Environmental Group leading the charge to drive a Maryland family farm out of business through misguided litigation spends weekend with the stars at Deer Valley raising money
Willards, Md. (December 2, 2011) – While the Waterkeeper Alliance entertains celebrities at a posh ski resort, the Maryland Farm Bureau will donate proceeds from a fundraising auction during its annual meeting in Ocean City to benefit the Maryland Family Farmers Legal Defense Fund. The fund was created to assist Alan and Kristin Hudson, a beleaguered Maryland farm family who are the target of a misguided Waterkeeper Alliance lawsuit. The Maryland Farm Bureau fundraiser on December 5th comes as the deep-pocketed Waterkeeper Alliance spends the weekend of December 2-5 fundraising with celebrities at the lavish Deer Valley ski resort in Utah.
"We expect over 400 family farmers to attend our dinner and auction on Monday, December 5. I am proud of the local farm families that are coming together to help the Hudsons by donating and bidding on items at our annual meeting,” said Patricia Langenfelder, president of the Maryland Farm Bureau.
The Hudsons, based in Berlin, Md., have become entangled in a prolonged litigation battle with the Waterkeeper Alliance which has them facing bankruptcy. The Waterkeepers have persisted with an environmental lawsuit against Hudsons for alleged Clean Water Act violations despite the fact that the issue was resolved to the Maryland Department of the Environment’s satisfaction.
Last month, Maryland Governor O’Malley announced his support of the Hudsons in this legal battle that has implications for the entire agriculture community. In a letter to Phoebe Haddon, dean of the University of Maryland School of Law, Governor O’Malley raised concerns over whether the Waterkeeper Alliance could substantiate their claims and suggested that they were benefitting from “the economic weapon of unlimited litigation resources”.
The Hudsons are facing overwhelming legal bills while the Waterkeeper Alliance is being aided by the University of Maryland environmental law clinic. The law school is taxpayer funded and a number of the lawyers identified as legal representatives of the Waterkeepers in court filings are employees of the law school receiving full salary and benefits from the State of Maryland. Further, the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance raised more than $3.5 million in 2009 according to tax records available online.
“The disparity in funding in this battle is one of the reasons we launched SaveFarmFamilies.org,” said Lee Richardson, president of the Wicomico County (Md.) Farm Bureau and a SaveFarmFamilies.org member. “While the Waterkeepers’ are out skiing with celebrities raising millions of dollars, we are putting local dinners together to defend the Hudsons. The Waterkeepers’ are threatening our way of life through this lawsuit, but we aren’t going to let that happen,” he added.
The star-studded “Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest” benefitting the Waterkeeper Alliance promises attendees a one of a kind event with first class service, featuring a “lavish fundraiser” complete with a private concert. The event’s annual Title Sponsorship fee is $445,000 and Corporate Sponsorships go for $135,000 according to the event’s website www.dvskifest.com.
“I think the Deer Valley ski event speaks volumes about who the Waterkeepers are and the significant resources at their disposal,” said Andrew Mclean of SaveFarmFamilies.org. “They are trying to use that power and money to intimidate family farms like the Hudsons, but I think they severely underestimated the strength and unity of farmers around the country who want to make this a fair fight.”
In addition, SaveFarmFamilies.org announced today a fourth benefit dinner will be held on January 21st at the Showell Fire Hall in Worcester County, Md. hosted by the Wicomico County Young Farmers. Tickets for the next Hudson benefit dinner are now on sale for $25 per person. All proceeds from the all-you-can-eat chicken and dumpling dinner will benefit the Hudson’s legal defense fund. For ticket information, please contact the Wicomico County Young Farmers at wicfb@hotmail.com.
View a link to the Waterkeeper’s Deer Valley event from December 2-5:
www.dvskifest.com
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17 comments:
I'm getting so sick of Perdue and their propaganda afterall it's THEIR chickens that are at the forefront of this lawsuit. They are profitting hughly by producing chickens for worldwide consumption and the little farmers are the ones tasked (with ZERO help from them) of disposing of 100's of tons of manure.
And why isn't the Perdue company paying for this lawsuit for the Hudson's. Don't even try and tell me they dont' take lavish vacations and live in lavish homes.
And now (and you can read on line) they are abandoning the Hudson's and are saying they were bad growers and that the Hudson's cows caused the problem.
Thanks for the waterkeepers info.If people dont wake up to communist organizations like this,all of us are doomed!
Hello, hello out there. Get the facts. It was a pile of biosolids from Ocean City treatment plant that wsa mistaken for chicken manure. The pile WAS in proximity to the ditch and there WAS run-off from the pile that went into the ditch. If anybody should be shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hudsons, it should be the town of Ocean City. OC has left them high and dry. Don't believe this, it's all public record.
6:27 read the court docs that are online. Biosolids out of picture. Appears Perdue's own tests confirm animal waste. They are now saying it could be from the Hudson's cows, sheep and even wild animals
Waterkeeper's...more limousine liberals
Notice all the taxpayers and property owners money spent because of these "enviromental groups"does'nt clean up the bay but causes more regulations against property owners.Thier goal is to take away property owners rights which goes against the constitution which they dont care about.
But the environmentalists don't give a flying fig about all of the waste refuse and destruction that is being done by The OWS protestors and the Illegal immigrants who leave tons of waste along the borders.
"Hello hello out there." READ THE COURT DOCUMENTS! Couldn't this all end TODAY and never have gotten this far had Perdue just agree to the cosign along with their growers the permits required by the government to operate a large scale growing facility?
No one seems to want to answer this simple question.
As the FACTS stand, which is clearly spelled out in the growers contract THEY own the chickens but the grower is responisble for getting rid of the manure which no one wants anymore because it's worthless.
You all are being snowballed and so was I until looking at the court papers. The farmers are overwhelmed and Waterkeepers just wants Perdue to accept some responsiblity and liability for the growers to have help with a waste management plan.
These groups are out to destroy local farmers. That is why they named them in the lawsuit. Small farmers can't afford to defend themselves. Putting Perdue in the lawsuit is an added bonus for them. These groups know that if they aggravate a big poultry company enough, they will run them off the Eastern Shore. Like it or not, the local economy depends on these "big poultry companies." If the Waterkeepers win this lawsuit, it will set a dangerous precedent for all other lawsuits. These groups will continue to sue farmers until they are all gone and the taxpayers are paying for this b/c the waterkeeper's is getting their legal services from a MD college. The governor has finally woken up...the rest of us need to unless you want to buy all of your food from a foreign country!
"Like it or not, the local economy depends on these "big poultry companies."
This is so not true. The Eastern Shore has been monopolized and brain washed into thinking just this.
Other areas in the country are doing just fine with out the big companies acting as a middle man. As a matter of fact in areas where there are independant processing facilities the chicken farmers are actually able to make a living on growing and do not have to take jobs out of farming to support themselves.
If you don't believe me look into yourselves. In this day and age of the internet the real facts are out there.
Everyone needs to wake out and not fall for everything they are told. Be an independant thinker.
Another "fact" is that these independant farmers in other parts of the country are making more money growing less chickens (since they aren't importing them overseas) and by less chickens less manure which in turn turns the manure back into a commodity as opposed to a liabity which it has become on Delmarva.
Contrary to popular belief most farmers don't want companies like this even coming into their area and alot of place do not even allow 10 of thousands of animals 10 times a year or whatever to be raised in such a concentrated area. The farmers in these areas back this 100%. They do not want their land and area turned into a toxic waste dump and ruining the land for future generations. This is true even in areas as close as Virginia and Pennsylvania.
"Putting Perdue in the lawsuit is an added bonus for them. These groups know that if they aggravate a big poultry company enough, they will run them off the Eastern Shore. Like it or not, the local economy depends on these "big poultry companies.""
Wrong! When Pilgims Pride announced they were closing their operations in Broadway VA the chicken farmers didn't miss a beat and banned together formed a co-op and purchased the facility. go and read about them. Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative. Now the economy in that area is even better because the farmers get to keep all of the profits thereby spreading the wealth around more.
The online court docs are interesting. It appears as though Perdue is saying yes, we knew there were problems with the Hudson farm but still contracted out with them and it's not our fault since they are considered independant contractors.
What's really telling is the fight Perdue put up trying to keep these docs from the public. After reading some of them I can see why.
To claim that Perdue provides its farm partners with “ZERO help” could not be further from the truth. Perdue AgriRecycle will clean out and recycle chicken litter — free of charge — for any grower who does not have sufficient land to appropriately apply it as fertilizer or a market to sell it to other farmers who can use it. NO grower is "stuck" with surplus litter. Further, through the Clean Waters Environmental Initiative, a first-of-its-kind agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, Perdue is working with its growers to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and to promote environmental best practices related to their poultry operations. I invite you to learn more about Perdue AgriRecycle through this short video: http://www.youtube.com/perduechicken#p/c/3156FAD73D2F02C7/2/9J_v734e2_U
MORE FICTION AND NEVER THE FACTS!
HERE'S What You Should Know About the Clean Water Act Citizen Suit Filed Against Perdue and Hudson Farms:
http://dld.bz/a25yJ
AND BY THE WAY FOR ALL YOU MORONS WHO DO NOT READ THE EVIDENCE HERE'S A CHEAT SHEET ON THE LIES YOUR SUPPORTING.
Six Myths and Facts About Perdue's
Savefarmfamilies.org
Read about it here: http://dld.bz/a259c
The Maryland Environmental Law Clinic has a small budget, not a state budget. 100 percent of the litigation expenses for this case have been paid from funds donated by private donations -- not state money!
Perdue Farms employs one of Maryland's largest and most prestigious law firms, giving Perdue and Hudson 670 lawyers at their disposal and endless resources at their fingertips. It's laughable anyone would suggest that Perdue, a corporation that last year grossed $4.6 billion, is overmatched by our small team of lawyers, a team which includes the students at the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic.
Politicians like Delegate Michael McDermott, Rep. Andy Harris and Gov. Martin O'Malley are using the Maryland Environmental Law Clinic to divert the public's attention away from the "politics as usual" that is playing out in our state government.
When one is doing the right thing, opposition and chest-thumping attitudes are expected in response. These political antics will not stop the pollution problems that are degrading our rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
The Law Clinic has a small budget. And more importantly, 100 percent of the litigation expenses for this case have been paid from funds donated by private donations -- not state money.
The Assateague Coastkeeper, as with all of the rest of the Waterkeepers Chesapeake and the Waterkeeper Alliance, funds its advocacy efforts with donations from concerned citizens and grants from organizations committed to ensuring a clean and healthy Chesapeake Bay.
Perdue Farms employs one of Maryland's largest and most prestigious law firms, giving Perdue and Hudson 670 lawyers at their disposal and endless resources at their fingertips.
It's laughable anyone would suggest that Perdue, a corporation that last year grossed $4.6 billion, is overmatched by our small team of lawyers, a team which includes the students at the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic.
These young, committed law students chose to study at the Environmental Law Clinic to help further the mission of the clinic, which is to protect and clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and I am proud to have them as part of this team.
Wow, thanks for the response Chris, do tell me why Perdue is waging this fake pr campaign by putting up this BS web site save family blah blah and using this poor hudson family as their role model family farmers when the facts according to the court documents seem to indicate evidence of iresponsible practices are taking place on this farm. And we all know very well Chris that this is not the only facility that Perdue does not conform to the very simple environmetal rules put into place to protect our water supplies around the country.
Why not make a habit of obeying the law and doing the right thing, instead of defending antiquated farming practices that put at risk those members of the community you want to purchase your product?
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