New Ulm Area Chapter: Weston A. Price Foundation

07/17/2025

My dad always told us to run like a bear was chasing you at least once a day for optimal health 😆

07/14/2025

URGENT: MEETING TOMORROW, Call today: Stop Pesticide Immunity Shield

Tell Subcommittee to REMOVE Section 453 on Pesticides
Keep Pesticide Manufacturers Accountable for Injury

Congress is considering federal legislation that would grant pesticide companies sweeping legal immunity—not only for Roundup, but for over 16,000 pesticide products regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The House Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee is meeting tomorrow [Tuesday, July 15] at 10:00 a.m. Eastern to markup the “Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill”; unfortunately, Section 453 includes language that grants Total Pesticide Immunity by prohibiting EPA from approving a label or taking action inconsistent with a “human health assessment” or “carcinogenicity classification” previously approved by the EPA—freezing the EPA's position on a pesticide in place for decades, and eliminating the ability to hold the company accountable. [See page 196 under “PESTICIDES”]

Section 453 needs to be removed from the bill. The 7/14/25 press release claims that the bill is intended, in part, to ensure “chemical and pesticide manufacturers are not overburdened with requirements that would drive businesses overseas and threaten American competitiveness.” The bill also aims to reduce EPA funding by 23%, but Section 453 has no direct impact on funding.

ACTION TO TAKE
1. Contact all the subcommittee members and tell them to vote to REMOVE Section 453 from the Appropriations Bill. It is especially important to contact a subcommittee member if you are a constituent or have some other connection. Phone numbers for the subcommittee are listed below after the Talking Points.

Find your U.S. Representative by entering your address at
https://www.congress.gov/members

2. View the live-stream of the bill markup which is scheduled for 10 a.m. July 15th; go to YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/live/u8YgWDYVxDs

TALKING POINTS
1. This isn’t about one product — it’s about the future of 16,000 chemicals. From household weedkillers to restricted-use agricultural pesticides, this legislation would apply across the board. It gives companies a free pass, even when they conceal risks or fail to warn about dangers—as long as their label was once approved by the EPA.
2. The EPA doesn’t independently test these products — it relies on the companies. Federal law allows pesticide manufacturers to submit their own safety studies. The EPA does not conduct its own testing and relies heavily on industry submitted studies. And when companies manipulate or withhold critical data—as they’ve done in the past—this bill would still protect them. Immunity rewards companies for hiding the truth.
3. This legislation eliminates accountability — even when companies break the rules. It would override state protections, block juries from hearing the facts, and tie the hands of farmers and families when harm is caused. Illnesses linked to these pesticides include cancer, Parkinson’s disease, infertility, and developmental harm to children. If this becomes law, even when companies act unreasonably or deceptively, foreign chemical companies couldn't be held responsible.
4. It gives total immunity to Chinese military controlled pesticide giants. ChemChina—a state-owned company the Pentagon identifies as a Chinese military entity—owns Syngenta, which sells paraquat and hundreds of other EPA regulated pesticides in the U.S. despite some of them being banned in China. If this bill passes, American families could be barred from suing a Chinese military-controlled company for harm caused by its dangerous products. Why would Congress protect China instead of American farmers and families?
5. It protects companies that destroy farmers’ crops — even when they lied to get EPA approval. If this bill passes, nothing would stop a foreign chemical from pushing a new product they know is likely to drift or damage nearby fields. They could downplay the risks to the EPA, get a label approved, and leave neighboring farmers with scorched crops, lost yields, and no legal recourse. Even when livelihoods are wiped out, immunity means farmers would be stuck with the costs—not the companies who caused the damage

WAPF will be sending out future alerts on the pesticide liability shield as events warrant.

House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies(EventID=118507)

07/14/2025

Welcome to the New Ulm Area Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation!

I’m so glad you’ve found your way here. My name is Leah Matzke, and I’m honored to serve as your local chapter leader.

Like many people, I spent years following what’s often called the SAD diet—the Standard American Diet—full of processed convenience foods, refined sugars, and low-quality ingredients. Over time, I began to feel the toll it was taking on my body and wellbeing My health suffered, my energy was low, and I knew something had to change.

That shift began when I discovered raw milk and started incorporating more traditional, nutrient-dense foods into my diet—things like pastured meats, healthy fats, fermented foods, and properly prepared grains. The impact was profound. Not only did my health improve, but my outlook on life did too. I felt reconnected to my food, my body, and the land.

That journey eventually led me to regenerative farming, and to the life I now live—growing real food and helping others rediscover the healing wisdom of traditional diets.

This chapter is part of a grassroots movement inspired by the research of Dr. Weston A. Price, who studied cultures around the world that thrived on nutrient-rich, ancestral foods. Whether you’re just beginning this journey or have been walking it for years, I hope this space will be one where you can connect, learn, and feel supported.

Here in the New Ulm area, we’re starting small but dreaming big—building a local network that supports access to wholesome food, uplifts small farms, and empowers families with time-tested knowledge. Right now, my role involves maintaining a local food resource list, sharing recipes, and helping folks connect with farms and each other. My hope is that this chapter becomes a space where we gather around the table, share wisdom, and grow stronger as a community.

Thank you for being here. I’m truly excited to meet you—and to share good meals, good soil, and good company as we journey back to real nourishment together.

Warmly,
Leah Matzke
New Ulm Area Chapter Leader
Weston A. Price Foundation