BIRD IN HAND, Pa. — A Lancaster County farmer is facing fines and possible jail time for repeatedly violating food safety laws.
U.S. District Judge Edward G. Smith, Jr. found Amos Miller in contempt of court for violating a 2020 consent decree and ordered him to pay $250,000 in fines, plus an additional $14,436 to cover enforcement costs.
Miller owns Miller’s Organic Farm in Bird-In-Hand, which sells beef, chicken and other meat, as well as raw milk. The farm has been tangling with federal authorities for several years over its food handling practices.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found listeria in the farm’s raw milk in 2015 after raw milk sickened two people, killing one. Through genetic testing, the FDA identified the strain of listeria as genetically similar to the strain that sickened the people, leading the FDA to conclude that Miller’s milk was the “likely source” of the bacteria.
Miller told FOX43 his milk was not proven to have caused the illnesses, and that the person who died had pre-existing conditions.
“Her family is very upset that FDA and USDA is using her case to make us look bad,” Miller said.
Prosecutors have accused Miller of showing a “singular, historic willingness to flout democratically enacted federal food safety laws of general applicability.”
The Department of Justice has filed several lawsuits against Miller and the farm, including a 2019 suit that ultimately won an injunction to cease violating food safety laws.
In 2020 Miller signed a consent decree acknowledging he violated the injunction.
Miller was found in contempt of court on June 16, with a 39-page-ruling published on June 22 that detailed Miller’s interactions with FSIS agents.
Falling under the umbrella of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is tasked with ensuring meat and poultry sold commercially is safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged.
FSIS agents accused Miller of intentionally ignoring federal regulations on slaughtering livestock, and processing and labeling meat. The order states,
“To date, Mr. Miller’s actions call into question his motivation to continue to pursue with FSIS a plan for custom-exempt operations…”
Miller believes many federal regulations lead to food being more unhealthy; for example, he said the citric acid antimicrobial wash used at a local slaughterhouse was harmful.
Miller’s Organic Farm’s practices are organic, non-GMO, chemical free, hormone-free and antibiotic-free, according to its website.
“[The cows] get sunshine, they get green grass. If the animals eat good then we can eat good as well,” Miller said. “They use it as their medicine.”
The order points out that “other Pennsylvania Amish/Mennonite meat and poultry farmers and sellers routinely submit to FSIS inspection and other statutory and regulatory requirements, including: (a) Belmont Meats, which is Amish-run: and (b) Miller’s Bio Diversity Farm.”
Miller’s Organic Farm buyer club has more than 2,000 members. Some are calling for the sanctions to be reversed.
“I think if we stand together, the government does feel that pressure,” Miller said.
A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $14,000 to help pay the fine. That may not be enough, though.
“[I’ll] do do whatever it takes to keep our children on the farm rather than going out into the world looking for jobs, which can not be good in our culture,” said Miller, who is Amish. “If we have to pay it all ourselves, very likely we will not be able to move forward.”
Under the order Miller has 30 days to pay the fine, or could face further fines and possible jail time.