The USDA’s raid on an Amish farmer helped Trump win Pennsylvania. Here’s how
The story of an Amish farmer who was persecuted by the Biden-Harris administration may have been a significant factor in Trump’s pivotal capture of Pennsylvania last week.
The USDA invades an ‘unlicensed’ organic dairy farm
Earlier this year, government agents raided a Pennsylvania dairy farm belonging to Amos Miller, an Amish farmer who produces organic dairy and meat products. Miller sells these products to a private buying club of approximately 4,000 consumers across the country who prefer nutritious options without chemical preservatives. His products are not sold in grocery stores and are not licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In January, seven USDA agents and three Pennsylvania State Troopers armed with a search warrant stormed Miller’s facility and seized 37 edible items. Before leaving, they also placed a ban on the sale of many products in Miller’s inventory that represented a significant portion of his business. The operation was officially due to two suspected cases of E. Coli, but authorities signaled that Miller’s failure to license under the USDA was a factor.
In a statement following the incursion, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture made a point of saying that “Miller has never licensed his retail operation.”
The raid raised an uproar among taxpayers who saw this as another instance of government overreach, aimed at forcing independent farmers to join what Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) called the “industrial meat/milk complex.”
“Looks like Amos Miller’s farm is being raided,” Massie (R-KY) said. “With all of the problems in society today, this is what the government wants to focus on? A man growing food for informed customers, without participating in the industrial meat/milk complex? It’s shameful that it’s come to this.”
The second time USDA targeted Miller
This was the second time Miller was targeted by the Biden-Harris administration. In 2021, the USDA initiated legal action against Miller for selling "adulterated meat," a term he said is used to describe food that has not undergone the USDA's prescribed chemical treatments. It is mandatory for all processing plants regulated by the USDA to use synthetic preservatives in their food products.
“Often they use citric acid, which you’d think comes from oranges or lemons, but it’s a modified substance made from corn . . . and they don’t even have to label it on the meat,” Miller said. “Our members don’t want any of that,” he added. “They want fresh, raw meat, with no additives. Our members want it straight from the farm with no preservatives on it.”
In addition to its other regulations, he said, the USDA prohibits licensed processing plants from selling specific organs that are rich in nutrients and have potential health benefits. Moreover, the USDA's licensing procedure and associated expenses provide significant barriers for small-scale farmers. According to Miller, the licensing process plunges independent farmers into $100,000 in debt before they sell their first pound of meat.
In 2021, federal authorities ordered Miller to provide access to his premises, meat and poultry inventories, records, employees, and other personnel for inspection. When he refused to "fully cooperate," as the court-appointed inspector claimed, Miller’s facility was raided by US Marshals who were granted the power to employ "reasonable force," which included “the authority to break open locks, to remove barriers to entry, and physically to remove persons from the Premises.”
The court levied a $300,000 fine on Miller to reimburse the US Marshals for their executed raid and cover the investigative costs of the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The court requested a payment of $50,000 within a week. After an appeal, the fine was changed to $55,000 payable over six months.
‘That was the impetus for them’ to vote
Reports say it was the Biden-Harris administration’s targeting of Amos Miller that brought the Amish out in droves to vote for Trump last week. While the numbers of Amish votes are not yet known, they are seen as a contributing factor to the red wave that engulfed Pennsylvania.
"We’ve paid significant attention to the Amish community," billionaire Elon Musk told reporter Tucker Carlson after the election. “The Democrats did make a mistake because there was government overreach with some of the Amish farmers . . . which really made them pretty upset,” he added.
The New York Post cited a source as saying that the raid on Miller’s farm drove the Amish community to the voting booths.
“That was the impetus for them to say, ‘We need to participate,’ ” the source said. “This is about neighbors helping neighbors.”
