Dozens of people gathered on the steps of the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo, Wisc. and drank raw milk from a cooler in a show of support for Amish raw milk farmer Vernon Hershberger, who faces criminal charges for producing and selling dairy products without a state license.
The Loganville dairy farmer paused on the steps of the courthouse to address the crowd with a megaphone and sing a hymn before heading inside to be fingerprinted, photographed and booked on several charges that carry maximum penalties totaling $13,000 in fines or 2 1/2 years in jail.
Prosecutors from the Department of Justice allege that Hershberger produced, processed and sold dairy products without state licenses. He also is charged with violating a hold order that was placed on his products after state inspectors raided his farm in June 2010.
After the raid, Hershberger established a system in which groups of people lease the animals he cares for on his farm and consume products only from the animals they lease. Hershberger claims the system exempts him from state licensing requirements. The charges, however, relate to actions before the new system was established.
Hershberger was placed on a $500 signature bond that prohibits him and others on his farm from selling food without a license. He is scheduled for a pretrial conference with prosecutors Jan. 30 and a return court appearance Feb. 13, 2012.
