We Are All Farmer Brown! Defend Community Food Sovereignty in Maine!

On Wednesday, November 9, Dan Brown, owner of Gravelwood Farm in Blue Hill, Maine, was served notice that he is being sued by the State of Maine for selling food and milk without State licenses. Blue Hill is one of five Maine towns to have passed the Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance, a local law that permits the types of sales Brown was engaged in.

By filing the lawsuit, the State of Maine and Walter Whitcomb, Maine Agricultural Commissioner, are disregarding the Local Food and Community Self-Governance passed nearly unanimously by the citizens of Blue Hill at their town meeting on April 4th, 2011.

Residents of Blue Hill will be attending the Selectmen’s meeting on Friday, November 18 to enforce the provisions of the Ordinance. The Blue Hill residents will be instructing the Town of Blue Hill to send a letter to the Maine Department of Agriculture requesting the State withdraw the lawsuit and recognize the authority of the Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance.

Community food sovereignty advocates are encouraged to contact the Maine Dept. of Agriculture and urge them to drop the lawsuit against Dan Brown of Gravelwood Farm and to respect the Local Food and Community Self Governance Ordinance of Blue Hills, Maine. #207-287-3871

Family Farm Defenders is also accepting donations for legal defense of Dan Brown. Please use our Razoo online donation function:  http://www.razoo.com/story/Weareallfarmerbrown

Or send a check to FFD, P.O. Box 1772, Madison, WI 53701 with “Dan Brown Legal Defense” in the memo line.

Thanks for your solidarity!

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.