Hail Dorothy (Mark) The Wicked Witch is Dead (For now)

I speak not of munchkin land but of another alternative world where farmers might actually be allowed to raise the type of hog (beef, chicken, eggs, fill in the blank_____) without government interference and in Mark Bakers case, prosecution.

A brief background. For over two years Mark Baker of Bakers Green Acres has been deeply entrenched in a battle with his own government over a few curly haired, outdoor raised, HEALTHY hogs. Seems Michigan's Department of Natural Resources thought they knew best about what type of hogs should be raised (all white) and where (In all white buildings.)

The DNR threatened fellow farmers raising the same types of hogs in Michigan with large fines if said farmers did not destroy these domestically raised and managed pigs for the sole reason that they looked different and might perhaps one day become or return to their feral status.

Even though each and every hog had been born and raised in pleasant, pasture-based, well- fenced farms.

Many farmers, fearful of their own government, shot and killed their own stock. Who wants to go to jail? Be fined thousands of dollars? Live in fear of raids and governmental bullying?

But Mark Baker, a 20 year Air Force Veteran, husband, father and Patriot flipped the table on these thugs...and they are big time thugs...and in turn, sued THEM.

And this week... he won. Sort of.

You see the DNR, cowards that they were, after 2 1/2 years of making Marks life hell, of limiting his ability to make a living, support his family, feed his children and the customers who relied on him for decent, healthy pork, decided that Marks pigs were not illegal after all. As Mark put it "they cried uncle." The DNR knew they had no case and decided to take the cowards way out.

The way most any bully will back down when you stand tall.

This means Mark and his long tailed, curly haired, Mangolista hogs can go about their business. Isn't that nice?

But who pays for all of Mark's lost revenue? All his time fighting a government that is supposed to be protecting Americans from foreign invaders not domestically raised, grain dependent oinkers? Who will give him back all the sleepless nights, the tense days, the travel time, the gas money, the lawyer expenses, the stress on his family,  for his fight to keep and raise and sell the hogs he had been told were illegal but now suddenly are not?!

Apparently Michigan's Department of Natural Resources and its director were never raised with the concept of consequences. When one makes a mistake, it needs to be not only admitted but then fixed. Made better. But sadly, our government has left leave of their senses and our founding fathers senses which leaves so many of us out there fighting on our own.

But "alone" we are not. As more small farmers find their voice, get serious, get busy and get angry, without ever being violent, more inane rules that keep us from making a decent and honest living are being eliminated, one by one.

BRAVO to you Mark Baker, your family , your attorneys and your customers. Keep up the hard work and so shall we.