— ACTION ALERT FROM THE BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION —

Please forward to anyone you think would be interested.

Help Save Zinniker Farm

The Zinniker Family Farm of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, was established in 1943 and is considered one of the oldest biodynamic farms in the United States. The farm has played a key role in the biodynamic movement, hosting field days, workshops, and prep-making events that have introduced hundreds of thousands of farmers and consumers to biodynamic agriculture. This fall, Zinniker Farm was shut down by the State of Wisconsin for distributing raw milk through a cow-share program they had run since the mid-80s. Through the program families purchased a share in the cow herd and picked up raw milk from their cows on a weekly basis. In the last year the State of Wisconsin reinterpreted the laws that originally made these programs legal, and now has begun to crack down on such programs in the state. This crackdown is widely considered to be driven by large corporate interests who are threatened by the number of consumers who are obtaining their milk and other food products direct from producers. A group of individuals are now working closely with the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund and the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association to explore alternative ways to sustain the farm into the future. In the meantime, however, the Zinniker’s have no tangible source of revenue.

If you can help support the Zinniker’s in this time of need, please make a check out to the Zinniker Support Fund and mail it to Zinniker Support Fund, N7399 Bowers Rd, Elkhorn, WI 53121.For more information contact Robert Karp at ro*********@bi*********.com or (262) 642-3672.