I hereby declare that I am of sound mind and reason. That I fully understand the implications of my diet and my digestive processes. That I have certain wants and tastes which may not be the norm in society today. I declare that I understand and accept the risks of consuming dirt with my food, of kissing dogs on the face, of eating an apple my heifer has had a bite off of. I choose to buy my foods as close to the source of their life and accept the hazards of raising a portion of my foods for myself. I fully understand that dirt on my carrots, worm holes in my beets, bird droppings on my lettuce are considered by some to be bio-hazards. I also understand that petroleum-base chemicals, toxins and endocrine disruptors are rife in commercially raise foods which also happen to be devoid of essential nutrients and more important flavor. I choose to eat dirt and dung over oil in every way I can. I accept that blood and sweat have gone into the foods I purchase at the Farmers’ Market and respectfully ask that my ability to judge character, face to face, be accepted as I choose to enter into arrangements with local farmers about what I will eat. If I humanely collect pig’s blood for breakfast, or if I want to drink milk straight from the cows udder, why should you care? If it doesn’t annoy the cow, it shouldn’t bother you. Leave me alone with my choices.

I fully release honest individuals from complaint if I purchase foods failing to meet my percieved quality standard-I should have asked more questions, tasted more samples, visited longer. Please accept that I can judge the quality, safety, taste and honesty of the foods I purchase locally, directly, from farmers with a face I can recognise on the street and allow me to do so. I will grow it myself, find some one in my area to grow it for me, but I will resist buying from faceless corporate interests of questionable ethics who equate quality with cost or lack of.

I write all of this to state that I know what I am doing when it comes to my diet and I accept my choices. If I make the wrong choice than I have only myself to blame. I should have known better, and now I do. In short, leave me alone to choose who I buy my food from, how it is produced and where it comes from. Allow me to associate with like minded individuals and leave them alone too. Raw Milk, Raw Meat, unwashed salad greens, if this is my death-wish so be it! Do not regulate me, monitor me, treat me like a sex-offender or drug-lord. I am an omnivore. I have my rights. Go find something more important to do!

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