Topic: Organic Farming

Bill Lobey from Smyrna, Georgia, contributes $1,000 to the show, requesting a knighthood for his wife, Megan. She is dubbed Dame Ginger of the Bush, and the donation note highlights their local business, Neighbors Feed and Seed, and their involvement in the Beef Initiative.

Armed federal agents raided Miller Organic Farm, an Amish-run operation in Pennsylvania, demanding it cease operations and pay $300,000 in fines. The conflict centers on the farm's sale of raw milk and unpasteurized dairy to a private food club, which violates USDA regulations. The hosts argue the USDA has a "hard on" for raw milk and uses safety concerns like listeria to shut down independent holistic farmers.

An anecdote is shared about a listener's encounter with James Brolin and Barbra Streisand at Sunny Farms, an organic grocery store in Sequim, Washington. Brolin reportedly asked "Do you know who I am?" after being complimented on his expensive haircut, to which the listener replied with the same question before walking away. The hosts use the story to illustrate the couple's perceived self-importance.

PBS NewsHour correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports on the Brexit sentiment in Ipswich, where "Remain" and "Leave" voters clash. The discussion shifts to the Lisbon Treaty and the frustration of UK citizens regarding regulations imposed by bureaucrats in Brussels. An anecdote about an organic pig farmer illustrates how EU rules prevent traditional practices like backyard slaughtering of livestock.

The discussion shifts to the ethics of pet ownership, with one host suggesting that keeping dogs on leashes is inherently cruel. They contrast this with the "organic voodoo" of small-scale farming where animals are respected but ultimately part of a food cycle. The tactics of animal rights activists who interrupt diners in restaurants are criticized as counterproductive and aggravating.

A report from northern France describes the rising popularity of kale, a vegetable previously unknown to many French farmers. The "Kale Project," started by an American expatriate, is credited with promoting the cabbage as a "miraculous superfood" in Paris. The hosts mock the trend as a public relations scam, labeling kale an "inedible depression food" that is being sold at inflated prices.

Rudolf Steiner's system of biodynamic agriculture involves planting and harvesting according to lunar and astrological cycles. While skeptical of the esoteric elements, the hosts recommend biodynamic wines, noting that the rigorous attention to detail required by the method often results in a superior product.

A recent executive order regarding national defense resources preparedness is analyzed for its potential to allow the government to seize farms and retail operations. Critics argue this expands the powers of the Department of Homeland Security to intervene in local agricultural matters, bypassing local sheriffs. The discussion traces the origins of such emergency powers back to the Truman administration and the Dulles brothers.

German health authorities shifted the blame for a deadly E. coli outbreak from Spanish cucumbers to an organic bean sprout farm in Lower Saxony. The hosts analyze the use of the number 33 in death toll reports as a potential elite code and suggest the event is being used to demonize organic farming and raw milk in favor of Monsanto's genetically modified, Roundup-ready crops.

Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm have reportedly signaled their support for the USDA's conditional deregulation of genetically engineered alfalfa. The hosts label Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck" and describe the organic industry's cooperation with GMO regulations as a "big scam." They warn consumers that the "organic" label may be losing its integrity.

The Senate passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510), which grants the Department of Homeland Security and the FDA increased authority over food production. Critics argue the bill uses salmonella scares to justify crackdowns on organic and small-scale farmers. The involvement of DHS in food regulation is highlighted as a significant expansion of the agency's original mandate.

New research suggests that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale can significantly reduce lung cancer risk in smokers. However, the hosts discuss the side effect of intestinal gas, which one host attributes to the use of nitrogen fertilizers in non-organic farming.

House Resolution 875, introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro, is identified as a potential threat to organic farming and backyard gardening. The bill's critics argue it federalizes agriculture enforcement to benefit large corporations. A conflict of interest is alleged due to DeLauro's marriage to political strategist Stan Greenberg, whose firm has represented Monsanto.