcher shop and can never be transported in a vehicle. To transport sheep and cattle in Alberta, the animals require the radio frequency tag and a manifest, which is a document stating what is being transported, with the tag numbers listed. Animals cannot even go the auction without these measures in place. The governing body now wants ALL animals, including birds, tagged with the radio frequency tags. We, the farmers, are told that this will ensure traceability and if there is disease, they will immediately know where the animals were from.
This is hogwash. Absolute hogwash.
Technically I cannot sell lambs to the neighbour if he transports them in a trailer on a public road. Lambs sold for lawn control or weed control, not initially for food, must be tagged. A second tag is required, one that indicates the farm where they matured, if they are going to the auction.
Today, I tried to book a butcher date for the geese on the farm. The only place that was processing them has been forced to stop. They can process factory farmed geese, however, but not those living the life geese should live, running around free, eating bugs and grass and having a humane existence. Currently they are permitted to process only chickens and turkeys, but I wonder how long it will be before only factory farmed birds are processed and any free range are not allowed.
Folks, there is something going on. There is "something rotten in the state of Denmark" (Hamlet), or let's say in Alberta, but it is not just Alberta. Most of North America is falling under this control of food. Someone is behind this. Why would growing a garden or harvesting rainwater be illegal? Why would processing farm birds be banned? Why do we have shelves of food with GMO ingredients in boxes that are not labeled as such? Why is factory farmed food permitted and healthy food not? Who is demanding that we tag each and every animal on our farms? Who is demanding that we have a premise ID? and why do we have to provide our names and addresses to purchase minerals or oyster shells (to boost calcium for birds)?
I guess it is time to take a good hard look at my farm and what I want to do here. Obviously if I cannot get the geese processed in a government inspected facility, the farm is not permitted to sell it or serve it at the bed and breakfast. So, no geese? Will this soon apply to free range chickens as well?
I do not know the answers. I only know we are in deep trouble and somehow have to be able to produce our own food. In Russia, half of the produce is grown in gardens by the people. GMO foods are not permitted. Backyard chickens are encouraged. Should I move? What do you think is going on?