View Full Version : USDA Won't Let People Own Lemon Trees!



Bunty
10-04-2011, 07:46 PM
The US government’s assault against innocent American citizens continues to get more aggressive and just plain strange, with new reports of harassment against honest owners of ordinary lemon trees.Health Freedom Alliance(HFA) reports that officials from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) are now spying on people whom they suspect are in possession of ordinary lemon trees, and threatening them with excessive fines and even federal raids if they refuse to surrender the plants on demand.

Several years ago, Bridget Donovan, who has now been dubbed “The Lemon Tree Lady,” purchased a Meyer lemon tree from meyerlemontree.com. A resident of Wisconsin, Donovan purchased the tree legally and in full accordance with all federal and state laws regulating citrus transport, and had lovingly cultivated and cared for her indoor citrus plant for nearly three years.

Then, out of nowhere, Donovan received an unexpected letter from the USDA informing her that government officials were going to come and seize her tree and destroy it — and that she was not going to be compensated for her loss. The letter also threatened that if Donovan was found to be in possession of “regulated citrus” again, she could be fined up to $60,000.

Donovan was shocked, to say the least, as her tree was not a “regulated citrus.” The store from which she purchased it is fully legitimate, and she had done absolutely nothing wrong. But it turns out Donovan and many others who had also purchased similar citrus plants had faced, or were currently facing, the very same threats made against them by the USDA.

Most of those targeted simply surrendered their trees without trying to fight back, Donovan discovered. And while she, herself put up a hefty fight in trying to get honest answers in order to keep her tree, Donovan was eventually forced to surrender it as well. And worst of all, many of those who were told that a replacement tree would be in “compliance” later had those trees confiscated, too.

Why has the USDA been targeting lemon tree owners? The answer is unclear, other than that they are a supposed threat to the citrus industry. And a USDA official admitted to Donovan that the agency has been spying on those suspected of owning lemon trees, and targeting all found to be in possession with threats of fines and raids if they failed to give them up — and the agency has been doing this without a valid warrant.

“I felt utterly violated, angry, and upset,” Donovan is quoted as saying by HFA. “I pay my taxes, I obey the law, and this is how I was treated? I did nothing wrong. I would expect these action (sic) toward someone running a drug house, not someone who owned a lemon tree.”

FROM: http://www.infowars.com/usda-threatens-60000-fine-federal-raid-against-woman-in-legal-possession-of-indoor-lemon-tree/

reverend
10-04-2011, 07:50 PM
What... the... #&@$???

Lemons??? Are you serious??? SHENANIGANS!

Bunty
10-04-2011, 08:07 PM
Things may be over sensationalized. Apparently, the USDA was concerned a company had sent out lemon trees that were diseased. http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/09/24/the-lemon-tree-lady-speaks-out-about-usda-threats-over-tree/

Thunder
10-04-2011, 09:21 PM
I want a President that will terminate the USDA. Lemon trees are not druggy trees. Duh!

reverend
10-04-2011, 09:24 PM
I don't know about doing away with the USDA. I can see the argument for the IRS, but the USDA? Can't trust meat producers to inspect their own slaughterhouses and livestock...

Thunder
10-04-2011, 09:25 PM
I don't know about doing away with the USDA. I can see the argument for the IRS, but the USDA? Can't trust meat producers to inspect their own slaughterhouses and livestock...

Next we will see USDA raiding our homes with armed agents seizing t-bone steaks.

venture
10-04-2011, 09:38 PM
I want a President that will terminate the USDA. Lemon trees are not druggy trees. Duh!

Do you even know what the USDA actually does or are you just going off on one of your crazy person tangents that we should just ignore like normal? :-P

Thunder
10-04-2011, 09:39 PM
I wasn't sure what it was and thought it was a government agency similar to Oklahoma's own ABLE Armed Agents. :-/

mugofbeer
10-04-2011, 09:40 PM
Bunty! This rant against government intrusion into our lives almost sounds Republican of you! LOL

lasomeday
10-04-2011, 09:42 PM
Bunty! This rant against government intrusion into our lives almost sounds Republican of you! LOL

Its like he woke up or something. This might be a chance for us to turn a lemon into lemonade!

chuck johnson
10-04-2011, 11:52 PM
Infowars is probably not the best place to be getting your news. They take mundane news events and spin them into conspiracy theories. I think it's written by Mel Gibson's character in "Conspiracy Theory".

HewenttoJared
10-05-2011, 05:10 AM
I can think of three or four reasons off the top of my head that would make this fairly reasonable if true. And with thirty seconds of research I found that at least one of my suspicions was true.


Does anyone else know how to play the game called "google"? It's pretty new I know, so I can see why everyone is so upset.

RadicalModerate
10-05-2011, 07:50 AM
<head aspolde> . . .

L6zvjiUQ-9Q

bombermwc
10-05-2011, 08:05 AM
Sounds like an oversensationalised (the gubernment is after us all) case to me. It's not uncommon for the USDA to try and take trees/plants/etc that they has reason to believe are contaminated/diseased/etc. to keep the issue from spreading. Just look at the cattle issue in OKC a few years ago when the poo leaked into the river and you'll see why they need to regulate these things. Can anyone say cantelope from CO right now?

BBatesokc
10-05-2011, 08:07 AM
The real absurdity is in spreading these types of articles and thus pushing the snowball on down the hill.

At least it was sourced, so we immediately know the article is suspect based on the source.

This is all anyone really needs to know to realize the USDA is acting appropriately.


the USDA came to my house and confiscated the tree I purchased from them because the plant was sourced from a quarantined area and could have several citrus diseases.

RadicalModerate
10-05-2011, 08:34 AM
If you think Alex Jones' exposé on The Lemon Tree Gestapo is shocking, check out his take on Bohemian Grove!

FpKdSvwYsrE

Note that hidden behind the stately redwoods is a lemon tree orchard.
With magic lemons.

Just the facts
10-05-2011, 09:05 AM
The USDA doesn't have the man power to remove all 'unlicensed' lemon trees. Taking the story at face value it would be nice if it went like this.

Knock knock

Hello.

Good morning mam. My name is Charlie Chesterfield and I am with the USDA.

Yes, what can I do for you?

We are tracking down lemon trees that were shipped from a supplier in a known disease/contamination area. Our concern is that the owners of these trees are unknowingly spreading the disease to other local trees. Did you purchase a tree for Lemon Tree Farms and if so, do you still have that tree?

Yes I did and it is planted in the backyard.

I am sorry to inform you that we will need to remove the tree and we can't offer you a replacement tree. However, here is a list of tree providers that have trees available. If you are concerned about the purchase transaction you will need to take that up with Lemon Tree Farms.

Rats. Okay, the tree is back here.

Thunder
10-05-2011, 09:15 AM
The USDA doesn't have the man power to remove all 'unlicensed' lemon trees. Taking the story at face value it would be nice if it went like this.

Knock knock

Hello.

Good morning mam. My name is Charlie Chesterfield and I am with the USDA.

Yes, what can I do for you?

We are tracking down lemon trees that were shipped from a supplier in a known disease/contamination area. Our concern is that the owners of these trees are unknowingly spreading the disease to other local trees. Did you purchase a tree for Lemon Tree Farms and if so, do you still have that tree?

Yes I did and it is planted in the backyard.

I am sorry to inform you that we will need to remove the tree and we can't offer you a replacement tree. However, here is a list of tree providers that have trees available. If you are concerned about the purchase transaction you will need to take that up with Lemon Tree Farms.

The hell you will! *gunshots*

I fixed it for you.

Just the facts
10-05-2011, 09:22 AM
Do you think gun fire is a reasonable escalation?

I should have kept what I originally wrote but since this thread is not in the politics section I decided to take part of it out.

MDot
10-05-2011, 09:25 AM
Do you think gun fire is a reasonable escalation?

I should have kept what I originally wrote but since this thread is not in the politics section I decided to take part of it out.

He made me LOL which is good.

RadicalModerate
10-05-2011, 09:26 AM
<attempting to defuse the volitile situation>

I like to think of Charlie Chesterfield, USDA Agent, as a guy like this . . .
5ZtL7sSZqhs

HewenttoJared
10-05-2011, 10:09 AM
The USDA doesn't have the man power to remove all 'unlicensed' lemon trees. Taking the story at face value it would be nice if it went like this.

Knock knock

Hello.

Good morning mam. My name is Charlie Chesterfield and I am with the USDA.

Yes, what can I do for you?

We are tracking down lemon trees that were shipped from a supplier in a known disease/contamination area. Our concern is that the owners of these trees are unknowingly spreading the disease to other local trees. Did you purchase a tree for Lemon Tree Farms and if so, do you still have that tree?

Yes I did and it is planted in the backyard.

I am sorry to inform you that we will need to remove the tree and we can't offer you a replacement tree. However, here is a list of tree providers that have trees available. If you are concerned about the purchase transaction you will need to take that up with Lemon Tree Farms.

Rats. Okay, the tree is back here.
They have the manpower to significantly slow down problem species and diseases, plainly. There is a lot of thought that goes into maintaining our food supply and people getting up in arms about them doing the right thing isn't helping.

As usual, oversimplification combined with zero actual analysis rarely leads us anywhere useful. At some point people(as in the populace, not just the experts) need to understand that you can't just move living things all arund the planet without there being consequences.

Bunty
10-05-2011, 08:40 PM
On the other hand, some city governments won't let you grow poison ivy in your front yard, especially if a public sidewalk runs through it. But then I hope with most people, being forced to give up poison ivy isn't much of a loss.

metro
10-05-2011, 09:43 PM
They have the manpower to significantly slow down problem species and diseases, plainly. There is a lot of thought that goes into maintaining our food supply and people getting up in arms about them doing the right thing isn't helping.

As usual, oversimplification combined with zero actual analysis rarely leads us anywhere useful. At some point people(as in the populace, not just the experts) need to understand that you can't just move living things all arund the planet without there being consequences.

At some point, you can't rely on the government to fix problems.

HewenttoJared
10-06-2011, 05:28 AM
At some point, you can't rely on the government to fix problems.

I agree 100%. Our food supply, however, will not protect itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_(Ireland)

Just the facts
10-06-2011, 07:28 AM
They have the manpower to significantly slow down problem species and diseases, plainly. There is a lot of thought that goes into maintaining our food supply and people getting up in arms about them doing the right thing isn't helping.

As usual, oversimplification combined with zero actual analysis rarely leads us anywhere useful. At some point people(as in the populace, not just the experts) need to understand that you can't just move living things all arund the planet without there being consequences.

The USDA would have a hard time going door to door here in Florida removing citrus fruit trees. In south Florida there are millions of privately owned citrus trees. If they removed 100 a day 7 days a week it would take 27 years. It took them 3 years just to track down this one lady.

BBatesokc
10-06-2011, 07:37 AM
This story isn't about removing 'citrus trees' - its about tracking down citrus trees that were illegally sold by a specific supplier and they may be diseased.

How anyone could have an issue with this is beyond me.

Just the facts
10-06-2011, 07:42 AM
This story isn't about removing 'citrus trees' - its about tracking down citrus trees that were illegally sold by a specific supplier and they may be diseased.

How anyone could have an issue with this is beyond me.

You know that and I know that, but some people think they (USDA) are going to go door to door and remove all citrus trees and the USDA has the man power to do it. Both of them are wrong. The USDA isn't removing everyone's citrus trees and they couldn't do it even if they wanted to.

As for the story, I don't think the tree was sold illegally. It appears the disease was detected after the sale was made and you can't exactly recall a tree and have the buyer bring it back to the store like you can a jar of peanut butter. You have to go get it.

HewenttoJared
10-06-2011, 08:00 AM
Actually the tree was sold illegally.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/factsheets/TransportingPlantsCA.pdf

http://www.mamapop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/the-more-you-know.jpg

BBatesokc
10-06-2011, 08:02 AM
Interesting similar (yet contrasting) story..... http://blog.pacificlegal.org/?p=647

Roadhawg
10-06-2011, 08:24 AM
The folks that use lemon Pledge are gonna be upset (old commercial reference)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUF7Pz0GvGc

HewenttoJared
10-06-2011, 08:25 AM
The pathology of those two diseases makes them not very comparable.

Just the facts
10-06-2011, 10:13 PM
Actually the tree was sold illegally.

http://www.mamapop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/the-more-you-know.jpg

From the article:


A resident of Wisconsin, Donovan purchased the tree legally and in full accordance with all federal and state laws regulating citrus transport, and had lovingly cultivated and cared for her indoor citrus plant for nearly three years.

MadMonk
10-07-2011, 12:10 PM
We can't allow rogue citrus fruit to run wild in our communities. Look what happened in Asia when that happened. They latch on to moving vehicles and become a hazard!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5020/5552238987_7caf4a561f_z.jpg