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best_zeroshot_oasum_chunk

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Cauchy elastic material

F o r m a l l y , a m a t e r i a l i s s a i d t o b e C a u c h y - e l a s t i c i f t h e C a u c h y s t r e s s t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 1 i s a f u n c t i o n o f t h e s t r a i n t e n s o r ( d e f o r m a t i o n g r a d i e n t ) f o r m u l a _ 2 a l o n e : f o r m u l a _ 3 T h i s d e f i n i t i o n a s s u m e s t h a t t h e e f f e c t o f t e m p e r a t u r e c a n b e i g n o r e d , a n d t h e b o d y i s h o m o g e n e o u s . T h i s i s t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n f o r a C a u c h y - e l a s t i c m a t e r i a l . N o t e t h a t t h e f u n c t i o n f o r m u l a _ 4 d e p e n d s o n t h e c h o i c e o f r e f e r e n c e c o n f i g u r a t i o n . T y p i c a l l y , t h e r e f e r e n c e c o n f i g u r a t i o n i s t a k e n a s t h e r e l a x e d ( z e r o - s t r e s s ) c o n f i g u r a t i o n , b u t n e e d n o t b e . M a t e r i a l f r a m e - i n d i f f e r e n c e r e q u i r e s t h a t t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e r e l a t i o n f o r m u l a _ 4 s h o u l d n o t c h a n g e w h e n t h e l o c a t i o n o f t h e o b s e r v e r c h a n g e s . T h e r e f o r e t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n f o r a n o t h e r a r b i t r a r y o b s e r v e r c a n b e w r i t t e n f o r m u l a _ 6 . K n o w i n g t h a t t h e C a u c h y s t r e s s t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 7 a n d t h e d e f o r m a t i o n g r a d i e n t f o r m u l a _ 8 a r e o b j e c t i v e q u a n t i t i e s , o n e c a n w r i t e : f o r m u l a _ 9 w h e r e f o r m u l a _ 1 0 i s a p r o p e r o r t h o g o n a l t e n s o r . T h e a b o v e i s a c o n d i t i o n t h a t t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e l a w f o r m u l a _ 1 1 h a s t o r e s p e c t t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e r e s p o n s e o f t h e m a t e r i a l w i l l b e i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e o b s e r v e r . S i m i l a r c o n d i t i o n s c a n b e d e r i v e d f o r c o n s t i t u t i v e l a w s r e l a t i n g t h e d e f o r m a t i o n g r a d i e n t t o t h e f i r s t o r s e c o n d P i o l a - K i r c h h o f f s t r e s s t e n s o r . F o r a n i s o t r o p i c m a t e r i a l t h e C a u c h y s t r e s s t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 1 c a n b e e x p r e s s e d a s a f u n c t i o n o f t h e l e f t C a u c h y - G r e e n t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 1 3 . T h e c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n m a y t h e n b e w r i t t e n : f o r m u l a _ 1 4 I n o r d e r t o f i n d t h e r e s t r i c t i o n o n f o r m u l a _ 1 5 w h i c h w i l l e n s u r e t h e p r i n c i p l e o f m a t e r i a l f r a m e - i n d i f f e r e n c e , o n e c a n w r i t e : f o r m u l a _ 1 6 A c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n t h a t r e s p e c t s t h e a b o v e c o n d i t i o n i s s a i d t o b e i s o t r o p i c . E v e n t h o u g h t h e s t r e s s i n a C a u c h y - e l a s t i c m a t e r i a l d e p e n d s o n l y o n t h e s t a t e o f d e f o r m a t i o n , t h e w o r k d o n e b y s t r e s s e s m a y d e p e n d o n t h e p a t h o f d e f o r m a t i o n . T h e r e f o r e a C a u c h y e l a s t i c m a t e r i a l i n g e n e r a l h a s a n o n - c o n s e r v a t i v e s t r u c t u r e , a n d t h e s t r e s s c a n n o t n e c e s s a r i l y b e d e r i v e d f r o m a s c a l a r " e l a s t i c p o t e n t i a l " f u n c t i o n . M a t e r i a l s t h a t a r e c o n s e r v a t i v e i n t h i s s e n s e a r e c a l l e d h y p e r e l a s t i c o r " G r e e n - e l a s t i c " .

Mathematical definition

A material is considered Cauchy-elastic if its Cauchy stress tensor is solely dependent on the strain tensor (deformation gradient). This definition assumes homogeneity and ignores temperature effects. The constitutive equation must respect material frame-indifference, meaning it remains unchanged under different observer perspectives. Isotropic materials have a specific form of the constitutive equation, ensuring independence from observer orientation. Cauchy-elastic materials generally exhibit non-conservative behavior, unlike hyperelastic materials which derive stress from an elastic potential function.

Formally, a material is said to be Cauchy-elastic if the Cauchy stress tensor formula_1 is a function of the strain tensor (deformation gradient) formula_2 alone: formula_3 This definition assumes that the effect of temperature can be ignored, and the body is homogeneous. This is the constitutive equation for a Cauchy-elastic material. Note that the function formula_4 depends on the choice of reference configuration. Typically, the reference configuration is taken as the relaxed (zero-stress) configuration, but need not be. Material frame-indifference requires that the constitutive relation formula_4 should not change when the location of the observer changes. Therefore the constitutive equation for another arbitrary observer can be written formula_6. Knowing that the Cauchy stress tensor formula_7 and the deformation gradient formula_8 are objective quantities, one can write: formula_9 where formula_10 is a proper orthogonal tensor. The above is a condition that the constitutive law formula_11 has to respect to make sure that the response of the material will be independent of the observer. Similar conditions can be derived for constitutive laws relating the deformation gradient to the first or second Piola-Kirchhoff stress tensor. For an isotropic material the Cauchy stress tensor formula_1 can be expressed as a function of the left Cauchy-Green tensor formula_13. The constitutive equation may then be written: formula_14 In order to find the restriction on formula_15 which will ensure the principle of material frame-indifference, one can write: formula_16 A constitutive equation that respects the above condition is said to be isotropic. Even though the stress in a Cauchy-elastic material depends only on the state of deformation, the work done by stresses may depend on the path of deformation. Therefore a Cauchy elastic material in general has a non-conservative structure, and the stress cannot necessarily be derived from a scalar "elastic potential" function. Materials that are conservative in this sense are called hyperelastic or "Green-elastic".

Cauchy elastic material

F o r m a l l y , a m a t e r i a l i s s a i d t o b e C a u c h y - e l a s t i c i f t h e C a u c h y s t r e s s t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 1 i s a f u n c t i o n o f t h e s t r a i n t e n s o r ( d e f o r m a t i o n g r a d i e n t ) f o r m u l a _ 2 a l o n e : f o r m u l a _ 3 T h i s d e f i n i t i o n a s s u m e s t h a t t h e e f f e c t o f t e m p e r a t u r e c a n b e i g n o r e d , a n d t h e b o d y i s h o m o g e n e o u s . T h i s i s t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n f o r a C a u c h y - e l a s t i c m a t e r i a l . N o t e t h a t t h e f u n c t i o n f o r m u l a _ 4 d e p e n d s o n t h e c h o i c e o f r e f e r e n c e c o n f i g u r a t i o n . T y p i c a l l y , t h e r e f e r e n c e c o n f i g u r a t i o n i s t a k e n a s t h e r e l a x e d ( z e r o - s t r e s s ) c o n f i g u r a t i o n , b u t n e e d n o t b e . M a t e r i a l f r a m e - i n d i f f e r e n c e r e q u i r e s t h a t t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e r e l a t i o n f o r m u l a _ 4 s h o u l d n o t c h a n g e w h e n t h e l o c a t i o n o f t h e o b s e r v e r c h a n g e s . T h e r e f o r e t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n f o r a n o t h e r a r b i t r a r y o b s e r v e r c a n b e w r i t t e n f o r m u l a _ 6 . K n o w i n g t h a t t h e C a u c h y s t r e s s t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 7 a n d t h e d e f o r m a t i o n g r a d i e n t f o r m u l a _ 8 a r e o b j e c t i v e q u a n t i t i e s , o n e c a n w r i t e : f o r m u l a _ 9 w h e r e f o r m u l a _ 1 0 i s a p r o p e r o r t h o g o n a l t e n s o r . T h e a b o v e i s a c o n d i t i o n t h a t t h e c o n s t i t u t i v e l a w f o r m u l a _ 1 1 h a s t o r e s p e c t t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e r e s p o n s e o f t h e m a t e r i a l w i l l b e i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e o b s e r v e r . S i m i l a r c o n d i t i o n s c a n b e d e r i v e d f o r c o n s t i t u t i v e l a w s r e l a t i n g t h e d e f o r m a t i o n g r a d i e n t t o t h e f i r s t o r s e c o n d P i o l a - K i r c h h o f f s t r e s s t e n s o r . F o r a n i s o t r o p i c m a t e r i a l t h e C a u c h y s t r e s s t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 1 c a n b e e x p r e s s e d a s a f u n c t i o n o f t h e l e f t C a u c h y - G r e e n t e n s o r f o r m u l a _ 1 3 . T h e c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n m a y t h e n b e w r i t t e n : f o r m u l a _ 1 4 I n o r d e r t o f i n d t h e r e s t r i c t i o n o n f o r m u l a _ 1 5 w h i c h w i l l e n s u r e t h e p r i n c i p l e o f m a t e r i a l f r a m e - i n d i f f e r e n c e , o n e c a n w r i t e : f o r m u l a _ 1 6 A c o n s t i t u t i v e e q u a t i o n t h a t r e s p e c t s t h e a b o v e c o n d i t i o n i s s a i d t o b e i s o t r o p i c . E v e n t h o u g h t h e s t r e s s i n a C a u c h y - e l a s t i c m a t e r i a l d e p e n d s o n l y o n t h e s t a t e o f d e f o r m a t i o n , t h e w o r k d o n e b y s t r e s s e s m a y d e p e n d o n t h e p a t h o f d e f o r m a t i o n . T h e r e f o r e a C a u c h y e l a s t i c m a t e r i a l i n g e n e r a l h a s a n o n - c o n s e r v a t i v e s t r u c t u r e , a n d t h e s t r e s s c a n n o t n e c e s s a r i l y b e d e r i v e d f r o m a s c a l a r " e l a s t i c p o t e n t i a l " f u n c t i o n . M a t e r i a l s t h a t a r e c o n s e r v a t i v e i n t h i s s e n s e a r e c a l l e d h y p e r e l a s t i c o r " G r e e n - e l a s t i c " .

Non-conservative materials

Cauchy-elastic materials have a constitutive equation that relates the Cauchy stress tensor to the strain tensor, assuming temperature effects can be ignored and the body is homogeneous. The material's response must be independent of the observer, ensuring material frame-indifference. Isotropic materials have a specific form of the constitutive equation. Cauchy-elastic materials generally have a non-conservative structure, meaning the work done by stresses depends on the path of deformation, unlike hyperelastic materials which are conservative.

Formally, a material is said to be Cauchy-elastic if the Cauchy stress tensor formula_1 is a function of the strain tensor (deformation gradient) formula_2 alone: formula_3 This definition assumes that the effect of temperature can be ignored, and the body is homogeneous. This is the constitutive equation for a Cauchy-elastic material. Note that the function formula_4 depends on the choice of reference configuration. Typically, the reference configuration is taken as the relaxed (zero-stress) configuration, but need not be. Material frame-indifference requires that the constitutive relation formula_4 should not change when the location of the observer changes. Therefore the constitutive equation for another arbitrary observer can be written formula_6. Knowing that the Cauchy stress tensor formula_7 and the deformation gradient formula_8 are objective quantities, one can write: formula_9 where formula_10 is a proper orthogonal tensor. The above is a condition that the constitutive law formula_11 has to respect to make sure that the response of the material will be independent of the observer. Similar conditions can be derived for constitutive laws relating the deformation gradient to the first or second Piola-Kirchhoff stress tensor. For an isotropic material the Cauchy stress tensor formula_1 can be expressed as a function of the left Cauchy-Green tensor formula_13. The constitutive equation may then be written: formula_14 In order to find the restriction on formula_15 which will ensure the principle of material frame-indifference, one can write: formula_16 A constitutive equation that respects the above condition is said to be isotropic. Even though the stress in a Cauchy-elastic material depends only on the state of deformation, the work done by stresses may depend on the path of deformation. Therefore a Cauchy elastic material in general has a non-conservative structure, and the stress cannot necessarily be derived from a scalar "elastic potential" function. Materials that are conservative in this sense are called hyperelastic or "Green-elastic".

Comic LO

W h e n f i r s t p u b l i s h e d , C o m i c L O h e l p e d t r i g g e r a s m a l l b o o m i n " l o l i c o n " m a n g a i n t h e e a r l y 2 0 0 0 s . C o m i c L O w a s o r i g i n a l l y a n e x t r a i s s u e o f o t h e r e r o t i c m a g a z i n e s , b u t i t b e c a m e i n d e p e n d e n t o n D e c e m b e r 2 1 , 2 0 0 5 . O n M a y 2 2 , 2 0 1 0 , t h e p u b l i s h e r p u t o u t a n a n n o u n c e m e n t t o s t o p t h e i l l e g a l u p l o a d i n g o f t h e m a g a z i n e o n i t s o f f i c i a l w e b s i t e . I n D e c e m b e r , 2 0 1 5 a g l i m p s e o f t h e s t a n d a r d s o f " C o m i c L O " w e r e b r o u g h t f o r w a r d r e g a r d i n g t h e a r t w o r k . A m a g a p p a S h ō j o g u n , a m a n g a a r t i s t f o r t h e m a g a z i n e w a s t o l d t o d r a w m o r e g i r l s t h a t l o o k l i k e 9 y e a r o l d s a s 8 w a s t o o y o u n g . T h e c o v e r i l l u s t r a t i o n s a r e b y T a k a m i c h i . V o l u m e 2 0 0 w a s p u b l i s h e d o n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 .

History

Comic LO, a lolicon manga magazine, debuted in the early 2000s and sparked a brief trend. Initially an extra issue of other erotic magazines, it gained independence in 2005. Over the years, concerns about illegal uploads (2010) and artistic standards (2015) arose. The magazine continues to publish, with volume 200 released in 2020.

When first published, Comic LO helped trigger a small boom in "lolicon" manga in the early 2000s. Comic LO was originally an extra issue of other erotic magazines, but it became independent on December 21, 2005. On May 22, 2010, the publisher put out an announcement to stop the illegal uploading of the magazine on its official website. In December, 2015 a glimpse of the standards of "Comic LO" were brought forward regarding the artwork. Amagappa Shōjogun, a manga artist for the magazine was told to draw more girls that look like 9 year olds as 8 was too young. The cover illustrations are by Takamichi. Volume 200 was published on September 19, 2020.

Druid of Colchester

T h e g r a v e w a s d i s c o v e r e d b y a r c h a e o l o g i s t s i n 1 9 9 6 , a t t h e v i l l a g e o f S t a n w a y , E s s e x , T h e f i n d i s b e l i e v e d t o b e t h a t o f a n I r o n A g e d r u i d d a t e d . I t i s o n e a m o n g a n u m b e r o f g r a v e s o f e m i n e n t p e o p l e f o u n d , b e l i e v e d t o b e b u r i e d a r o u n d t h e t i m e o f t h e R o m a n i n v a s i o n o f B r i t a i n i n 4 3   C E . T h e a r e a w a s t h e n a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e C a t u v e l l a u n i t r i b e . I n t h e w o o d e n c h a m b e r e d b u r i a l s i t e , a r c h a e o l o g i s t s u n c o v e r e d c r e m a t e d h u m a n r e m a i n s , a n d a b o a r d g a m e — t h e f i r s t t i m e t h a t s u c h a g a m e h a s b e e n f o u n d v i r t u a l l y i n t a c t . O t h e r i t e m s u n c o v e r e d i n c l u d e d a c l o a k d e c o r a t e d w i t h b r o o c h e s , a j e t b e a d b e l i e v e d t o h a v e m a g i c a l p r o p e r t i e s , m e d i c a l e q u i p m e n t , a t e a s t r a i n e r s t i l l c o n t a i n i n g s o m e k i n d o f h e r b a l b r e w , a n d s o m e m y s t e r i o u s m e t a l p o l e s c o n j e c t u r e d t o b e u s e d f o r d i v i n i n g . T h e s u r g i c a l k i t c o n s i s t e d o f 1 3   i n s t r u m e n t s i n c l u d i n g : A c u p w a s a l s o f o u n d , c o n t a i n i n g t r a c e s o f t h e h e r b m u g w o r t . T h e t e a s t r a i n e r a l s o c o n t a i n e d h e r b s c o m m o n l y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h h e r b a l r e m e d i e s i n a n c i e n t t i m e s . P h i l i p C r u m m y , d i r e c t o r o f t h e t r u s t , r e m a i n e d c a u t i o u s , a d d i n g t h a t t h e r e m a y b e o t h e r e x p l a n a t i o n s . " I n t h e r e p o r t w e d r a w t h e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t t h i s m a n o r w o m a n w a s a d r u i d , " h e w r o t e : " T h e s o - c a l l e d ‘ d r u i d ’ c o u l d h a v e b e e n a d o c t o r . T h e t e a s t r a i n e r c o n t a i n s a r t e m i s i a p o l l e n , w h i c h i s c o m m o n l y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h h e r b a l r e m e d i e s . H e a l i n g i s a n a t t r i b u t e g i v e n t o d r u i d s . W e d o n ' t k n o w w h a t t h e m e t a l r o d s a r e f o r , b u t w e t h i n k t h e y c o u l d h a v e b e e n u s e d f o r d i v i n i n g . T h e q u e s t i o n i s w h e t h e r a l l t h a t s t a c k s u p t o h i m [ o r h e r ] b e i n g a d r u i d . I t c o u l d b e – i t w a s c e r t a i n l y s o m e b o d y s p e c i a l . " T h e m e d i c a l k i t w a s " f a i r l y R o m a n i z e d " a n d t h e i n d i v i d u a l m a y h a v e a c t e d " l i k e a R o m a n s u r g e o n / d o c t o r w o u l d h a v e d o n e . " " D i v i n a t i o n w a s w i d e l y p r a c t i c e d i n t h e R o m a n w o r l d t o o , " h e a d d e d . B e c a u s e o f t h e s i t e ’ s a g e a n d l o c a t i o n , a r c h a e o l o g i s t M i k e P i t t s b e l i e v e d t h e p e r s o n w a s i n d e e d a C e l t i c d r u i d , a n d c o u l d h a v e b e e n c l o s e l y r e l a t e d t o C u n o b e l i n u s , a c h i e f o r k i n g o f t h e C a t u v e l l a u n i t r i b e . T h e g r a v e c o n t a i n e d a b o a r d g a m e , w i t h i t s b l u e a n d w h i t e g l a s s b o a r d - p i e c e s l a i d o u t r e a d y f o r s t a r t o f p l a y . S u r v i v i n g m e t a l c o r n e r s a n d h i n g e s f r o m t h e g a m e b o a r d a l l o w e d a r e c o n s t r u c t i o n t o b e c r e a t e d ; i t i s b e l i e v e d t o b e a 5 5 × 4 0   c e n t i m e t e r ( 2 1 × 1 5   i n c h ) r e c t a n g l e w i t h p l a y o v e r a b o a r d o f 8 × 1 2   s q u a r e s . T h e w h i t e a n d b l u e g l a s s t o k e n s – 1 3 f o r e a c h s i d e – w e r e r a n g e d o p p o s i t e e a c h o t h e r , s i m i l a r t o t h e s t a r t i n g p o s i t i o n i n c h e s s . A l l p i e c e s w e r e o f e q u a l s i z e , e x c e p t f o r a s i n g l e , s m a l l e r w h i t e b e a d p o s i t i o n e d c l o s e t o t h e c e n t r e o f t h e b o a r d . G i v e n t h e a b s e n c e o f d i c e , F i n k e l ( 2 0 0 9 ) s p e c u l a t e d t h a t t h e g a m e w a s p u r e l y s t r a t e g i c . A d e t a i l e d a n a l y s i s o f t h e g a m e b y S c h ä d l e r ( 2 0 0 7 ) a r g u e s t h a t t h e g a m e i s n e i t h e r R o m a n l a t r u n c u l i , n o r X I I s c r i p t a , b u t i n f a c t a r e l a t i v e o f t h e C e l t i c g a m e k n o w n a s f i d c h e l l o r g w y d d b w y l l . T h e f i n d s u g g e s t s t h e g a m e w a s p l a y e d o n e i t h e r 8 × 1 2 o r 9 × 1 3   s q u a r e s u s i n g 1 3   p i e c e s p e r s i d e . T h e p r e s e n c e o f j u s t o n e s m a l l e r b e a d m a y i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e g a m e w a s a s y m m e t r i c a l , w i t h a k i n g - l i k e p i e c e b e l o n g i n g t o o n e s i d e , a s i n t a f l g a m e s . A l t e r n a t i v e l y , s o m e p e o p l e b e l i e v e t h i s b o a r d m a y h a v e b e e n u s e d a l o n g w i t h t h e m e t a l r o d s f o r d i v i n i n g p u r p o s e s . I n 2 0 1 5 , C o l c h e s t e r r e s i d e n t A l e x J o n e s d e v e l o p e d a b o a r d g a m e h e c a l l s " A q u i l a " i n s p i r e d b y t h e S t a n w a y g a m e . A t l e a s t o n e " A q u i l a " t o u r n a m e n t w a s h e l d a t t h e C o l c h e s t e r R o m a n C i r c u s C e n t r e i n S e p t e m b e r   2 0 1 5 .

Artifacts

Archaeologists discovered a grave in Essex, England, dating back to the Iron Age, around 43 CE. The burial site belonged to an important figure, possibly a druid, who was buried with various artifacts, including a board game, medical equipment, and mysterious metal poles. The game, reconstructed from surviving pieces, features a 55x40 cm board with 8x12 squares and 13 glass tokens per player. Scholars speculate about the game's origins and purpose, with some believing it to be a Celtic game called fidchell or gwyddbwyll, while others think it might have been used for divination.

The grave was discovered by archaeologists in 1996, at the village of Stanway, Essex, The find is believed to be that of an Iron Age druid dated . It is one among a number of graves of eminent people found, believed to be buried around the time of the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 CE. The area was then associated with the Catuvellauni tribe. In the wooden chambered burial site, archaeologists uncovered cremated human remains, and a board game — the first time that such a game has been found virtually intact. Other items uncovered included a cloak decorated with brooches, a jet bead believed to have magical properties, medical equipment, a tea strainer still containing some kind of herbal brew, and some mysterious metal poles conjectured to be used for divining. The surgical kit consisted of 13 instruments including: A cup was also found, containing traces of the herb mugwort. The tea strainer also contained herbs commonly associated with herbal remedies in ancient times. Philip Crummy, director of the trust, remained cautious, adding that there may be other explanations. "In the report we draw the possibility that this man or woman was a druid," he wrote: "The so-called ‘druid’ could have been a doctor. The tea strainer contains artemisia pollen, which is commonly associated with herbal remedies. Healing is an attribute given to druids. We don't know what the metal rods are for, but we think they could have been used for divining. The question is whether all that stacks up to him [or her] being a druid. It could be – it was certainly somebody special. " The medical kit was "fairly Romanized" and the individual may have acted "like a Roman surgeon / doctor would have done." "Divination was widely practiced in the Roman world too," he added. Because of the site’s age and location, archaeologist Mike Pitts believed the person was indeed a Celtic druid, and could have been closely related to Cunobelinus, a chief or king of the Catuvellauni tribe. The grave contained a board game, with its blue and white glass board-pieces laid out ready for start of play. Surviving metal corners and hinges from the game board allowed a reconstruction to be created; it is believed to be a 55×40 centimeter (21×15 inch) rectangle with play over a board of 8×12 squares. The white and blue glass tokens – 13 for each side – were ranged opposite each other, similar to the starting position in chess. All pieces were of equal size, except for a single, smaller white bead positioned close to the centre of the board. Given the absence of dice, Finkel (2009) speculated that the game was purely strategic. A detailed analysis of the game by Schädler (2007) argues that the game is neither Roman latrunculi, nor XII scripta, but in fact a relative of the Celtic game known as fidchell or gwyddbwyll. The find suggests the game was played on either 8×12 or 9×13 squares using 13 pieces per side. The presence of just one smaller bead may indicate that the game was asymmetrical, with a king-like piece belonging to one side, as in tafl games. Alternatively, some people believe this board may have been used along with the metal rods for divining purposes. In 2015, Colchester resident Alex Jones developed a board game he calls "Aquila" inspired by the Stanway game. At least one "Aquila" tournament was held at the Colchester Roman Circus Centre in September 2015.

Maeve Fort

B o r n o n 1 9 N o v e m b e r 1 9 4 0 i n L i v e r p o o l , F o r t w a s t h e o n l y c h i l d o f a h o s p i t a l a d m i n i s t r a t o r . S h e a t t e n d e d N a n t w i c h G r a m m a r S c h o o l , b u t l e f t b e f o r e c o m p l e t i n g h e r A - L e v e l s w h e n s h e d i s c o v e r e d t h a t T r i n i t y C o l l e g e , D u b l i n d i d n o t t h e n r e q u i r e e n t r a n t s t o h a v e t a k e n t h e m . S h e a c h i e v e d a s u f f i c i e n t l y g o o d d e g r e e i n E n g l i s h a n d F r e n c h t o g a i n a s c h o l a r s h i p f o r s t u d y a t t h e S o r b o n n e f r o m t h e F r e n c h g o v e r n m e n t . F o r t d e c i d e d t o a p p l y t o j o i n t h e F o r e i g n O f f i c e , d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t s h e w a s a d v i s e d t h a t a s a f e m a l e , a n d n o t e v e n a n O x b r i d g e g r a d u a t e , s h e h a d l i t t l e c h a n c e o f b e i n g s e l e c t e d . H o w e v e r , s h e b e c a m e o n e o f j u s t t w e l v e s u c c e s s f u l c a n d i d a t e s t o b e a p p o i n t e d t o t h e j u n i o r g r a d e a t t h e F o r e i g n O f f i c e i n 1 9 6 2 . P o s t i n g s t o N e w Y o r k C i t y , B a n g k o k ( a s e c o n d m e n t t o S E A T O ) , B o n n a n d L a g o s f o l l o w e d , w i t h a p p o i n t m e n t a s a n o f f i c e r i n t h e D i p l o m a t i c S e r v i c e o n 2 4 A p r i l 1 9 7 3 . F o r t w a s l a t e r p r o m o t e d t o F i r s t S e c r e t a r y a t t h e F o r e i g n a n d C o m m o n w e a l t h O f f i c e , a n d i n 1 9 7 8 , s h e r e t u r n e d t o N e w Y o r k a s p a r t o f t h e U K ' s m i s s i o n t o t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s . H e r e , s h e b e g a n t o s p e c i a l i s e i n A f r i c a n a f f a i r s , i n p a r t i c u l a r o n t h e N a m i b i a c o n t a c t g r o u p , w o r k i n g t o w a r d s a p e a c e f u l i n d e p e n d e n c e f o r N a m i b i a . A t o n e t i m e , s h e w a s t o l d t o p r e p a r e f o r a p o s t i n g t o t h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n i n W i n d h o e k , N a m i b i a , b u t i t w a s s u d d e n l y c a n c e l l e d . F o r t r e t u r n e d t o t h e U K i n 1 9 8 2 , t o s t u d y a t t h e R o y a l C o l l e g e o f D e f e n c e S t u d i e s f o r a y e a r . S h e w a s t h e n p r o m o t e d t o c o u n s e l l o r a n d p o s t e d t o S a n t i a g o , C h i l e . S h e w a s r e c a l l e d t o t h e F o r e i g n O f f i c e i n 1 9 8 6 , s e r v i n g a s h e a d o f t h e W e s t A f r i c a n d e p a r t m e n t , a n d c o n c u r r e n t l y a s n o n - r e s i d e n t A m b a s s a d o r t o C h a d , w h i c h w a s t h e n c o n s i d e r e d t o o d a n g e r o u s t o h o s t a r e s i d e n t a m b a s s a d o r , d u e t o t h e o n g o i n g C h a d i a n – L i b y a n c o n f l i c t . F o r t w a s t h e n a p p o i n t e d A m b a s s a d o r t o M o z a m b i q u e i n 1 9 8 9 . M o z a m b i q u e w a s s t i l l i n t h e t h r o e s o f i t s c i v i l w a r a n d F o r t b e c a m e i n v o l v e d i n t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s t o b r i n g t h e c o n f l i c t t o a n d e n d , b u i l d i n g c o n t a c t s b e t w e e n P r e s i d e n t J o a q u i m C h i s s a n o a n d t h e R E N A M O l e a d e r , A f o n s o D h l a k a m a . S h e w a s a p p o i n t e d a C o m p a n i o n o f t h e O r d e r o f S t M i c h a e l a n d S t G e o r g e ( C M G ) i n t h e 1 9 9 0 N e w Y e a r H o n o u r s . I n 1 9 9 2 , F o r t v o l u n t e e r e d t o b e c o m e A m b a s s a d o r t o L e b a n o n , a n o t h e r d a n g e r o u s p o s t i n g . S h e h a d a c l o s e p r o t e c t i o n t e a m o f s i x b o d y g u a r d s f r o m t h e R o y a l M i l i t a r y P o l i c e — F o r t r e f e r r e d t o t h e m a s ' h e r b o y s ' . T h e s i t u a t i o n i n L e b a n o n w a s s u c h t h a t s h e l i v e d i n a f o r t i f i e d c o m p o u n d , a n d t r a v e l l e d i n a n a r m o u r e d R a n g e R o v e r — h e r e s c a p e w a s w a l k i n g i n t h e L e b a n e s e m o u n t a i n s , s t i l l a c c o m p a n i e d b y ' t h e b o y s ' , o n e o f w h o m c a r r i e d h e r b e l o v e d d o g , C h l o e , a w h i t e P o m e r a n i a n - M a l t e s e c r o s s , i n a k n a p s a c k . F o r t w a s a p p o i n t e d H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e r t o S o u t h A f r i c a i n 1 9 9 6 , t w o y e a r s a f t e r N e l s o n M a n d e l a b e c a m e t h e f i r s t b l a c k p r e s i d e n t o f t h a t c o u n t r y . S h e s o o n b e c a m e a f r i e n d a n d c o n f i d a n t o f M a n d e l a a n d o t h e r h i g h - r a n k i n g S o u t h A f r i c a n s . I n 1 9 9 7 , h e r p r e v i o u s a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h n e g o t i a t i o n s r e l a t i n g t o N a m i b i a a n d M o z a m b i q u e , p r o v e d u s e f u l a g a i n a s t h e s i t u a t i o n i n A n g o l a d e t e r i o r a t e d . S h e h o s t e d P r i n c e C h a r l e s o n a n o f f i c i a l v i s i t , s h o r t l y a f t e r t h e d e a t h o f D i a n a , P r i n c e s s o f W a l e s . F o r t w a s p r o m o t e d t o D a m e C o m m a n d e r o f t h e O r d e r o f S t M i c h a e l a n d S t G e o r g e ( D C M G ) i n 1 9 9 8 , a n d b e c a m e a r a r e ' d o u b l e d a m e ' w h e n s h e w a s a p p o i n t e d D a m e C o m m a n d e r o f t h e R o y a l V i c t o r i a n O r d e r ( D C V O ) o n 9 N o v e m b e r 1 9 9 9 , d u r i n g Q u e e n E l i z a b e t h I I ' s s t a t e v i s i t t o S o u t h A f r i c a . D a m e M a e v e F o r t d i e d i n L o n d o n , a g e d 6 7 , f o l l o w i n g a s h o r t i l l n e s s .

Foreign Office

Maeve Fort joined the Foreign Office in 1962, becoming one of the first women to do so. She held various postings including New York City, Bangkok, Bonn, Lagos, and Santiago, Chile. She specialized in African affairs, particularly in Namibia and Mozambique, where she played a key role in negotiating peace agreements. Fort served as Ambassador to Mozambique, Lebanon, and South Africa, earning numerous honors, including CMG and DCMG. She died in 2008 at age 67.

Born on 19 November 1940 in Liverpool, Fort was the only child of a hospital administrator. She attended Nantwich Grammar School, but left before completing her A-Levels when she discovered that Trinity College, Dublin did not then require entrants to have taken them. She achieved a sufficiently good degree in English and French to gain a scholarship for study at the Sorbonne from the French government. Fort decided to apply to join the Foreign Office, despite the fact that she was advised that as a female, and not even an Oxbridge graduate, she had little chance of being selected. However, she became one of just twelve successful candidates to be appointed to the junior grade at the Foreign Office in 1962. Postings to New York City, Bangkok (a secondment to SEATO), Bonn and Lagos followed, with appointment as an officer in the Diplomatic Service on 24 April 1973. Fort was later promoted to First Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and in 1978, she returned to New York as part of the UK's mission to the United Nations. Here, she began to specialise in African affairs, in particular on the Namibia contact group, working towards a peaceful independence for Namibia. At one time, she was told to prepare for a posting to the High Commission in Windhoek, Namibia, but it was suddenly cancelled. Fort returned to the UK in 1982, to study at the Royal College of Defence Studies for a year. She was then promoted to counsellor and posted to Santiago, Chile. She was recalled to the Foreign Office in 1986, serving as head of the West African department, and concurrently as non-resident Ambassador to Chad, which was then considered too dangerous to host a resident ambassador, due to the ongoing Chadian–Libyan conflict. Fort was then appointed Ambassador to Mozambique in 1989. Mozambique was still in the throes of its civil war and Fort became involved in the negotiations to bring the conflict to and end, building contacts between President Joaquim Chissano and the RENAMO leader, Afonso Dhlakama. She was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1990 New Year Honours. In 1992, Fort volunteered to become Ambassador to Lebanon, another dangerous posting. She had a close protection team of six bodyguards from the Royal Military Police — Fort referred to them as 'her boys'. The situation in Lebanon was such that she lived in a fortified compound, and travelled in an armoured Range Rover — her escape was walking in the Lebanese mountains, still accompanied by 'the boys', one of whom carried her beloved dog, Chloe, a white Pomeranian-Maltese cross, in a knapsack. Fort was appointed High Commissioner to South Africa in 1996, two years after Nelson Mandela became the first black president of that country. She soon became a friend and confidant of Mandela and other high-ranking South Africans. In 1997, her previous association with negotiations relating to Namibia and Mozambique, proved useful again as the situation in Angola deteriorated. She hosted Prince Charles on an official visit, shortly after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Fort was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in 1998, and became a rare 'double dame' when she was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (DCVO) on 9 November 1999, during Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to South Africa. Dame Maeve Fort died in London, aged 67, following a short illness.

Aajonus Vonderplanitz

O r i g i n a l l y n a m e d J o h n R i c h a r d S w i g a r t , a n d b o r n i n D e n v e r , C o l o r a d o , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s p e n t m o s t o f c h i l d h o o d a n d a d o l e s c e n c e i n t h e C i n c i n n a t i s u b u r b F i n n e y t o w n , O h i o . H e d e s c r i b e d h a v i n g b e e n a s i c k l y c h i l d m i s u n d e r s t o o d a n d a b u s e d . H i s b r o t h e r , a c o u p l e o f y e a r s e l d e r , a l l e g e d l y r e s e n t f u l a t l o s s o f m a t e r n a l a t t e n t i o n , " t o r t u r e d m e n e a r l y d a i l y " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z e x p l a i n e d . B e i n g " d y s l e x i c " a n d " b o r d e r l i n e a u t i s t i c " , c o n d i t i o n s " w h i c h n o o n e u n d e r s t o o d a t t h e t i m e " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z " r a r e l y p l a y e d w i t h o t h e r c h i l d r e n " , a n d " e m b a r r a s s e d a n d f r u s t r a t e d m y p a r e n t s " , f u e l i n g p a t e r n a l " d i s c i p l i n e " t h a t l e d t o s e v e r a l h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d . I n a n o t h e r h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n n e a r h i s 1 0 t h b i r t h d a y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a l l e g e d p e r i t o n i t i s w a s m i s d i a g n o s e d a p p e n d i c i t i s , w h e r e u p o n h i s a p p e n d i x , d i s c o v e r e d f i n e , w a s r e m o v e d a n y w a y , h e r e c o u n t e d . H e c l a i m e d t h a t h i s b o n e s w e r e b r i t t l e , h e " r e g u l a r l y " b r e a k i n g l i m b b o n e s , a n d a t a g e 1 5 w a s d i a g n o s e d w i t h " j u v e n i l e d i a b e t e s " . V o n d e r p l a n i t z f i r s t r e c e i v e d f a m i l y a n d c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t , h e r e c a l l e d , o n c e h e f o u n d h i s f i r s t g i r l f r i e n d i n h i s j u n i o r y e a r a t F i n n e y t o w n H i g h S c h o o l . A t a g e 1 7 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z m a r r i e d h e r , a r e c e n t s c h o o l m a t e o n e y e a r e l d e r , w h o b o r e h i s o n l y c h i l d , a s o n , i n h i s s e n i o r y e a r . O n c e h e g r a d u a t e d , t h e n e w f a m i l y m o v e d e l s e w h e r e n e a r C i n c i n n a t i . T h e y r e n t i n g a s m a l l a p a r t m e n t a t a b u s i n e s s i n t e r s e c t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s w i f e w o r k e d a s a u t i l i t y - c o m p a n y s e c r e t a r y , a n d h e a s a s h o r t - o r d e r c o o k a l s o a t t e n d i n g t h e C i n c i n n a t i I n s t i t u t e o f C o m p u t e r T e c h n o l o g y . T h e i r s o n ' s s e v e r e c o l i c , h e r p o s t p a r t u m m o o d p r o b l e m s , a n d h i s o w n c o n f u s i o n s a n d m o o d p r o b l e m s e n d e d t h e i r p r i o r b l i s s . H e i n c r e a s i n g l y d r a n k w i t h f r i e n d s , a n d e n t e r e d a n e x t r a m a r i t a l a f f a i r w i t h a f e m a l e i n s t r u c t o r a t h i s t r a d e s c h o o l . D i v o r c e d a t 1 9 , h e m o v e d t o L o s A n g e l e s f o r w o r k i n c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m m i n g . A l t h o u g h h e s e e m i n g l y n e v e r r e m a r r i e d , h i s o w n a n d o t h e r p e r s o n s ' a n e c d o t e s a b o u t h i m i n v o l v e s e v e r a l g i r l f r i e n d s t h r o u g h o u t h i s l a t e r l i f e . O n m o v i n g t o L o s A n g e l e s , f e e l i n g d i r e c t i o n l e s s a n d d i s t r e s s e d , V o n d e r p l a n i t z c o n t i n u e d h e a v y d r i n k i n g . S t i l l a g e d 1 9 , h e d e v e l o p e d a s t o m a c h u l c e r , w h o s e s u r g i c a l t r e a t m e n t c a u s e d a k e l o i d a l s c a r i n t u r n t r e a t e d b y r a d i a t i o n t h e r a p y t h a t t h e n c a u s e d m u l t i p l e m y e l o m a , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e c o u n t e d . O n c e c h e m o t h e r a p y c a u s e d f u r t h e r i l l n e s s e s , i n c l u d i n g p s o r i a s i s , b u r s i t i s , a n d s e v e r e p e r i o d o n t i t i s , h e d i s c o n t i n u e d t r e a t m e n t o f h i s t e r m i n a l c a n c e r , b u t a h o s p i c e w o r k e r , p a y i n g h i m v o l u n t e e r h o m e v i s i t s , g a v e h i m a s m a l l b o o k o n c a n c e r t r e a t m e n t b y r a w c a r r o t j u i c e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m . W i t h i n 1 0 d a y s , t h e r e g i m e n e n d e d h i s a l l e g e d d y s l e x i a , a n d s o o n t h e r e a f t e r p u t h i s c a n c e r i n r e m i s s i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m . A t a g e 2 2 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z b e g a n p r o m o t i n g h i m s e l f a s a n u t r i t i o n i s t . A t a b o u t a g e 2 3 , t h e s t i l l J o h n S w i g a r t m e t a g i r l t o d d l e r w h o r e n a m e d h i m A a j o n u s . D i s l i k i n g h i s g i v e n n a m e , a r e m i n d e r o f i l l n e s s a n d m i s t r e a t m e n t , h e a c c e p t e d t h e r e n a m i n g , a n d l a t e r t o o k h i s E u r o p e a n a n c e s t o r s ' l a s t n a m e V o n d e r p l a n i t z . H e w o u l d a t t r i b u t e h i s h e a l t h g a i n s o v e r t h e n e x t t w o y e a r s m o s t l y t o r a w j u i c e s a n d r a w d a i r y . B y a g e 2 5 , e l i m i n a t i n g r a w d a i r y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a d o p t e d r a w v e g a n i s m . A t a g e 2 7 , s e e k i n g h e a l t h a n s w e r s , h e r e p u t e d l y s o j o u r n e d b y b i c y c l e , w h i l e h e " l i v e d o f f t h e e a r t h " , a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d i n t o L a t i n A m e r i c a . N e a r l y t h r e e y e a r s l a t e r , h e r e t u r n e d t o L o s A n g e l e s t e l l i n g o f a s e e m i n g l y i m p l a u s i b l e h e a l t h a n s w e r : e a t i n g r a w m e a t . V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m a d i v e r s e r é s u m é , p a r t l y s i n c e b y a g e 4 0 , h e s t i l l h a d m a r g i n a l i n c o m e a s a n u t r i t i o n i s t . H e r e c a l l e d e t h i c a l l y r e f u s i n g $ 7 . 5 m i l l i o n t o b e m a d e , i n 1 9 7 1 , t h e W i n s t o n M a n f o r s e v e n y e a r s , a n d , i n t h e 1 9 8 0 s , w h i l e e a r n i n g i n c o m e p a i n t i n g m u r a l s a n d s u c h i n s i d e h o m e s , s o m e a c t i n g o n t h e s o a p o p e r a " G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l " . H e c l a i m e d t o h a v e c r e a t e d a b r i e f d i e t , d a m a g i n g w i t h i n a f e w d a y s t o w e e k s , f o r a c l i e n t d e m a n d i n g q u i c k w e i g h t l o s s , b u t w h o a l l e g e d l y p u b l i s h e d i t f o r p r o f i t a s t h e B e v e r l y H i l l s D i e t . U p o n o v e r t u r n i n g a t r a f f i c t i c k e t a t a g e 2 2 , h e s o u g h t t o d e v e l o p l e g a l e x p e r t i s e b y p r i v a t e s t u d y . A f t e r 2 0 0 0 , h e w r o t e b u s i n e s s c o n t r a c t s a n d l e g a l r e s p o n s e s f o r f a r m e r s . I n h i s l a t e s t y e a r s , o w n i n g a f a r m i n t h e P h i l i p p i n e s a n d a n o t h e r i n a r e m o t e a r e a o f T h a i l a n d , n e a r i t s n o r t h e r n b o r d e r w i t h L a o s , h e s p e n t m u c h t i m e a t h i s T h a i l a n d f a r m . V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t u t e l a g e b y a S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a n u t r i t i o n i s t n a m e d B r u n o C o r i g l i a n o f o l l o w e d b y n e a r l y t h r e e y e a r s o f b i c y c l e t r a v e l a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d i n t o L a t i n A m e r i c a , i n h i s l a t e 2 0 s , w h i l e s t u d y i n g b i o l o g y a n d m e d i c a l t e x t b o o k s , N a t i v e A m e r i c a n i n d i g e n o u s h e a l t h c a r e , a n d w i l d l i f e h a b i t s . H e c l a i m e d t o h a v e d i s c o v e r e d r a w m e a t ' s p u t a t i v e h e a l i n g c a p a c i t y w h e n f a s t i n g i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s , w h e r e a p a c k o f c o y o t e s k i l l e d , t o r e o p e n , a n d o f f e r e d h i m a j a c k r a b b i t , t h e n w a t c h e d h i m u n t i l h e a t e i t . I n h i s e a r l y 2 0 s , a m o n g t h e o u t d o o r p u r v e y o r s a t V e n i c e B e a c h , h e s e t u p a t a b l e w i t h t h e b a n n e r " N U T R I T I O N I S T " , a n d b e g a n c o u n s e l i n g i n a r a w - f o o d n i c h e . I n h i n d s i g h t , h e c l a i m e d t h a t h i s a d v i c e h a d b e e n o f t e n i n e f f e c t i v e , a n d s o m e t i m e s e v e n h a r m f u l , u n t i l h e i n c l u d e d r a w m e a t . A t p e r h a p s a g e 3 0 , h e b e c a m e a s t a f f n u t r i t i o n i s t , a d v i s i n g c u s t o m e r s , a t a h e a l t h f o o d s t o r e , A u n t T i l l y ' s T o o . A l t h o u g h n o t i n h i s 1 9 9 7 b o o k , h e u s e d t h e t i t l e P h D , s p e c i f y i n g n u t r i t i o n a l s c i e n c e , i n a 2 0 0 1 r e s e a r c h r e p o r t o n m i l k , c o w r i t t e n w i t h W i l l i a m C a m p b e l l D o u g l a s s I I M D , a n d t h e r e a f t e r . I n 2 0 0 9 , h e w a s r e p o r t e d t o l a c k a c c r e d i t e d s c i e n t i f i c o r m e d i c a l t r a i n i n g . I n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 8 6 , a t a g e 3 9 , l i v i n g i n a B e v e r l y H i l l s " s l u m " w h i l e f r e e l a n c i n g i n n u t r i t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e t u r n e d t o C i n c i n n a t i , O h i o . T h e r e , h i s o n l y c h i l d , h i s s o n , e s t r a n g e d f o r a b o u t 2 0 y e a r s , h a d r e c e n t l y b e e n i n a s e v e r e c a r w r e c k , d r i v i n g , w i t h o u t a s e a t b e l t o n , s t r a i g h t i n t o a t r e e . V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t o h a v e s a b o t a g e d h i s s o n ' s c o n v e n t i o n a l m e d i c a l t r e a t m e n t , i n M e r c y H o s p i t a l ' s i n t e n s i v e - c a r e u n i t , a n d u s e d r a w f o o d s t o a w a k e n a n d r e t r i e v e h i s c o m a t o s e s o n f r o m i m m i n e n t d e a t h , a n d t o r e v e r s e h i s p a r a l y s i s a n d b r a i n d a m a g e . T e n y e a r s a f t e r h i s s o n ' s r e c o v e r y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e c o u n t e d t h e t a l e i n h i s f i r s t b o o k , " W e W a n t t o L i v e " , f i r s t p u b l i s h e d i n 1 9 9 7 a n d r e v i s e d i n 2 0 0 5 . U p o n t h e 1 9 9 7 r e l e a s e o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s f i r s t b o o k , R o b e r t A t k i n s i n t e r v i e w e d h i m , b a s e d b y t h e n i n M a l i b u , o n A t k i n s ' s n a t i o n a l l y s y n d i c a t e d r a d i o s h o w . V o n d e r p l a n i t z h a d c l a i m e d t h a t h i s o w n p r o t o c o l h a d c u r e d o v e r 2 0 0 c l i e n t s o f c a n c e r . I n 2 0 0 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z t r a d e m a r k e d t h e n a m e " P r i m a l D i e t " . U n l i k e l a t e r d i e t s c a l l e d " p r i m a l " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s P r i m a l D i e t p r i n c i p a l l y i n c l u d e s r a w m e a t , r a w e g g s , r a w d a i r y , r a w f a t s , a n d u n h e a t e d h o n e y . I n 2 0 0 2 , h i s o t h e r b o o k , t h e " R e c i p e f o r L i v i n g W i t h o u t D i s e a s e " , w a s p u b l i s h e d . N e a r i n g 2 0 1 0 , h e w a s s t i l l c l a i m i n g o v e r 9 0 % r a t e o f c a n c e r r e m i s s i o n a m o n g h i s c l i e n t s c l o s e l y h e e d i n g i t . D e s p i t e m a i n s t r e a m d i s m i s s a l , h i s P r i m a l D i e t g a i n e d a s i z a b l e , i f u n d e r g r o u n d , f o l l o w i n g . A l t h o u g h V o n d e r p l a n i t z d a t e d i t t o t h e 1 9 7 0 s , h i s f o o d - r i g h t s c a m p a i g n m o r e c l e a r l y b e g a n n e a r i n g 2 0 0 0 . I n t o 2 0 1 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d a n a l l y , J a m e s S t e w a r t , w e r e t h e r a w - m i l k m o v e m e n t ' s d e f a c t o l e a d e r s . I n 1 9 9 7 o r 1 9 9 8 , V e n i c e r e s i d e n t J a m e s S t e w a r t , i n p o o r h e a l t h , d i s c o v e r e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s P r i m a l D i e t . B y 2 0 0 0 , S t e w a r t w a s a s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a d i s t r i b u t o r o f r a w m i l k f o r C l a r a v a l e F a r m , w h i c h h a d o n l y e i g h t c o w s , b u t w a s t h e s t a t e ' s o n l y f a r m s t i l l l i c e n s e d t o s u p p l y u n p a s t e u r i z e d m i l k t o r e t a i l s t o r e s . W h i l e C l a r a v a l e F a r m a d d e d c o w s f o r S t e w a r t ' s d i s t r i b u t i o n r e a c h i n g 3 0 s t o r e s i n f o u r c o u n t i e s — O r a n g e , V e n t u r a , S a n D i e g o , a n d L o s A n g e l e s — o n e c o u n t y , L o s A n g e l e s , w a s t h e s t a t e ' s o n l y w h e r e r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e w a s i l l e g a l . B y 2 0 0 1 , L . A . c o u n t y ' s r e g u l a t o r s w e r e p u l l i n g S t e w a r t ' s p l a c e d m i l k f r o m s t o r e s , y e t V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s c a m p a i g n t o l e g a l i z e r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e w a s c u l m i n a t i n g . I n 2 0 0 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z d r e w S t e w a r t t o h e l p d e m o n s t r a t i o n s a n d p r o t e s t s , a l t h o u g h i n i t i a l t u r n o u t w a s m i n u s c u l e . L a t e r i n 2 0 0 1 , c o w r i t t e n w i t h W i l l i a m C a m p b e l l D o u g l a s s I I , a n d s u b m i t t e d t o t h e c o u n t y ' s b o a r d o f s u p e r v i s o r s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s r e p o r t o n r a w m i l k , a n d a c c o m p a n y i n g t h r e a t o f l e g a l a c t i o n , g o t t h e c o u n t y ' s b o a r d o f s u p e r v i s o r s t o e n d t h e b a n o n r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e . H i g h l y p u b l i c i z e d , t h e h e a r i n g s f u e l e d c o n s u m e r d e m a n d f o r u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . C l a r a v a l e F a r m ' s s u p p l y v i a S t e w a r t i n s u f f i c i e n t , s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a r e s i d e n t s w o u l d t r a v e l n o r t h t o b u y r a w m i l k a t t h e M c A f e e b r o t h e r s ' f a r m , O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s D a i r y C o m p a n y . I n e a r l y 2 0 0 0 , t h e M c A f e e s ' f a r m h a d s w i t c h e d t o o r g a n i c , b u t t h e i r O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s s t i l l s o l d i t s m i l k w h o l e s a l e t o O r g a n i c V a l l e y , w h i c h i n t u r n s u p p l i e d o n l y p a s t e u r i z e d m i l k t o s t o r e s . U p o n v i s i t s b y s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a n c u s t o m e r s , t h e M c A f e e s ' O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s o b t a i n e d a p e r m i t t o s e l l r a w d a i r y r e t a i l . D u r i n g 2 0 0 1 , M a r k M c A f e e c o n t a c t e d S t e w a r t , w h o t h e n r e c r u i t e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z . V o n d e r p l a n i t z i n v e s t e d $ 1 5 0 0 0 , a n d w i t h S t e w a r t r e c r u i t e d o t h e r s , i n c l u d i n g r e a l - e s t a t e e x e c u t i v e L a r r y O t t i n g , w h o i n v e s t e d $ 1 7 0 0 0 , a n d O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s b e g a n s u p p l y i n g u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y r e t a i l . T h e v o l u m e a l l o w e d S t e w a r t , d e s p i t e d r o p p i n g C l a r a v a l e ' s m i l k , t o r e a c h 8 9 s t o r e s . Y e t i n 2 0 0 4 , a s t h e n a t i o n ' s l a r g e s t u n p a s t e u r i z e d s u p p l i e r , O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s b r o u g h t d i s t r i b u t i o n i n - h o u s e , e l i m i n a t i n g S t e w a r t . S t e w a r t t h e n f o c u s e d o n g r o w i n g h i s p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , R a w e s o m e . R a w e s o m e w o u l d k e e p S t e w a r t a n d V o n d e r p l a n i t z a t t h e c e n t e r o f t h e r a w - d a i r y m o v e m e n t u n t i l R a w e s o m e ' s c o n t r o v e r s i a l c l o s u r e v i a g o v e r n m e n t r a i d i n 2 0 1 1 . I n t h e l a t e 1 9 9 0 s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f o r m e d t h e n o t - f o r - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n R i g h t t o C h o o s e H e a l t h y F o o d ( R T C H F ) . R T C H F , d e c l a r e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z , " w i l l c o m b a t a n y l e g i s l a t i o n b a n n i n g p e o p l e ' s r i g h t t o c h o o s e r a w f o o d " . Y e t R T C H F a p p a r e n t l y f o c u s e d o n r a w d a i r y . I n t h i s a g e n d a , V o n d e r p l a n i t z o r i g i n a t e d t h e " a n i m a l - l e a s i n g " m o d e l , w h e r e b y a p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , w h o s e m e m b e r s a r e a l s o R T C H F m e m b e r s , c o n t r a c t s a f a r m e r t o p r o d u c e s o l e l y f o r t h a t f o o d c l u b . A s p r e s i d e n t o f R T C H F , V o n d e r p l a n i t z m e d i a t e d t h e s e a n i m a l - l e a s i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s i n m u l t i p l e s t a t e s . V o n d e r p l a n i t z m e a n w h i l e c r i t i c i z e d t h e " h e r d s h a r e " o r " c o w s h a r e " m o d e l , w h e r e b y a c o n s u m e r b u y s " s h a r e s " , t h u s " p a r t i a l l y o w n s " t h e c a t t l e , a n d t h e n b u y s d a i r y d i r e c t l y f r o m t h e f a r m e r , w h o m a y s t i l l s e l l t o n o n s h a r e h o l d e r s , t o o . P a r t l y b y w r i t i n g l e g a l d o c u m e n t s f o r f a r m e r s a n d c o n s u m e r s d e s p i t e n o t b e i n g a n a t t o r n e y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z d i s c o m f i t e d t h e F a r m - t o - C o n s u m e r L e g a l D e f e n s e F u n d ( F T C L D F ) . O p e r a t e d b y a t t o r n e y s , t h e F T C L D F a l s o e n d o r s e d t h e h e r d s h a r e m o d e l , w h i c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t o l a c k p r e c e d e n t , a s s h a r e h o l d i n g c a n e n t i t l e o n e t o p r o f i t s w i t h o u t a n y o w n e r s h i p o f p r o p e r t y , w h e r e a s l e a s i n g h e l d l o n g p r e c e d e n t o f f u l l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y m a t c h i n g o w n e r s h i p , a r g u e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z . V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s b e i n g n o t a l a w y e r a p p e a l e d t o A m i s h f a r m e r s , h o w e v e r , w h o t r a d i t i o n a l l y a v o i d e d t a k i n g l e g a l a c t i o n s . B y 2 0 1 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s l e g a l r e s p o n s e s w e r e w e l l k n o w n f o r e n d i n g r e g u l a t o r s ' l e g a l t h r e a t s a g a i n s t R T C H F ' s f a r m e r s . O n c e s o t h r e a t e n e d , s o m e n o n - R T C H F f a r m e r s n e w l y s i g n e d R T C H F c o n t r a c t s . B y 2 0 1 0 , R T C H F ' s f o o d c l u b s n u m b e r e d a b o u t 8 0 , e a c h c o m m o n l y h a v i n g a b o u t 1 0 0 t o 2 0 0 m e m b e r s , a n d a f e w h a v i n g o v e r a 1 0 0 0 m e m b e r s . N e a r i n g 2 0 1 0 , f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t b e g a n p r e s s u r i n g s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t s t o e n f o r c e l a w s a g a i n s t r a w m i l k . A d r a g n e t a g a i n s t f a r m e r s a n d c l u b m a n a g e r s c o n n e c t e d t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z u n f o l d e d . V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a t t e m p t s t o d e f e n d t h e m d r e w m i x e d r e s u l t s . I n A p r i l 2 0 1 1 , t h e F D A f i l e d i n f e d e r a l c o u r t a g a i n s t A m i s h f a r m e r D a n i e l A l l g y e r o f P e n n s y l v a n i a . U n a b l e t o r e a c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z , w h o w a s t r a v e l i n g a b r o a d a s n u t r i t i o n i s t , A l l g y e r d r o p p e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s R T C H F t h e n e x t m o n t h a n d h i r e d K a r l D a h l s t r o m ' s P r o A d v o c a t e G r o u p . A g a i n s t A l l y g e r ' s r e s i s t a n c e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f i l e d a m o t i o n t o i n t e r c e d e , b u t t h e j u d g e d e n i e d i t , e x c l u d i n g V o n d e p l a n i t z f r o m t h e c a s e , a n d a d d e d t h a t V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a r g u m e n t s a b o u t h e a l t h a n d r i g h t s w e r e i r r e l e v a n t t o w h e t h e r A l l g y e r w e r e g u i l t y o f i n t e r s t a t e c o m m e r c e o f u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . I n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 2 , r u l i n g a g a i n s t A l l g y e r , t h e j u d g e c a l l e d i t " a c o w s h a r e " t h a t w a s " m e r e l y a s u b t e r f u g e " . Y e t i n t h e W i s c o n s i n s t a t e t r i a l o f f a r m e r V e r n o n H e r s h b e r g e r , V o n d e r p l a n i t z p a r t i c i p a t e d a n d c l a i m e d v i c t o r y i n M a y 2 0 1 3 . T h e p r e e m i n e n t f o o d c l u b l i n k e d t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s R i g h t t o C h o o s e H e a l t h y F o o d w a s t h e R a w e s o m e f o o d c l u b , k n o w n f o r e x o t i c r a w f o o d s , a n d t h r i v i n g , d r a w i n g c e l e b r i t y c l i e n t e l e , i n V e n i c e , L o s A n g e l e s . I n 2 0 0 1 , J a m e s S t e w a r t h a d f o u n d e d a p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , " T h e G a r a g e " . B y 2 0 0 3 , i t e v o l v e d i n t o R a w e s o m e , w h i c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z w r o t e t h e c o n t r a c t f o r , i n v e s t e d i n , a n d s t e e r e d c l i e n t s t o . I n 2 0 0 5 , r e g u l a t o r s t r i e d t o r e s t r i c t R a w e s o m e , b u t V o n d e r p l a n i t z w r o t e t h e r e s p o n s e a n d p e r s u a d e d S t e w a r t t o r e s i s t . T h e g o v e r n m e n t d r o p p e d t h e c i t a t i o n , R a w e s o m e c o n t i n u e d n o r m a l o p e r a t i o n , a n d , o v e r t h e n e x t f e w y e a r s , t h i s s u c c e s s d r e w V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e n o w n f o r f e n d i n g o f f r e g u l a t o r s ' l e g a l t h r e a t s . Y e t i n O c t o b e r 2 0 1 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d t u r n a g a i n s t S t e w a r t , a c o n f l i c t t h a t d i v i d e d t h e f o o d c l u b . H a v i n g l o n g t h o u g h t h i s b o d y r e s p o n d i n g p o o r l y t o s o m e o f h e r p r o d u c t s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s u s p e c t e d H e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s ' o w n e r S h a r o n P a l m e r , o n e o f R a w e s o m e ' s m a i n s u p p l i e r s , o f s e c r e t l y o u t s o u r c i n g , o f s u p p l y i n g m e a t n o t o r g a n i c a n d n o t s o y - f r e e , a n d o f p r o v i d i n g c o n t a m i n a t e d e g g s . S t e w a r t s t o o d b y P a l m e r a n d k e p t c a r r y i n g h e r p r o d u c t s . V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d P a l m e r ' s m a i n c r e d i t o r , R a w e s o m e m e m b e r L a r r y O t t i n g , t h e n p u b l i s h e d a d e f a m a t o r y w e b s i t e , " U n h e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s " . I n J u n e 2 0 1 0 , a n u n n a m e d P a l m e r e m p l o y e e e x p l a i n e d t o a V e n t u r a C o u n t y S h e r i f f ' s d e t e c t i v e a n d a L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y ' s a g e n t t h a t H e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s l a c k e d t h e m e a n s t o p r o d u c e a l l o f t h e f o o d i t w a s s u p p l y i n g . L a t e r t h a t m o n t h , o n J u n e 3 0 , b u t v i a i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n c e 2 0 0 8 , r e g u l a t o r s r a i d e d R a w e s o m e . T w o d a y s a f t e r t h a t J u n e 2 0 1 0 r a i d o n R a w e s o m e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s e n t f r o m A s i a a g r o u p e m a i l a l l e g i n g t h a t " g o v e r n m e n t a g e n t s t r e s p a s s e d a n d k i d n a p p e d v o l u n t e e r s a n d m e m b e r s f o r t h e e n t i r e t i m e t h a t t h e y s e i z e d t h e p r o p e r t y , a b o u t f i v e h o u r s " , a n d t h a t " t h e y s t o l e , u n d e r t h e t e r m c o n f i s c a t e , t h o u s a n d s o f d o l l a r s w o r t h o f m e m b e r s ' F O O D t h a t w a s p r i v a t e p r o p e r t y " . R e f e r r i n g t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s " o n l i n e n o t i c e s " , a L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y a g e n t , a r g u i n g t o p r o t e c t t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d t o c o n c e a l i d e n t i f i e s o f u n d e r c o v e r a g e n t s , w h o s e " l i v e s a n d s a f e t y w o u l d b e p u t i n t o j e o p a r d y " , g o t a L o s A n g e l e s S u p e r i o r C o u r t j u d g e t o s e a l t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n ' s d o c u m e n t s . T h e L o s A n g e l e s D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y ' s o f f i c e a l s o b e g a n s u r v e i l l a n c e o f t h e e m a i l a c c o u n t s o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z , o f P a l m e r , a n d o f P a l m e r ' s f a r m e m p l o y e e V i c t o r i a B l o c h . A l t h o u g h R a w e s o m e c o n t i n u e d n o r m a l o p e r a t i o n , a n d e v e n d r e w s u p p o r t i n m a i n s t r e a m m e d i a , t h e r a i d i n t e n s i f i e d t h e S t e w a r t – V o n d e r p l a n i t z c o n f l i c t , d i v i d i n g R a w e s o m e ' s m e m b e r s h i p a n d p o i s o n i n g R a w e s o m e ' s a t m o s p h e r e , w h e r e a c l o u d o f v a g u e c o n s p i r a c y t h e o r i e s r e a c h i n g g l o b a l p r o p o r t i o n s s e e m e d t o h o v e r . I n l a t e 2 0 1 0 , b u t t o n o a v a i l , V o n d e r p l a n i t z v i s i t e d V e n t u r a C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y i n v e s t i g a t o r s t o s e e k P a l m e r ' s p r o s e c u t i o n f o r a l l e g e d l y d e f r a u d i n g R a w e s o m e . I n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d O t t i n g s u e d S t e w a r t a n d P a l m e r f o r s o m e $ 2 0 m i l l i o n . I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 , a u t h o r i t i e s a g a i n r a i d e d R a w e s o m e , b u t t h i s t i m e c l o s e d i t , a r r e s t e d S t e w a r t , a n d , e l s e w h e r e , a r r e s t e d P a l m e r f o r c r i m i n a l c o n s p i r a c y i n i l l e g a l l y p r o d u c i n g a n d s e l l i n g u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . A l s o a r r e s t e d w a s P a l m e r ' s f a r m e m p l o y e e V i c t o r i a B l o c h , c h a r g e d s i m i l a r l y . A l t h o u g h c l a i m i n g c r e d i t f o r b u i l d i n g R a w e s o m e ' s s u c c e s s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f o u n d h i m s e l f m a r g i n a l i z e d b y R a w e s o m e ' s s u p p o r t e r s d e m o n s t r a t i n g p u b l i c l y . F u r t h e r , o u t s i d e t h e c o u r t h o u s e a t s u c h a d e m o n s t r a t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z , t r y i n g t o a n s w e r i n t e r e s t e d n e w s m e d i a , c o n c l u d e d h i m s e l f b l a c k l i s t e d f r o m n e w s g a t h e r i n g . I n 2 0 1 2 , S t e w a r t a n d P a l m e r w e r e a r r e s t e d o n c r i m i n a l c h a r g e s a s t o f u n d i n g o f P a l m e r ' s f a r m , w h e r e b y t h e y a l l e g e d l y m i s l e d i n v e s t o r s a b o u t t h e i r o w n c r e d i t w o r t h i n e s s , a n d c o u l d e a c h f a c e 4 0 y e a r s i m p r i s o n m e n t . A f t e r f o u r m o n t h s o f j a i l , S t e w a r t t o o k a p l e a d e a l , p a i d a f i n e , g a v e u p R a w e s o m e ' s c a u s e , a n d b e g a n d i s t r i b u t i n g o l i v e o i l . B y J u l y 2 0 1 3 , t h e c i v i l s u i t ' s j u d g e h a d r e d u c e d t h e 3 0 c i v i l c h a r g e s t o t w o , P a l m e r h a d c o u n t e r s u e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d O t t i n g , a n d t h e j u d g e o r d e r e d t h e p a r t i e s t o n e g o t i a t e a s e t t l e m e n t . B y t h e n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s s e e m i n g l y i r r a t i o n a l v e n d e t t a w a s i n f a m o u s , p a r t i a l l y b l a m e d f o r R a w e s o m e ' s d o w n f a l l . D e s p i t e h i s r o l e i n R a w e s o m e a n d t h e o t h e r a n i m a l - l e a s i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s t h a t h e c o n t i n u e d a f t e r R a w e s o m e ' s d e b a c l e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d n e v e r b e p r o s e c u t e d . S t i l l , b y 2 0 1 0 , h e b e l i e v e d h i m s e l f t h e t a r g e t o f g o v e r n m e n t a l o r p h a r m a c e u t i c a l c o n s p i r a c y t o n e u t r a l i z e h i m . I n 2 0 0 9 , h e h a d d e s c r i b e d t h e o n g o i n g f l u p a n d e m i c a s a h o a x m e d i a t e d b y f l u v a c c i n a t i o n . S o o n , h e a l l e g e d a p p a r e n t r e t r i b u t i o n b y i n v a d e r s o f h i s h o t e l r o o m i n T h a i l a n d f o r c i b l y g i v i n g h i m i n j e c t i o n s t h a t s e n t h i s " m e r c u r y , b a r i u m , a n d c h r o m i u m r e a d i n g s o f f t h e c h a r t s " , i m p a i r i n g h i s h e a l t h , c a u s i n g w e i g h t l o s s , a n d p r e m a t u r e l y a g i n g h i m . L a t e r , h e c l a i m e d t h a t o n a T h a i l a n d r o a d , h i s c a r ' s b r a k e s s u d d e n l y f a i l e d , c a u s i n g a p o t e n t i a l l y f a t a l c a r w r e c k t h a t h e l i k e w i s e a t t r i b u t e d t o a p l o t a g a i n s t h i s l i f e . I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 3 , a t h i s f a r m i n T h a i l a n d , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a p p a r e n t l y l e a n e d a g a i n s t h i s h o u s e ' s s e c o n d - s t o r y b a l c o n y r a i l , w h i c h p r o v e d f a u l t y , a l l o w i n g h i s f a l l t h a t b r o k e h i s s p i n e a n d p a r a l y z e d h i m . A t t h e h o s p i t a l , h e a c c e p t e d p a i n - k i l l i n g d r u g s , y e t r e f u s e d s u r g e r y t o r e p a i r i n t e r n a l b l e e d i n g . A f t e r a f e w d a y s , h e l o s t c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d d i e d . D e s p i t e r u m o r s o f c o n s p i r a c y , t w o o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s c o l l e a g u e s d e s c r i b e d l o c a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s s u g g e s t i n g a g e n u i n e a c c i d e n t . V o n d e r p l a n i t z h a d a u t h o r e d t w o b o o k s : a m e m o i r r e t r a c i n g h i s p a t h t o a n d i n t r o d u c i n g t h e P r i m a l D i e t , " W e W a n t T o L i v e " ( 1 9 9 7 / 2 0 0 5 ) , a n d a f o l l o w - u p r e c i p e b o o k c i t i n g p u t a t i v e s c i e n t i f i c e v i d e n c e , " T h e R e c i p e f o r L i v i n g W i t h o u t D i s e a s e " ( 2 0 0 2 ) .

Biographical sketch

Aajonus Vonderplanitz was born John Richard Swigart in Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Finneytown, Ohio. He suffered from various health issues, including dyslexia, autism, and juvenile diabetes, and was hospitalized multiple times. He married young and had a son, but the marriage ended in divorce. He moved to Los Angeles, where he developed a stomach ulcer and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He claimed to have cured himself through a raw carrot juice diet and later promoted himself as a nutritionist. He adopted a raw vegan diet, then later advocated for eating raw meat. He wrote two books, "We Want To Live" and "The Recipe for Living Without Disease," and became a prominent figure in the raw milk movement. He died in 2013 after falling from a balcony in Thailand.

Originally named John Richard Swigart, and born in Denver, Colorado, Vonderplanitz spent most of childhood and adolescence in the Cincinnati suburb Finneytown, Ohio. He described having been a sickly child misunderstood and abused. His brother, a couple of years elder, allegedly resentful at loss of maternal attention, "tortured me nearly daily", Vonderplanitz explained. Being "dyslexic" and "borderline autistic", conditions "which no one understood at the time", Vonderplanitz "rarely played with other children", and "embarrassed and frustrated my parents", fueling paternal "discipline" that led to several hospitalizations, Vonderplanitz claimed. In another hospitalization near his 10th birthday, Vonderplanitz's alleged peritonitis was misdiagnosed appendicitis, whereupon his appendix, discovered fine, was removed anyway, he recounted. He claimed that his bones were brittle, he "regularly" breaking limb bones, and at age 15 was diagnosed with "juvenile diabetes". Vonderplanitz first received family and community support, he recalled, once he found his first girlfriend in his junior year at Finneytown High School. At age 17, Vonderplanitz married her, a recent schoolmate one year elder, who bore his only child, a son, in his senior year. Once he graduated, the new family moved elsewhere near Cincinnati. They renting a small apartment at a business intersection, Vonderplanitz's wife worked as a utility-company secretary, and he as a short-order cook also attending the Cincinnati Institute of Computer Technology. Their son's severe colic, her postpartum mood problems, and his own confusions and mood problems ended their prior bliss. He increasingly drank with friends, and entered an extramarital affair with a female instructor at his trade school. Divorced at 19, he moved to Los Angeles for work in computer programming. Although he seemingly never remarried, his own and other persons' anecdotes about him involve several girlfriends throughout his later life. On moving to Los Angeles, feeling directionless and distressed, Vonderplanitz continued heavy drinking. Still aged 19, he developed a stomach ulcer, whose surgical treatment caused a keloidal scar in turn treated by radiation therapy that then caused multiple myeloma, Vonderplanitz recounted. Once chemotherapy caused further illnesses, including psoriasis, bursitis, and severe periodontitis, he discontinued treatment of his terminal cancer, but a hospice worker, paying him volunteer home visits, gave him a small book on cancer treatment by raw carrot juice, Vonderplanitz would claim. Within 10 days, the regimen ended his alleged dyslexia, and soon thereafter put his cancer in remission, Vonderplanitz would claim. At age 22, Vonderplanitz began promoting himself as a nutritionist. At about age 23, the still John Swigart met a girl toddler who renamed him Aajonus. Disliking his given name, a reminder of illness and mistreatment, he accepted the renaming, and later took his European ancestors' last name Vonderplanitz. He would attribute his health gains over the next two years mostly to raw juices and raw dairy. By age 25, eliminating raw dairy, Vonderplanitz adopted raw veganism. At age 27, seeking health answers, he reputedly sojourned by bicycle, while he "lived off the earth", across North America and into Latin America. Nearly three years later, he returned to Los Angeles telling of a seemingly implausible health answer: eating raw meat. Vonderplanitz would claim a diverse résumé, partly since by age 40, he still had marginal income as a nutritionist. He recalled ethically refusing $7.5 million to be made, in 1971, the Winston Man for seven years, and, in the 1980s, while earning income painting murals and such inside homes, some acting on the soap opera "General Hospital". He claimed to have created a brief diet, damaging within a few days to weeks, for a client demanding quick weight loss, but who allegedly published it for profit as the Beverly Hills Diet. Upon overturning a traffic ticket at age 22, he sought to develop legal expertise by private study. After 2000, he wrote business contracts and legal responses for farmers. In his latest years, owning a farm in the Philippines hindsight, he claimed that his advice had been often ineffective, and sometimes even harmful, until he included raw meat. At perhaps age 30, he became a staff nutritionist, advising customers, at a healthfood store, Aunt Tilly's Too. Although not in his 1997 book, he used the title PhD, specifying nutritional science, in a 2001 research report on milk, cowritten with William Campbell Douglass II MD, and thereafter. In 2009, he was reported to lack accredited scientific or medical training. In September 1986, at age 39, living in a Beverly Hills "slum" while freelancing in nutrition, Vonderplanitz returned to Cincinnati, Ohio. There, his only child, his son, estranged for about 20 years, had recently been in a severe car wreck, driving, without a seatbelt on, straight into a tree. honey. In 2002, his other book, the "Recipe for Living Without Disease", was published. Nearing 2010, he was still claiming over 90% rate of cancer remission among his clients closely heeding it. Despite mainstream dismissal, his Primal Diet gained a sizable, if underground, following. Although Vonderplanitz dated it to the 1970s, his food-rights campaign more clearly began nearing 2000. Into 2011, Vonderplanitz and an ally, James Stewart, were the raw-milk movement's de facto leaders. In 1997 or 1998, Venice resident James Stewart, in poor health, discovered Vonderplanitz's Primal Diet. By 2000, Stewart was a southern California distributor of raw milk for Claravale Farm, which had only eight cows, but was the state's only farm still licensed to supply unpasteurized milk to retail stores. While Claravale Farm added cows his life. In August 2013, at his farm in Thailand, Vonderplanitz apparently leaned against his house's second-story balcony rail, which proved faulty, allowing his fall that broke his spine and paralyzed him. At the hospital, he accepted pain-killing drugs, yet refused surgery to repair internal bleeding. After a few days, he lost consciousness and died. Despite rumors of conspiracy, two of Vonderplanitz's colleagues described local circumstances suggesting a genuine accident. Vonderplanitz had authored two books: a memoir retracing his path to and introducing the Primal Diet, "We Want To Live" (1997/2005), and a follow-up recipe book citing putative scientific evidence, "The Recipe for Living Without Disease" (2002).

Aajonus Vonderplanitz

O r i g i n a l l y n a m e d J o h n R i c h a r d S w i g a r t , a n d b o r n i n D e n v e r , C o l o r a d o , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s p e n t m o s t o f c h i l d h o o d a n d a d o l e s c e n c e i n t h e C i n c i n n a t i s u b u r b F i n n e y t o w n , O h i o . H e d e s c r i b e d h a v i n g b e e n a s i c k l y c h i l d m i s u n d e r s t o o d a n d a b u s e d . H i s b r o t h e r , a c o u p l e o f y e a r s e l d e r , a l l e g e d l y r e s e n t f u l a t l o s s o f m a t e r n a l a t t e n t i o n , " t o r t u r e d m e n e a r l y d a i l y " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z e x p l a i n e d . B e i n g " d y s l e x i c " a n d " b o r d e r l i n e a u t i s t i c " , c o n d i t i o n s " w h i c h n o o n e u n d e r s t o o d a t t h e t i m e " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z " r a r e l y p l a y e d w i t h o t h e r c h i l d r e n " , a n d " e m b a r r a s s e d a n d f r u s t r a t e d m y p a r e n t s " , f u e l i n g p a t e r n a l " d i s c i p l i n e " t h a t l e d t o s e v e r a l h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d . I n a n o t h e r h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n n e a r h i s 1 0 t h b i r t h d a y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a l l e g e d p e r i t o n i t i s w a s m i s d i a g n o s e d a p p e n d i c i t i s , w h e r e u p o n h i s a p p e n d i x , d i s c o v e r e d f i n e , w a s r e m o v e d a n y w a y , h e r e c o u n t e d . H e c l a i m e d t h a t h i s b o n e s w e r e b r i t t l e , h e " r e g u l a r l y " b r e a k i n g l i m b b o n e s , a n d a t a g e 1 5 w a s d i a g n o s e d w i t h " j u v e n i l e d i a b e t e s " . V o n d e r p l a n i t z f i r s t r e c e i v e d f a m i l y a n d c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t , h e r e c a l l e d , o n c e h e f o u n d h i s f i r s t g i r l f r i e n d i n h i s j u n i o r y e a r a t F i n n e y t o w n H i g h S c h o o l . A t a g e 1 7 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z m a r r i e d h e r , a r e c e n t s c h o o l m a t e o n e y e a r e l d e r , w h o b o r e h i s o n l y c h i l d , a s o n , i n h i s s e n i o r y e a r . O n c e h e g r a d u a t e d , t h e n e w f a m i l y m o v e d e l s e w h e r e n e a r C i n c i n n a t i . T h e y r e n t i n g a s m a l l a p a r t m e n t a t a b u s i n e s s i n t e r s e c t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s w i f e w o r k e d a s a u t i l i t y - c o m p a n y s e c r e t a r y , a n d h e a s a s h o r t - o r d e r c o o k a l s o a t t e n d i n g t h e C i n c i n n a t i I n s t i t u t e o f C o m p u t e r T e c h n o l o g y . T h e i r s o n ' s s e v e r e c o l i c , h e r p o s t p a r t u m m o o d p r o b l e m s , a n d h i s o w n c o n f u s i o n s a n d m o o d p r o b l e m s e n d e d t h e i r p r i o r b l i s s . H e i n c r e a s i n g l y d r a n k w i t h f r i e n d s , a n d e n t e r e d a n e x t r a m a r i t a l a f f a i r w i t h a f e m a l e i n s t r u c t o r a t h i s t r a d e s c h o o l . D i v o r c e d a t 1 9 , h e m o v e d t o L o s A n g e l e s f o r w o r k i n c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m m i n g . A l t h o u g h h e s e e m i n g l y n e v e r r e m a r r i e d , h i s o w n a n d o t h e r p e r s o n s ' a n e c d o t e s a b o u t h i m i n v o l v e s e v e r a l g i r l f r i e n d s t h r o u g h o u t h i s l a t e r l i f e . O n m o v i n g t o L o s A n g e l e s , f e e l i n g d i r e c t i o n l e s s a n d d i s t r e s s e d , V o n d e r p l a n i t z c o n t i n u e d h e a v y d r i n k i n g . S t i l l a g e d 1 9 , h e d e v e l o p e d a s t o m a c h u l c e r , w h o s e s u r g i c a l t r e a t m e n t c a u s e d a k e l o i d a l s c a r i n t u r n t r e a t e d b y r a d i a t i o n t h e r a p y t h a t t h e n c a u s e d m u l t i p l e m y e l o m a , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e c o u n t e d . O n c e c h e m o t h e r a p y c a u s e d f u r t h e r i l l n e s s e s , i n c l u d i n g p s o r i a s i s , b u r s i t i s , a n d s e v e r e p e r i o d o n t i t i s , h e d i s c o n t i n u e d t r e a t m e n t o f h i s t e r m i n a l c a n c e r , b u t a h o s p i c e w o r k e r , p a y i n g h i m v o l u n t e e r h o m e v i s i t s , g a v e h i m a s m a l l b o o k o n c a n c e r t r e a t m e n t b y r a w c a r r o t j u i c e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m . W i t h i n 1 0 d a y s , t h e r e g i m e n e n d e d h i s a l l e g e d d y s l e x i a , a n d s o o n t h e r e a f t e r p u t h i s c a n c e r i n r e m i s s i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m . A t a g e 2 2 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z b e g a n p r o m o t i n g h i m s e l f a s a n u t r i t i o n i s t . A t a b o u t a g e 2 3 , t h e s t i l l J o h n S w i g a r t m e t a g i r l t o d d l e r w h o r e n a m e d h i m A a j o n u s . D i s l i k i n g h i s g i v e n n a m e , a r e m i n d e r o f i l l n e s s a n d m i s t r e a t m e n t , h e a c c e p t e d t h e r e n a m i n g , a n d l a t e r t o o k h i s E u r o p e a n a n c e s t o r s ' l a s t n a m e V o n d e r p l a n i t z . H e w o u l d a t t r i b u t e h i s h e a l t h g a i n s o v e r t h e n e x t t w o y e a r s m o s t l y t o r a w j u i c e s a n d r a w d a i r y . B y a g e 2 5 , e l i m i n a t i n g r a w d a i r y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a d o p t e d r a w v e g a n i s m . A t a g e 2 7 , s e e k i n g h e a l t h a n s w e r s , h e r e p u t e d l y s o j o u r n e d b y b i c y c l e , w h i l e h e " l i v e d o f f t h e e a r t h " , a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d i n t o L a t i n A m e r i c a . N e a r l y t h r e e y e a r s l a t e r , h e r e t u r n e d t o L o s A n g e l e s t e l l i n g o f a s e e m i n g l y i m p l a u s i b l e h e a l t h a n s w e r : e a t i n g r a w m e a t . V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m a d i v e r s e r é s u m é , p a r t l y s i n c e b y a g e 4 0 , h e s t i l l h a d m a r g i n a l i n c o m e a s a n u t r i t i o n i s t . H e r e c a l l e d e t h i c a l l y r e f u s i n g $ 7 . 5 m i l l i o n t o b e m a d e , i n 1 9 7 1 , t h e W i n s t o n M a n f o r s e v e n y e a r s , a n d , i n t h e 1 9 8 0 s , w h i l e e a r n i n g i n c o m e p a i n t i n g m u r a l s a n d s u c h i n s i d e h o m e s , s o m e a c t i n g o n t h e s o a p o p e r a " G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l " . H e c l a i m e d t o h a v e c r e a t e d a b r i e f d i e t , d a m a g i n g w i t h i n a f e w d a y s t o w e e k s , f o r a c l i e n t d e m a n d i n g q u i c k w e i g h t l o s s , b u t w h o a l l e g e d l y p u b l i s h e d i t f o r p r o f i t a s t h e B e v e r l y H i l l s D i e t . U p o n o v e r t u r n i n g a t r a f f i c t i c k e t a t a g e 2 2 , h e s o u g h t t o d e v e l o p l e g a l e x p e r t i s e b y p r i v a t e s t u d y . A f t e r 2 0 0 0 , h e w r o t e b u s i n e s s c o n t r a c t s a n d l e g a l r e s p o n s e s f o r f a r m e r s . I n h i s l a t e s t y e a r s , o w n i n g a f a r m i n t h e P h i l i p p i n e s a n d a n o t h e r i n a r e m o t e a r e a o f T h a i l a n d , n e a r i t s n o r t h e r n b o r d e r w i t h L a o s , h e s p e n t m u c h t i m e a t h i s T h a i l a n d f a r m . V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t u t e l a g e b y a S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a n u t r i t i o n i s t n a m e d B r u n o C o r i g l i a n o f o l l o w e d b y n e a r l y t h r e e y e a r s o f b i c y c l e t r a v e l a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d i n t o L a t i n A m e r i c a , i n h i s l a t e 2 0 s , w h i l e s t u d y i n g b i o l o g y a n d m e d i c a l t e x t b o o k s , N a t i v e A m e r i c a n i n d i g e n o u s h e a l t h c a r e , a n d w i l d l i f e h a b i t s . H e c l a i m e d t o h a v e d i s c o v e r e d r a w m e a t ' s p u t a t i v e h e a l i n g c a p a c i t y w h e n f a s t i n g i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s , w h e r e a p a c k o f c o y o t e s k i l l e d , t o r e o p e n , a n d o f f e r e d h i m a j a c k r a b b i t , t h e n w a t c h e d h i m u n t i l h e a t e i t . I n h i s e a r l y 2 0 s , a m o n g t h e o u t d o o r p u r v e y o r s a t V e n i c e B e a c h , h e s e t u p a t a b l e w i t h t h e b a n n e r " N U T R I T I O N I S T " , a n d b e g a n c o u n s e l i n g i n a r a w - f o o d n i c h e . I n h i n d s i g h t , h e c l a i m e d t h a t h i s a d v i c e h a d b e e n o f t e n i n e f f e c t i v e , a n d s o m e t i m e s e v e n h a r m f u l , u n t i l h e i n c l u d e d r a w m e a t . A t p e r h a p s a g e 3 0 , h e b e c a m e a s t a f f n u t r i t i o n i s t , a d v i s i n g c u s t o m e r s , a t a h e a l t h f o o d s t o r e , A u n t T i l l y ' s T o o . A l t h o u g h n o t i n h i s 1 9 9 7 b o o k , h e u s e d t h e t i t l e P h D , s p e c i f y i n g n u t r i t i o n a l s c i e n c e , i n a 2 0 0 1 r e s e a r c h r e p o r t o n m i l k , c o w r i t t e n w i t h W i l l i a m C a m p b e l l D o u g l a s s I I M D , a n d t h e r e a f t e r . I n 2 0 0 9 , h e w a s r e p o r t e d t o l a c k a c c r e d i t e d s c i e n t i f i c o r m e d i c a l t r a i n i n g . I n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 8 6 , a t a g e 3 9 , l i v i n g i n a B e v e r l y H i l l s " s l u m " w h i l e f r e e l a n c i n g i n n u t r i t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e t u r n e d t o C i n c i n n a t i , O h i o . T h e r e , h i s o n l y c h i l d , h i s s o n , e s t r a n g e d f o r a b o u t 2 0 y e a r s , h a d r e c e n t l y b e e n i n a s e v e r e c a r w r e c k , d r i v i n g , w i t h o u t a s e a t b e l t o n , s t r a i g h t i n t o a t r e e . V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t o h a v e s a b o t a g e d h i s s o n ' s c o n v e n t i o n a l m e d i c a l t r e a t m e n t , i n M e r c y H o s p i t a l ' s i n t e n s i v e - c a r e u n i t , a n d u s e d r a w f o o d s t o a w a k e n a n d r e t r i e v e h i s c o m a t o s e s o n f r o m i m m i n e n t d e a t h , a n d t o r e v e r s e h i s p a r a l y s i s a n d b r a i n d a m a g e . T e n y e a r s a f t e r h i s s o n ' s r e c o v e r y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e c o u n t e d t h e t a l e i n h i s f i r s t b o o k , " W e W a n t t o L i v e " , f i r s t p u b l i s h e d i n 1 9 9 7 a n d r e v i s e d i n 2 0 0 5 . U p o n t h e 1 9 9 7 r e l e a s e o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s f i r s t b o o k , R o b e r t A t k i n s i n t e r v i e w e d h i m , b a s e d b y t h e n i n M a l i b u , o n A t k i n s ' s n a t i o n a l l y s y n d i c a t e d r a d i o s h o w . V o n d e r p l a n i t z h a d c l a i m e d t h a t h i s o w n p r o t o c o l h a d c u r e d o v e r 2 0 0 c l i e n t s o f c a n c e r . I n 2 0 0 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z t r a d e m a r k e d t h e n a m e " P r i m a l D i e t " . U n l i k e l a t e r d i e t s c a l l e d " p r i m a l " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s P r i m a l D i e t p r i n c i p a l l y i n c l u d e s r a w m e a t , r a w e g g s , r a w d a i r y , r a w f a t s , a n d u n h e a t e d h o n e y . I n 2 0 0 2 , h i s o t h e r b o o k , t h e " R e c i p e f o r L i v i n g W i t h o u t D i s e a s e " , w a s p u b l i s h e d . N e a r i n g 2 0 1 0 , h e w a s s t i l l c l a i m i n g o v e r 9 0 % r a t e o f c a n c e r r e m i s s i o n a m o n g h i s c l i e n t s c l o s e l y h e e d i n g i t . D e s p i t e m a i n s t r e a m d i s m i s s a l , h i s P r i m a l D i e t g a i n e d a s i z a b l e , i f u n d e r g r o u n d , f o l l o w i n g . A l t h o u g h V o n d e r p l a n i t z d a t e d i t t o t h e 1 9 7 0 s , h i s f o o d - r i g h t s c a m p a i g n m o r e c l e a r l y b e g a n n e a r i n g 2 0 0 0 . I n t o 2 0 1 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d a n a l l y , J a m e s S t e w a r t , w e r e t h e r a w - m i l k m o v e m e n t ' s d e f a c t o l e a d e r s . I n 1 9 9 7 o r 1 9 9 8 , V e n i c e r e s i d e n t J a m e s S t e w a r t , i n p o o r h e a l t h , d i s c o v e r e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s P r i m a l D i e t . B y 2 0 0 0 , S t e w a r t w a s a s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a d i s t r i b u t o r o f r a w m i l k f o r C l a r a v a l e F a r m , w h i c h h a d o n l y e i g h t c o w s , b u t w a s t h e s t a t e ' s o n l y f a r m s t i l l l i c e n s e d t o s u p p l y u n p a s t e u r i z e d m i l k t o r e t a i l s t o r e s . W h i l e C l a r a v a l e F a r m a d d e d c o w s f o r S t e w a r t ' s d i s t r i b u t i o n r e a c h i n g 3 0 s t o r e s i n f o u r c o u n t i e s — O r a n g e , V e n t u r a , S a n D i e g o , a n d L o s A n g e l e s — o n e c o u n t y , L o s A n g e l e s , w a s t h e s t a t e ' s o n l y w h e r e r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e w a s i l l e g a l . B y 2 0 0 1 , L . A . c o u n t y ' s r e g u l a t o r s w e r e p u l l i n g S t e w a r t ' s p l a c e d m i l k f r o m s t o r e s , y e t V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s c a m p a i g n t o l e g a l i z e r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e w a s c u l m i n a t i n g . I n 2 0 0 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z d r e w S t e w a r t t o h e l p d e m o n s t r a t i o n s a n d p r o t e s t s , a l t h o u g h i n i t i a l t u r n o u t w a s m i n u s c u l e . L a t e r i n 2 0 0 1 , c o w r i t t e n w i t h W i l l i a m C a m p b e l l D o u g l a s s I I , a n d s u b m i t t e d t o t h e c o u n t y ' s b o a r d o f s u p e r v i s o r s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s r e p o r t o n r a w m i l k , a n d a c c o m p a n y i n g t h r e a t o f l e g a l a c t i o n , g o t t h e c o u n t y ' s b o a r d o f s u p e r v i s o r s t o e n d t h e b a n o n r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e . H i g h l y p u b l i c i z e d , t h e h e a r i n g s f u e l e d c o n s u m e r d e m a n d f o r u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . C l a r a v a l e F a r m ' s s u p p l y v i a S t e w a r t i n s u f f i c i e n t , s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a r e s i d e n t s w o u l d t r a v e l n o r t h t o b u y r a w m i l k a t t h e M c A f e e b r o t h e r s ' f a r m , O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s D a i r y C o m p a n y . I n e a r l y 2 0 0 0 , t h e M c A f e e s ' f a r m h a d s w i t c h e d t o o r g a n i c , b u t t h e i r O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s s t i l l s o l d i t s m i l k w h o l e s a l e t o O r g a n i c V a l l e y , w h i c h i n t u r n s u p p l i e d o n l y p a s t e u r i z e d m i l k t o s t o r e s . U p o n v i s i t s b y s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a n c u s t o m e r s , t h e M c A f e e s ' O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s o b t a i n e d a p e r m i t t o s e l l r a w d a i r y r e t a i l . D u r i n g 2 0 0 1 , M a r k M c A f e e c o n t a c t e d S t e w a r t , w h o t h e n r e c r u i t e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z . V o n d e r p l a n i t z i n v e s t e d $ 1 5 0 0 0 , a n d w i t h S t e w a r t r e c r u i t e d o t h e r s , i n c l u d i n g r e a l - e s t a t e e x e c u t i v e L a r r y O t t i n g , w h o i n v e s t e d $ 1 7 0 0 0 , a n d O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s b e g a n s u p p l y i n g u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y r e t a i l . T h e v o l u m e a l l o w e d S t e w a r t , d e s p i t e d r o p p i n g C l a r a v a l e ' s m i l k , t o r e a c h 8 9 s t o r e s . Y e t i n 2 0 0 4 , a s t h e n a t i o n ' s l a r g e s t u n p a s t e u r i z e d s u p p l i e r , O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s b r o u g h t d i s t r i b u t i o n i n - h o u s e , e l i m i n a t i n g S t e w a r t . S t e w a r t t h e n f o c u s e d o n g r o w i n g h i s p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , R a w e s o m e . R a w e s o m e w o u l d k e e p S t e w a r t a n d V o n d e r p l a n i t z a t t h e c e n t e r o f t h e r a w - d a i r y m o v e m e n t u n t i l R a w e s o m e ' s c o n t r o v e r s i a l c l o s u r e v i a g o v e r n m e n t r a i d i n 2 0 1 1 . I n t h e l a t e 1 9 9 0 s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f o r m e d t h e n o t - f o r - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n R i g h t t o C h o o s e H e a l t h y F o o d ( R T C H F ) . R T C H F , d e c l a r e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z , " w i l l c o m b a t a n y l e g i s l a t i o n b a n n i n g p e o p l e ' s r i g h t t o c h o o s e r a w f o o d " . Y e t R T C H F a p p a r e n t l y f o c u s e d o n r a w d a i r y . I n t h i s a g e n d a , V o n d e r p l a n i t z o r i g i n a t e d t h e " a n i m a l - l e a s i n g " m o d e l , w h e r e b y a p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , w h o s e m e m b e r s a r e a l s o R T C H F m e m b e r s , c o n t r a c t s a f a r m e r t o p r o d u c e s o l e l y f o r t h a t f o o d c l u b . A s p r e s i d e n t o f R T C H F , V o n d e r p l a n i t z m e d i a t e d t h e s e a n i m a l - l e a s i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s i n m u l t i p l e s t a t e s . V o n d e r p l a n i t z m e a n w h i l e c r i t i c i z e d t h e " h e r d s h a r e " o r " c o w s h a r e " m o d e l , w h e r e b y a c o n s u m e r b u y s " s h a r e s " , t h u s " p a r t i a l l y o w n s " t h e c a t t l e , a n d t h e n b u y s d a i r y d i r e c t l y f r o m t h e f a r m e r , w h o m a y s t i l l s e l l t o n o n s h a r e h o l d e r s , t o o . P a r t l y b y w r i t i n g l e g a l d o c u m e n t s f o r f a r m e r s a n d c o n s u m e r s d e s p i t e n o t b e i n g a n a t t o r n e y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z d i s c o m f i t e d t h e F a r m - t o - C o n s u m e r L e g a l D e f e n s e F u n d ( F T C L D F ) . O p e r a t e d b y a t t o r n e y s , t h e F T C L D F a l s o e n d o r s e d t h e h e r d s h a r e m o d e l , w h i c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t o l a c k p r e c e d e n t , a s s h a r e h o l d i n g c a n e n t i t l e o n e t o p r o f i t s w i t h o u t a n y o w n e r s h i p o f p r o p e r t y , w h e r e a s l e a s i n g h e l d l o n g p r e c e d e n t o f f u l l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y m a t c h i n g o w n e r s h i p , a r g u e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z . V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s b e i n g n o t a l a w y e r a p p e a l e d t o A m i s h f a r m e r s , h o w e v e r , w h o t r a d i t i o n a l l y a v o i d e d t a k i n g l e g a l a c t i o n s . B y 2 0 1 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s l e g a l r e s p o n s e s w e r e w e l l k n o w n f o r e n d i n g r e g u l a t o r s ' l e g a l t h r e a t s a g a i n s t R T C H F ' s f a r m e r s . O n c e s o t h r e a t e n e d , s o m e n o n - R T C H F f a r m e r s n e w l y s i g n e d R T C H F c o n t r a c t s . B y 2 0 1 0 , R T C H F ' s f o o d c l u b s n u m b e r e d a b o u t 8 0 , e a c h c o m m o n l y h a v i n g a b o u t 1 0 0 t o 2 0 0 m e m b e r s , a n d a f e w h a v i n g o v e r a 1 0 0 0 m e m b e r s . N e a r i n g 2 0 1 0 , f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t b e g a n p r e s s u r i n g s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t s t o e n f o r c e l a w s a g a i n s t r a w m i l k . A d r a g n e t a g a i n s t f a r m e r s a n d c l u b m a n a g e r s c o n n e c t e d t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z u n f o l d e d . V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a t t e m p t s t o d e f e n d t h e m d r e w m i x e d r e s u l t s . I n A p r i l 2 0 1 1 , t h e F D A f i l e d i n f e d e r a l c o u r t a g a i n s t A m i s h f a r m e r D a n i e l A l l g y e r o f P e n n s y l v a n i a . U n a b l e t o r e a c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z , w h o w a s t r a v e l i n g a b r o a d a s n u t r i t i o n i s t , A l l g y e r d r o p p e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s R T C H F t h e n e x t m o n t h a n d h i r e d K a r l D a h l s t r o m ' s P r o A d v o c a t e G r o u p . A g a i n s t A l l y g e r ' s r e s i s t a n c e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f i l e d a m o t i o n t o i n t e r c e d e , b u t t h e j u d g e d e n i e d i t , e x c l u d i n g V o n d e p l a n i t z f r o m t h e c a s e , a n d a d d e d t h a t V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a r g u m e n t s a b o u t h e a l t h a n d r i g h t s w e r e i r r e l e v a n t t o w h e t h e r A l l g y e r w e r e g u i l t y o f i n t e r s t a t e c o m m e r c e o f u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . I n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 2 , r u l i n g a g a i n s t A l l g y e r , t h e j u d g e c a l l e d i t " a c o w s h a r e " t h a t w a s " m e r e l y a s u b t e r f u g e " . Y e t i n t h e W i s c o n s i n s t a t e t r i a l o f f a r m e r V e r n o n H e r s h b e r g e r , V o n d e r p l a n i t z p a r t i c i p a t e d a n d c l a i m e d v i c t o r y i n M a y 2 0 1 3 . T h e p r e e m i n e n t f o o d c l u b l i n k e d t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s R i g h t t o C h o o s e H e a l t h y F o o d w a s t h e R a w e s o m e f o o d c l u b , k n o w n f o r e x o t i c r a w f o o d s , a n d t h r i v i n g , d r a w i n g c e l e b r i t y c l i e n t e l e , i n V e n i c e , L o s A n g e l e s . I n 2 0 0 1 , J a m e s S t e w a r t h a d f o u n d e d a p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , " T h e G a r a g e " . B y 2 0 0 3 , i t e v o l v e d i n t o R a w e s o m e , w h i c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z w r o t e t h e c o n t r a c t f o r , i n v e s t e d i n , a n d s t e e r e d c l i e n t s t o . I n 2 0 0 5 , r e g u l a t o r s t r i e d t o r e s t r i c t R a w e s o m e , b u t V o n d e r p l a n i t z w r o t e t h e r e s p o n s e a n d p e r s u a d e d S t e w a r t t o r e s i s t . T h e g o v e r n m e n t d r o p p e d t h e c i t a t i o n , R a w e s o m e c o n t i n u e d n o r m a l o p e r a t i o n , a n d , o v e r t h e n e x t f e w y e a r s , t h i s s u c c e s s d r e w V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e n o w n f o r f e n d i n g o f f r e g u l a t o r s ' l e g a l t h r e a t s . Y e t i n O c t o b e r 2 0 1 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d t u r n a g a i n s t S t e w a r t , a c o n f l i c t t h a t d i v i d e d t h e f o o d c l u b . H a v i n g l o n g t h o u g h t h i s b o d y r e s p o n d i n g p o o r l y t o s o m e o f h e r p r o d u c t s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s u s p e c t e d H e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s ' o w n e r S h a r o n P a l m e r , o n e o f R a w e s o m e ' s m a i n s u p p l i e r s , o f s e c r e t l y o u t s o u r c i n g , o f s u p p l y i n g m e a t n o t o r g a n i c a n d n o t s o y - f r e e , a n d o f p r o v i d i n g c o n t a m i n a t e d e g g s . S t e w a r t s t o o d b y P a l m e r a n d k e p t c a r r y i n g h e r p r o d u c t s . V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d P a l m e r ' s m a i n c r e d i t o r , R a w e s o m e m e m b e r L a r r y O t t i n g , t h e n p u b l i s h e d a d e f a m a t o r y w e b s i t e , " U n h e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s " . I n J u n e 2 0 1 0 , a n u n n a m e d P a l m e r e m p l o y e e e x p l a i n e d t o a V e n t u r a C o u n t y S h e r i f f ' s d e t e c t i v e a n d a L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y ' s a g e n t t h a t H e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s l a c k e d t h e m e a n s t o p r o d u c e a l l o f t h e f o o d i t w a s s u p p l y i n g . L a t e r t h a t m o n t h , o n J u n e 3 0 , b u t v i a i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n c e 2 0 0 8 , r e g u l a t o r s r a i d e d R a w e s o m e . T w o d a y s a f t e r t h a t J u n e 2 0 1 0 r a i d o n R a w e s o m e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s e n t f r o m A s i a a g r o u p e m a i l a l l e g i n g t h a t " g o v e r n m e n t a g e n t s t r e s p a s s e d a n d k i d n a p p e d v o l u n t e e r s a n d m e m b e r s f o r t h e e n t i r e t i m e t h a t t h e y s e i z e d t h e p r o p e r t y , a b o u t f i v e h o u r s " , a n d t h a t " t h e y s t o l e , u n d e r t h e t e r m c o n f i s c a t e , t h o u s a n d s o f d o l l a r s w o r t h o f m e m b e r s ' F O O D t h a t w a s p r i v a t e p r o p e r t y " . R e f e r r i n g t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s " o n l i n e n o t i c e s " , a L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y a g e n t , a r g u i n g t o p r o t e c t t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d t o c o n c e a l i d e n t i f i e s o f u n d e r c o v e r a g e n t s , w h o s e " l i v e s a n d s a f e t y w o u l d b e p u t i n t o j e o p a r d y " , g o t a L o s A n g e l e s S u p e r i o r C o u r t j u d g e t o s e a l t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n ' s d o c u m e n t s . T h e L o s A n g e l e s D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y ' s o f f i c e a l s o b e g a n s u r v e i l l a n c e o f t h e e m a i l a c c o u n t s o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z , o f P a l m e r , a n d o f P a l m e r ' s f a r m e m p l o y e e V i c t o r i a B l o c h . A l t h o u g h R a w e s o m e c o n t i n u e d n o r m a l o p e r a t i o n , a n d e v e n d r e w s u p p o r t i n m a i n s t r e a m m e d i a , t h e r a i d i n t e n s i f i e d t h e S t e w a r t – V o n d e r p l a n i t z c o n f l i c t , d i v i d i n g R a w e s o m e ' s m e m b e r s h i p a n d p o i s o n i n g R a w e s o m e ' s a t m o s p h e r e , w h e r e a c l o u d o f v a g u e c o n s p i r a c y t h e o r i e s r e a c h i n g g l o b a l p r o p o r t i o n s s e e m e d t o h o v e r . I n l a t e 2 0 1 0 , b u t t o n o a v a i l , V o n d e r p l a n i t z v i s i t e d V e n t u r a C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y i n v e s t i g a t o r s t o s e e k P a l m e r ' s p r o s e c u t i o n f o r a l l e g e d l y d e f r a u d i n g R a w e s o m e . I n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d O t t i n g s u e d S t e w a r t a n d P a l m e r f o r s o m e $ 2 0 m i l l i o n . I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 , a u t h o r i t i e s a g a i n r a i d e d R a w e s o m e , b u t t h i s t i m e c l o s e d i t , a r r e s t e d S t e w a r t , a n d , e l s e w h e r e , a r r e s t e d P a l m e r f o r c r i m i n a l c o n s p i r a c y i n i l l e g a l l y p r o d u c i n g a n d s e l l i n g u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . A l s o a r r e s t e d w a s P a l m e r ' s f a r m e m p l o y e e V i c t o r i a B l o c h , c h a r g e d s i m i l a r l y . A l t h o u g h c l a i m i n g c r e d i t f o r b u i l d i n g R a w e s o m e ' s s u c c e s s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f o u n d h i m s e l f m a r g i n a l i z e d b y R a w e s o m e ' s s u p p o r t e r s d e m o n s t r a t i n g p u b l i c l y . F u r t h e r , o u t s i d e t h e c o u r t h o u s e a t s u c h a d e m o n s t r a t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z , t r y i n g t o a n s w e r i n t e r e s t e d n e w s m e d i a , c o n c l u d e d h i m s e l f b l a c k l i s t e d f r o m n e w s g a t h e r i n g . I n 2 0 1 2 , S t e w a r t a n d P a l m e r w e r e a r r e s t e d o n c r i m i n a l c h a r g e s a s t o f u n d i n g o f P a l m e r ' s f a r m , w h e r e b y t h e y a l l e g e d l y m i s l e d i n v e s t o r s a b o u t t h e i r o w n c r e d i t w o r t h i n e s s , a n d c o u l d e a c h f a c e 4 0 y e a r s i m p r i s o n m e n t . A f t e r f o u r m o n t h s o f j a i l , S t e w a r t t o o k a p l e a d e a l , p a i d a f i n e , g a v e u p R a w e s o m e ' s c a u s e , a n d b e g a n d i s t r i b u t i n g o l i v e o i l . B y J u l y 2 0 1 3 , t h e c i v i l s u i t ' s j u d g e h a d r e d u c e d t h e 3 0 c i v i l c h a r g e s t o t w o , P a l m e r h a d c o u n t e r s u e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d O t t i n g , a n d t h e j u d g e o r d e r e d t h e p a r t i e s t o n e g o t i a t e a s e t t l e m e n t . B y t h e n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s s e e m i n g l y i r r a t i o n a l v e n d e t t a w a s i n f a m o u s , p a r t i a l l y b l a m e d f o r R a w e s o m e ' s d o w n f a l l . D e s p i t e h i s r o l e i n R a w e s o m e a n d t h e o t h e r a n i m a l - l e a s i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s t h a t h e c o n t i n u e d a f t e r R a w e s o m e ' s d e b a c l e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d n e v e r b e p r o s e c u t e d . S t i l l , b y 2 0 1 0 , h e b e l i e v e d h i m s e l f t h e t a r g e t o f g o v e r n m e n t a l o r p h a r m a c e u t i c a l c o n s p i r a c y t o n e u t r a l i z e h i m . I n 2 0 0 9 , h e h a d d e s c r i b e d t h e o n g o i n g f l u p a n d e m i c a s a h o a x m e d i a t e d b y f l u v a c c i n a t i o n . S o o n , h e a l l e g e d a p p a r e n t r e t r i b u t i o n b y i n v a d e r s o f h i s h o t e l r o o m i n T h a i l a n d f o r c i b l y g i v i n g h i m i n j e c t i o n s t h a t s e n t h i s " m e r c u r y , b a r i u m , a n d c h r o m i u m r e a d i n g s o f f t h e c h a r t s " , i m p a i r i n g h i s h e a l t h , c a u s i n g w e i g h t l o s s , a n d p r e m a t u r e l y a g i n g h i m . L a t e r , h e c l a i m e d t h a t o n a T h a i l a n d r o a d , h i s c a r ' s b r a k e s s u d d e n l y f a i l e d , c a u s i n g a p o t e n t i a l l y f a t a l c a r w r e c k t h a t h e l i k e w i s e a t t r i b u t e d t o a p l o t a g a i n s t h i s l i f e . I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 3 , a t h i s f a r m i n T h a i l a n d , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a p p a r e n t l y l e a n e d a g a i n s t h i s h o u s e ' s s e c o n d - s t o r y b a l c o n y r a i l , w h i c h p r o v e d f a u l t y , a l l o w i n g h i s f a l l t h a t b r o k e h i s s p i n e a n d p a r a l y z e d h i m . A t t h e h o s p i t a l , h e a c c e p t e d p a i n - k i l l i n g d r u g s , y e t r e f u s e d s u r g e r y t o r e p a i r i n t e r n a l b l e e d i n g . A f t e r a f e w d a y s , h e l o s t c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d d i e d . D e s p i t e r u m o r s o f c o n s p i r a c y , t w o o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s c o l l e a g u e s d e s c r i b e d l o c a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s s u g g e s t i n g a g e n u i n e a c c i d e n t . V o n d e r p l a n i t z h a d a u t h o r e d t w o b o o k s : a m e m o i r r e t r a c i n g h i s p a t h t o a n d i n t r o d u c i n g t h e P r i m a l D i e t , " W e W a n t T o L i v e " ( 1 9 9 7 / 2 0 0 5 ) , a n d a f o l l o w - u p r e c i p e b o o k c i t i n g p u t a t i v e s c i e n t i f i c e v i d e n c e , " T h e R e c i p e f o r L i v i n g W i t h o u t D i s e a s e " ( 2 0 0 2 ) .

Biographical sketch ; Adulthood

Aajonus Vonderplanitz was born John Richard Swigart in Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Finneytown, Ohio. He had a difficult childhood, suffering from various health issues and alleged abuse. He married young and had a son, but the marriage ended in divorce. He moved to Los Angeles, where he developed a stomach ulcer and later multiple myeloma. He claimed to have cured himself through a raw food diet and later promoted himself as a nutritionist. He traveled extensively, adopting a raw vegan diet and eventually incorporating raw meat into his regimen. He wrote two books and advised clients on nutrition, but his credentials were questioned. He died in 2013 after falling from a balcony in Thailand.

Originally named John Richard Swigart, and born in Denver, Colorado, Vonderplanitz spent most of childhood and adolescence in the Cincinnati suburb Finneytown, Ohio. He described having been a sickly child misunderstood and abused. His brother, a couple of years elder, allegedly resentful at loss of maternal attention, "tortured me nearly daily", Vonderplanitz explained. Being "dyslexic" and "borderline autistic", conditions "which no one understood at the time", Vonderplanitz "rarely played with other children", and "embarrassed and frustrated my parents", fueling paternal "discipline" that led to several hospitalizations, Vonderplanitz claimed. In another hospitalization near his 10th birthday, Vonderplanitz's alleged peritonitis was misdiagnosed appendicitis, whereupon his appendix, discovered fine, was removed anyway, he recounted. He claimed that his bones were brittle, he "regularly" breaking limb bones, and at age 15 was diagnosed with "juvenile diabetes". Vonderplanitz first received family and community support, he recalled, once he found his first girlfriend in his junior year at Finneytown High School. At age 17, Vonderplanitz married her, a recent schoolmate one year elder, who bore his only child, a son, in his senior year. Once he graduated, the new family moved elsewhere near Cincinnati. They renting a small apartment at a business intersection, Vonderplanitz's wife worked as a utility-company secretary, and he as a short-order cook also attending the Cincinnati Institute of Computer Technology. Their son's severe colic, her postpartum mood problems, and his own confusions and mood problems ended their prior bliss. He increasingly drank with friends, and entered an extramarital affair with a female instructor at his trade school. Divorced at 19, he moved to Los Angeles for work in computer programming. Although he seemingly never remarried, his own and other persons' anecdotes about him involve several girlfriends throughout his later life. On moving to Los Angeles, feeling directionless and distressed, Vonderplanitz continued heavy drinking. Still aged 19, he developed a stomach ulcer, whose surgical treatment caused a keloidal scar in turn treated by radiation therapy that then caused multiple myeloma, Vonderplanitz recounted. Once chemotherapy caused further illnesses, including psoriasis, bursitis, and severe periodontitis, he discontinued treatment of his terminal cancer, but a hospice worker, paying him volunteer home visits, gave him a small book on cancer treatment by raw carrot juice, Vonderplanitz would claim. Within 10 days, the regimen ended his alleged dyslexia, and soon thereafter put his cancer in remission, Vonderplanitz would claim. At age 22, Vonderplanitz began promoting himself as a nutritionist. At about age 23, the still John Swigart met a girl toddler who renamed him Aajonus. Disliking his given name, a reminder of illness and mistreatment, he accepted the renaming, and later took his European ancestors' last name Vonderplanitz. He would attribute his health gains over the next two years mostly to raw juices and raw dairy. By age 25, eliminating raw dairy, Vonderplanitz adopted raw veganism. At age 27, seeking health answers, he reputedly sojourned by bicycle, while he "lived off the earth", across North America and into Latin America. Nearly three years later, he returned to Los Angeles telling of a seemingly implausible health answer: eating raw meat. Vonderplanitz would claim a diverse résumé, partly since by age 40, he still had marginal income as a nutritionist. He recalled ethically refusing $7.5 million to be made, in 1971, the Winston Man for seven years, and, in the 1980s, while earning income painting murals and such inside homes, some acting on the soap opera "General Hospital". He claimed to have created a brief diet, damaging within a few days to weeks, for a client demanding quick weight loss, but who allegedly published it for profit as the Beverly Hills Diet. Upon overturning a traffic ticket at age 22, he sought to develop legal expertise by private study. After 2000, he wrote business contracts and legal responses for farmers. In his latest years, owning a farm in the Philippines hindsight, he claimed that his advice had been often ineffective, and sometimes even harmful, until he included raw meat. At perhaps age 30, he became a staff nutritionist, advising customers, at a healthfood store, Aunt Tilly's Too. Although not in his 1997 book, he used the title PhD, specifying nutritional science, in a 2001 research report on milk, cowritten with William Campbell Douglass II MD, and thereafter. In 2009, he was reported to lack accredited scientific or medical training. In September 1986, at age 39, living in a Beverly Hills "slum" while freelancing in nutrition, Vonderplanitz returned to Cincinnati, Ohio. There, his only child, his son, estranged for about 20 years, had recently been in a severe car wreck, driving, without a seatbelt on, straight into a tree. seemingly irrational vendetta was infamous, partially blamed for Rawesome's downfall. Despite his role in Rawesome and the other animal-leasing arrangements that he continued after Rawesome's debacle, Vonderplanitz would never be prosecuted. Still, by 2010, he believed himself the target of governmental or pharmaceutical conspiracy to neutralize him. In 2009, he had described the ongoing flu pandemic as a hoax mediated by flu vaccination. Soon, he alleged apparent retribution by invaders of his hotel room in Thailand forcibly giving him injections that sent his "mercury, barium, and chromium readings off the charts", impairing his health, causing weight loss, and prematurely aging him. Later, he claimed that on a Thailand road, his car's brakes suddenly failed, causing a potentially fatal car wreck that he likewise attributed to a plot against his life. In August 2013, at his farm in Thailand, Vonderplanitz apparently leaned against his house's second-story balcony rail, which proved faulty, allowing his fall that broke his spine and paralyzed him. At the hospital, he accepted pain-killing drugs, yet refused surgery to repair internal bleeding. After a few days, he lost consciousness and died. Despite rumors of conspiracy, two of Vonderplanitz's colleagues described local circumstances suggesting a genuine accident. Vonderplanitz had authored two books: a memoir retracing his path to and introducing the Primal Diet, "We Want To Live" (1997/2005), and a follow-up recipe book citing putative scientific evidence, "The Recipe for Living Without Disease" (2002).

Aajonus Vonderplanitz

O r i g i n a l l y n a m e d J o h n R i c h a r d S w i g a r t , a n d b o r n i n D e n v e r , C o l o r a d o , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s p e n t m o s t o f c h i l d h o o d a n d a d o l e s c e n c e i n t h e C i n c i n n a t i s u b u r b F i n n e y t o w n , O h i o . H e d e s c r i b e d h a v i n g b e e n a s i c k l y c h i l d m i s u n d e r s t o o d a n d a b u s e d . H i s b r o t h e r , a c o u p l e o f y e a r s e l d e r , a l l e g e d l y r e s e n t f u l a t l o s s o f m a t e r n a l a t t e n t i o n , " t o r t u r e d m e n e a r l y d a i l y " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z e x p l a i n e d . B e i n g " d y s l e x i c " a n d " b o r d e r l i n e a u t i s t i c " , c o n d i t i o n s " w h i c h n o o n e u n d e r s t o o d a t t h e t i m e " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z " r a r e l y p l a y e d w i t h o t h e r c h i l d r e n " , a n d " e m b a r r a s s e d a n d f r u s t r a t e d m y p a r e n t s " , f u e l i n g p a t e r n a l " d i s c i p l i n e " t h a t l e d t o s e v e r a l h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d . I n a n o t h e r h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n n e a r h i s 1 0 t h b i r t h d a y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a l l e g e d p e r i t o n i t i s w a s m i s d i a g n o s e d a p p e n d i c i t i s , w h e r e u p o n h i s a p p e n d i x , d i s c o v e r e d f i n e , w a s r e m o v e d a n y w a y , h e r e c o u n t e d . H e c l a i m e d t h a t h i s b o n e s w e r e b r i t t l e , h e " r e g u l a r l y " b r e a k i n g l i m b b o n e s , a n d a t a g e 1 5 w a s d i a g n o s e d w i t h " j u v e n i l e d i a b e t e s " . V o n d e r p l a n i t z f i r s t r e c e i v e d f a m i l y a n d c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t , h e r e c a l l e d , o n c e h e f o u n d h i s f i r s t g i r l f r i e n d i n h i s j u n i o r y e a r a t F i n n e y t o w n H i g h S c h o o l . A t a g e 1 7 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z m a r r i e d h e r , a r e c e n t s c h o o l m a t e o n e y e a r e l d e r , w h o b o r e h i s o n l y c h i l d , a s o n , i n h i s s e n i o r y e a r . O n c e h e g r a d u a t e d , t h e n e w f a m i l y m o v e d e l s e w h e r e n e a r C i n c i n n a t i . T h e y r e n t i n g a s m a l l a p a r t m e n t a t a b u s i n e s s i n t e r s e c t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s w i f e w o r k e d a s a u t i l i t y - c o m p a n y s e c r e t a r y , a n d h e a s a s h o r t - o r d e r c o o k a l s o a t t e n d i n g t h e C i n c i n n a t i I n s t i t u t e o f C o m p u t e r T e c h n o l o g y . T h e i r s o n ' s s e v e r e c o l i c , h e r p o s t p a r t u m m o o d p r o b l e m s , a n d h i s o w n c o n f u s i o n s a n d m o o d p r o b l e m s e n d e d t h e i r p r i o r b l i s s . H e i n c r e a s i n g l y d r a n k w i t h f r i e n d s , a n d e n t e r e d a n e x t r a m a r i t a l a f f a i r w i t h a f e m a l e i n s t r u c t o r a t h i s t r a d e s c h o o l . D i v o r c e d a t 1 9 , h e m o v e d t o L o s A n g e l e s f o r w o r k i n c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m m i n g . A l t h o u g h h e s e e m i n g l y n e v e r r e m a r r i e d , h i s o w n a n d o t h e r p e r s o n s ' a n e c d o t e s a b o u t h i m i n v o l v e s e v e r a l g i r l f r i e n d s t h r o u g h o u t h i s l a t e r l i f e . O n m o v i n g t o L o s A n g e l e s , f e e l i n g d i r e c t i o n l e s s a n d d i s t r e s s e d , V o n d e r p l a n i t z c o n t i n u e d h e a v y d r i n k i n g . S t i l l a g e d 1 9 , h e d e v e l o p e d a s t o m a c h u l c e r , w h o s e s u r g i c a l t r e a t m e n t c a u s e d a k e l o i d a l s c a r i n t u r n t r e a t e d b y r a d i a t i o n t h e r a p y t h a t t h e n c a u s e d m u l t i p l e m y e l o m a , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e c o u n t e d . O n c e c h e m o t h e r a p y c a u s e d f u r t h e r i l l n e s s e s , i n c l u d i n g p s o r i a s i s , b u r s i t i s , a n d s e v e r e p e r i o d o n t i t i s , h e d i s c o n t i n u e d t r e a t m e n t o f h i s t e r m i n a l c a n c e r , b u t a h o s p i c e w o r k e r , p a y i n g h i m v o l u n t e e r h o m e v i s i t s , g a v e h i m a s m a l l b o o k o n c a n c e r t r e a t m e n t b y r a w c a r r o t j u i c e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m . W i t h i n 1 0 d a y s , t h e r e g i m e n e n d e d h i s a l l e g e d d y s l e x i a , a n d s o o n t h e r e a f t e r p u t h i s c a n c e r i n r e m i s s i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m . A t a g e 2 2 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z b e g a n p r o m o t i n g h i m s e l f a s a n u t r i t i o n i s t . A t a b o u t a g e 2 3 , t h e s t i l l J o h n S w i g a r t m e t a g i r l t o d d l e r w h o r e n a m e d h i m A a j o n u s . D i s l i k i n g h i s g i v e n n a m e , a r e m i n d e r o f i l l n e s s a n d m i s t r e a t m e n t , h e a c c e p t e d t h e r e n a m i n g , a n d l a t e r t o o k h i s E u r o p e a n a n c e s t o r s ' l a s t n a m e V o n d e r p l a n i t z . H e w o u l d a t t r i b u t e h i s h e a l t h g a i n s o v e r t h e n e x t t w o y e a r s m o s t l y t o r a w j u i c e s a n d r a w d a i r y . B y a g e 2 5 , e l i m i n a t i n g r a w d a i r y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a d o p t e d r a w v e g a n i s m . A t a g e 2 7 , s e e k i n g h e a l t h a n s w e r s , h e r e p u t e d l y s o j o u r n e d b y b i c y c l e , w h i l e h e " l i v e d o f f t h e e a r t h " , a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d i n t o L a t i n A m e r i c a . N e a r l y t h r e e y e a r s l a t e r , h e r e t u r n e d t o L o s A n g e l e s t e l l i n g o f a s e e m i n g l y i m p l a u s i b l e h e a l t h a n s w e r : e a t i n g r a w m e a t . V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d c l a i m a d i v e r s e r é s u m é , p a r t l y s i n c e b y a g e 4 0 , h e s t i l l h a d m a r g i n a l i n c o m e a s a n u t r i t i o n i s t . H e r e c a l l e d e t h i c a l l y r e f u s i n g $ 7 . 5 m i l l i o n t o b e m a d e , i n 1 9 7 1 , t h e W i n s t o n M a n f o r s e v e n y e a r s , a n d , i n t h e 1 9 8 0 s , w h i l e e a r n i n g i n c o m e p a i n t i n g m u r a l s a n d s u c h i n s i d e h o m e s , s o m e a c t i n g o n t h e s o a p o p e r a " G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l " . H e c l a i m e d t o h a v e c r e a t e d a b r i e f d i e t , d a m a g i n g w i t h i n a f e w d a y s t o w e e k s , f o r a c l i e n t d e m a n d i n g q u i c k w e i g h t l o s s , b u t w h o a l l e g e d l y p u b l i s h e d i t f o r p r o f i t a s t h e B e v e r l y H i l l s D i e t . U p o n o v e r t u r n i n g a t r a f f i c t i c k e t a t a g e 2 2 , h e s o u g h t t o d e v e l o p l e g a l e x p e r t i s e b y p r i v a t e s t u d y . A f t e r 2 0 0 0 , h e w r o t e b u s i n e s s c o n t r a c t s a n d l e g a l r e s p o n s e s f o r f a r m e r s . I n h i s l a t e s t y e a r s , o w n i n g a f a r m i n t h e P h i l i p p i n e s a n d a n o t h e r i n a r e m o t e a r e a o f T h a i l a n d , n e a r i t s n o r t h e r n b o r d e r w i t h L a o s , h e s p e n t m u c h t i m e a t h i s T h a i l a n d f a r m . V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t u t e l a g e b y a S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a n u t r i t i o n i s t n a m e d B r u n o C o r i g l i a n o f o l l o w e d b y n e a r l y t h r e e y e a r s o f b i c y c l e t r a v e l a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d i n t o L a t i n A m e r i c a , i n h i s l a t e 2 0 s , w h i l e s t u d y i n g b i o l o g y a n d m e d i c a l t e x t b o o k s , N a t i v e A m e r i c a n i n d i g e n o u s h e a l t h c a r e , a n d w i l d l i f e h a b i t s . H e c l a i m e d t o h a v e d i s c o v e r e d r a w m e a t ' s p u t a t i v e h e a l i n g c a p a c i t y w h e n f a s t i n g i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s , w h e r e a p a c k o f c o y o t e s k i l l e d , t o r e o p e n , a n d o f f e r e d h i m a j a c k r a b b i t , t h e n w a t c h e d h i m u n t i l h e a t e i t . I n h i s e a r l y 2 0 s , a m o n g t h e o u t d o o r p u r v e y o r s a t V e n i c e B e a c h , h e s e t u p a t a b l e w i t h t h e b a n n e r " N U T R I T I O N I S T " , a n d b e g a n c o u n s e l i n g i n a r a w - f o o d n i c h e . I n h i n d s i g h t , h e c l a i m e d t h a t h i s a d v i c e h a d b e e n o f t e n i n e f f e c t i v e , a n d s o m e t i m e s e v e n h a r m f u l , u n t i l h e i n c l u d e d r a w m e a t . A t p e r h a p s a g e 3 0 , h e b e c a m e a s t a f f n u t r i t i o n i s t , a d v i s i n g c u s t o m e r s , a t a h e a l t h f o o d s t o r e , A u n t T i l l y ' s T o o . A l t h o u g h n o t i n h i s 1 9 9 7 b o o k , h e u s e d t h e t i t l e P h D , s p e c i f y i n g n u t r i t i o n a l s c i e n c e , i n a 2 0 0 1 r e s e a r c h r e p o r t o n m i l k , c o w r i t t e n w i t h W i l l i a m C a m p b e l l D o u g l a s s I I M D , a n d t h e r e a f t e r . I n 2 0 0 9 , h e w a s r e p o r t e d t o l a c k a c c r e d i t e d s c i e n t i f i c o r m e d i c a l t r a i n i n g . I n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 8 6 , a t a g e 3 9 , l i v i n g i n a B e v e r l y H i l l s " s l u m " w h i l e f r e e l a n c i n g i n n u t r i t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e t u r n e d t o C i n c i n n a t i , O h i o . T h e r e , h i s o n l y c h i l d , h i s s o n , e s t r a n g e d f o r a b o u t 2 0 y e a r s , h a d r e c e n t l y b e e n i n a s e v e r e c a r w r e c k , d r i v i n g , w i t h o u t a s e a t b e l t o n , s t r a i g h t i n t o a t r e e . V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t o h a v e s a b o t a g e d h i s s o n ' s c o n v e n t i o n a l m e d i c a l t r e a t m e n t , i n M e r c y H o s p i t a l ' s i n t e n s i v e - c a r e u n i t , a n d u s e d r a w f o o d s t o a w a k e n a n d r e t r i e v e h i s c o m a t o s e s o n f r o m i m m i n e n t d e a t h , a n d t o r e v e r s e h i s p a r a l y s i s a n d b r a i n d a m a g e . T e n y e a r s a f t e r h i s s o n ' s r e c o v e r y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e c o u n t e d t h e t a l e i n h i s f i r s t b o o k , " W e W a n t t o L i v e " , f i r s t p u b l i s h e d i n 1 9 9 7 a n d r e v i s e d i n 2 0 0 5 . U p o n t h e 1 9 9 7 r e l e a s e o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s f i r s t b o o k , R o b e r t A t k i n s i n t e r v i e w e d h i m , b a s e d b y t h e n i n M a l i b u , o n A t k i n s ' s n a t i o n a l l y s y n d i c a t e d r a d i o s h o w . V o n d e r p l a n i t z h a d c l a i m e d t h a t h i s o w n p r o t o c o l h a d c u r e d o v e r 2 0 0 c l i e n t s o f c a n c e r . I n 2 0 0 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z t r a d e m a r k e d t h e n a m e " P r i m a l D i e t " . U n l i k e l a t e r d i e t s c a l l e d " p r i m a l " , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s P r i m a l D i e t p r i n c i p a l l y i n c l u d e s r a w m e a t , r a w e g g s , r a w d a i r y , r a w f a t s , a n d u n h e a t e d h o n e y . I n 2 0 0 2 , h i s o t h e r b o o k , t h e " R e c i p e f o r L i v i n g W i t h o u t D i s e a s e " , w a s p u b l i s h e d . N e a r i n g 2 0 1 0 , h e w a s s t i l l c l a i m i n g o v e r 9 0 % r a t e o f c a n c e r r e m i s s i o n a m o n g h i s c l i e n t s c l o s e l y h e e d i n g i t . D e s p i t e m a i n s t r e a m d i s m i s s a l , h i s P r i m a l D i e t g a i n e d a s i z a b l e , i f u n d e r g r o u n d , f o l l o w i n g . A l t h o u g h V o n d e r p l a n i t z d a t e d i t t o t h e 1 9 7 0 s , h i s f o o d - r i g h t s c a m p a i g n m o r e c l e a r l y b e g a n n e a r i n g 2 0 0 0 . I n t o 2 0 1 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d a n a l l y , J a m e s S t e w a r t , w e r e t h e r a w - m i l k m o v e m e n t ' s d e f a c t o l e a d e r s . I n 1 9 9 7 o r 1 9 9 8 , V e n i c e r e s i d e n t J a m e s S t e w a r t , i n p o o r h e a l t h , d i s c o v e r e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s P r i m a l D i e t . B y 2 0 0 0 , S t e w a r t w a s a s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a d i s t r i b u t o r o f r a w m i l k f o r C l a r a v a l e F a r m , w h i c h h a d o n l y e i g h t c o w s , b u t w a s t h e s t a t e ' s o n l y f a r m s t i l l l i c e n s e d t o s u p p l y u n p a s t e u r i z e d m i l k t o r e t a i l s t o r e s . W h i l e C l a r a v a l e F a r m a d d e d c o w s f o r S t e w a r t ' s d i s t r i b u t i o n r e a c h i n g 3 0 s t o r e s i n f o u r c o u n t i e s — O r a n g e , V e n t u r a , S a n D i e g o , a n d L o s A n g e l e s — o n e c o u n t y , L o s A n g e l e s , w a s t h e s t a t e ' s o n l y w h e r e r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e w a s i l l e g a l . B y 2 0 0 1 , L . A . c o u n t y ' s r e g u l a t o r s w e r e p u l l i n g S t e w a r t ' s p l a c e d m i l k f r o m s t o r e s , y e t V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s c a m p a i g n t o l e g a l i z e r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e w a s c u l m i n a t i n g . I n 2 0 0 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z d r e w S t e w a r t t o h e l p d e m o n s t r a t i o n s a n d p r o t e s t s , a l t h o u g h i n i t i a l t u r n o u t w a s m i n u s c u l e . L a t e r i n 2 0 0 1 , c o w r i t t e n w i t h W i l l i a m C a m p b e l l D o u g l a s s I I , a n d s u b m i t t e d t o t h e c o u n t y ' s b o a r d o f s u p e r v i s o r s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s r e p o r t o n r a w m i l k , a n d a c c o m p a n y i n g t h r e a t o f l e g a l a c t i o n , g o t t h e c o u n t y ' s b o a r d o f s u p e r v i s o r s t o e n d t h e b a n o n r a w m i l k ' s r e t a i l s a l e . H i g h l y p u b l i c i z e d , t h e h e a r i n g s f u e l e d c o n s u m e r d e m a n d f o r u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . C l a r a v a l e F a r m ' s s u p p l y v i a S t e w a r t i n s u f f i c i e n t , s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a r e s i d e n t s w o u l d t r a v e l n o r t h t o b u y r a w m i l k a t t h e M c A f e e b r o t h e r s ' f a r m , O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s D a i r y C o m p a n y . I n e a r l y 2 0 0 0 , t h e M c A f e e s ' f a r m h a d s w i t c h e d t o o r g a n i c , b u t t h e i r O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s s t i l l s o l d i t s m i l k w h o l e s a l e t o O r g a n i c V a l l e y , w h i c h i n t u r n s u p p l i e d o n l y p a s t e u r i z e d m i l k t o s t o r e s . U p o n v i s i t s b y s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a n c u s t o m e r s , t h e M c A f e e s ' O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s o b t a i n e d a p e r m i t t o s e l l r a w d a i r y r e t a i l . D u r i n g 2 0 0 1 , M a r k M c A f e e c o n t a c t e d S t e w a r t , w h o t h e n r e c r u i t e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z . V o n d e r p l a n i t z i n v e s t e d $ 1 5 0 0 0 , a n d w i t h S t e w a r t r e c r u i t e d o t h e r s , i n c l u d i n g r e a l - e s t a t e e x e c u t i v e L a r r y O t t i n g , w h o i n v e s t e d $ 1 7 0 0 0 , a n d O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s b e g a n s u p p l y i n g u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y r e t a i l . T h e v o l u m e a l l o w e d S t e w a r t , d e s p i t e d r o p p i n g C l a r a v a l e ' s m i l k , t o r e a c h 8 9 s t o r e s . Y e t i n 2 0 0 4 , a s t h e n a t i o n ' s l a r g e s t u n p a s t e u r i z e d s u p p l i e r , O r g a n i c P a s t u r e s b r o u g h t d i s t r i b u t i o n i n - h o u s e , e l i m i n a t i n g S t e w a r t . S t e w a r t t h e n f o c u s e d o n g r o w i n g h i s p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , R a w e s o m e . R a w e s o m e w o u l d k e e p S t e w a r t a n d V o n d e r p l a n i t z a t t h e c e n t e r o f t h e r a w - d a i r y m o v e m e n t u n t i l R a w e s o m e ' s c o n t r o v e r s i a l c l o s u r e v i a g o v e r n m e n t r a i d i n 2 0 1 1 . I n t h e l a t e 1 9 9 0 s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f o r m e d t h e n o t - f o r - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n R i g h t t o C h o o s e H e a l t h y F o o d ( R T C H F ) . R T C H F , d e c l a r e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z , " w i l l c o m b a t a n y l e g i s l a t i o n b a n n i n g p e o p l e ' s r i g h t t o c h o o s e r a w f o o d " . Y e t R T C H F a p p a r e n t l y f o c u s e d o n r a w d a i r y . I n t h i s a g e n d a , V o n d e r p l a n i t z o r i g i n a t e d t h e " a n i m a l - l e a s i n g " m o d e l , w h e r e b y a p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , w h o s e m e m b e r s a r e a l s o R T C H F m e m b e r s , c o n t r a c t s a f a r m e r t o p r o d u c e s o l e l y f o r t h a t f o o d c l u b . A s p r e s i d e n t o f R T C H F , V o n d e r p l a n i t z m e d i a t e d t h e s e a n i m a l - l e a s i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s i n m u l t i p l e s t a t e s . V o n d e r p l a n i t z m e a n w h i l e c r i t i c i z e d t h e " h e r d s h a r e " o r " c o w s h a r e " m o d e l , w h e r e b y a c o n s u m e r b u y s " s h a r e s " , t h u s " p a r t i a l l y o w n s " t h e c a t t l e , a n d t h e n b u y s d a i r y d i r e c t l y f r o m t h e f a r m e r , w h o m a y s t i l l s e l l t o n o n s h a r e h o l d e r s , t o o . P a r t l y b y w r i t i n g l e g a l d o c u m e n t s f o r f a r m e r s a n d c o n s u m e r s d e s p i t e n o t b e i n g a n a t t o r n e y , V o n d e r p l a n i t z d i s c o m f i t e d t h e F a r m - t o - C o n s u m e r L e g a l D e f e n s e F u n d ( F T C L D F ) . O p e r a t e d b y a t t o r n e y s , t h e F T C L D F a l s o e n d o r s e d t h e h e r d s h a r e m o d e l , w h i c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z c l a i m e d t o l a c k p r e c e d e n t , a s s h a r e h o l d i n g c a n e n t i t l e o n e t o p r o f i t s w i t h o u t a n y o w n e r s h i p o f p r o p e r t y , w h e r e a s l e a s i n g h e l d l o n g p r e c e d e n t o f f u l l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y m a t c h i n g o w n e r s h i p , a r g u e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z . V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s b e i n g n o t a l a w y e r a p p e a l e d t o A m i s h f a r m e r s , h o w e v e r , w h o t r a d i t i o n a l l y a v o i d e d t a k i n g l e g a l a c t i o n s . B y 2 0 1 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s l e g a l r e s p o n s e s w e r e w e l l k n o w n f o r e n d i n g r e g u l a t o r s ' l e g a l t h r e a t s a g a i n s t R T C H F ' s f a r m e r s . O n c e s o t h r e a t e n e d , s o m e n o n - R T C H F f a r m e r s n e w l y s i g n e d R T C H F c o n t r a c t s . B y 2 0 1 0 , R T C H F ' s f o o d c l u b s n u m b e r e d a b o u t 8 0 , e a c h c o m m o n l y h a v i n g a b o u t 1 0 0 t o 2 0 0 m e m b e r s , a n d a f e w h a v i n g o v e r a 1 0 0 0 m e m b e r s . N e a r i n g 2 0 1 0 , f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t b e g a n p r e s s u r i n g s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t s t o e n f o r c e l a w s a g a i n s t r a w m i l k . A d r a g n e t a g a i n s t f a r m e r s a n d c l u b m a n a g e r s c o n n e c t e d t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z u n f o l d e d . V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a t t e m p t s t o d e f e n d t h e m d r e w m i x e d r e s u l t s . I n A p r i l 2 0 1 1 , t h e F D A f i l e d i n f e d e r a l c o u r t a g a i n s t A m i s h f a r m e r D a n i e l A l l g y e r o f P e n n s y l v a n i a . U n a b l e t o r e a c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z , w h o w a s t r a v e l i n g a b r o a d a s n u t r i t i o n i s t , A l l g y e r d r o p p e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s R T C H F t h e n e x t m o n t h a n d h i r e d K a r l D a h l s t r o m ' s P r o A d v o c a t e G r o u p . A g a i n s t A l l y g e r ' s r e s i s t a n c e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f i l e d a m o t i o n t o i n t e r c e d e , b u t t h e j u d g e d e n i e d i t , e x c l u d i n g V o n d e p l a n i t z f r o m t h e c a s e , a n d a d d e d t h a t V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s a r g u m e n t s a b o u t h e a l t h a n d r i g h t s w e r e i r r e l e v a n t t o w h e t h e r A l l g y e r w e r e g u i l t y o f i n t e r s t a t e c o m m e r c e o f u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . I n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 2 , r u l i n g a g a i n s t A l l g y e r , t h e j u d g e c a l l e d i t " a c o w s h a r e " t h a t w a s " m e r e l y a s u b t e r f u g e " . Y e t i n t h e W i s c o n s i n s t a t e t r i a l o f f a r m e r V e r n o n H e r s h b e r g e r , V o n d e r p l a n i t z p a r t i c i p a t e d a n d c l a i m e d v i c t o r y i n M a y 2 0 1 3 . T h e p r e e m i n e n t f o o d c l u b l i n k e d t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s R i g h t t o C h o o s e H e a l t h y F o o d w a s t h e R a w e s o m e f o o d c l u b , k n o w n f o r e x o t i c r a w f o o d s , a n d t h r i v i n g , d r a w i n g c e l e b r i t y c l i e n t e l e , i n V e n i c e , L o s A n g e l e s . I n 2 0 0 1 , J a m e s S t e w a r t h a d f o u n d e d a p r i v a t e f o o d c l u b , " T h e G a r a g e " . B y 2 0 0 3 , i t e v o l v e d i n t o R a w e s o m e , w h i c h V o n d e r p l a n i t z w r o t e t h e c o n t r a c t f o r , i n v e s t e d i n , a n d s t e e r e d c l i e n t s t o . I n 2 0 0 5 , r e g u l a t o r s t r i e d t o r e s t r i c t R a w e s o m e , b u t V o n d e r p l a n i t z w r o t e t h e r e s p o n s e a n d p e r s u a d e d S t e w a r t t o r e s i s t . T h e g o v e r n m e n t d r o p p e d t h e c i t a t i o n , R a w e s o m e c o n t i n u e d n o r m a l o p e r a t i o n , a n d , o v e r t h e n e x t f e w y e a r s , t h i s s u c c e s s d r e w V o n d e r p l a n i t z r e n o w n f o r f e n d i n g o f f r e g u l a t o r s ' l e g a l t h r e a t s . Y e t i n O c t o b e r 2 0 1 0 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d t u r n a g a i n s t S t e w a r t , a c o n f l i c t t h a t d i v i d e d t h e f o o d c l u b . H a v i n g l o n g t h o u g h t h i s b o d y r e s p o n d i n g p o o r l y t o s o m e o f h e r p r o d u c t s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s u s p e c t e d H e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s ' o w n e r S h a r o n P a l m e r , o n e o f R a w e s o m e ' s m a i n s u p p l i e r s , o f s e c r e t l y o u t s o u r c i n g , o f s u p p l y i n g m e a t n o t o r g a n i c a n d n o t s o y - f r e e , a n d o f p r o v i d i n g c o n t a m i n a t e d e g g s . S t e w a r t s t o o d b y P a l m e r a n d k e p t c a r r y i n g h e r p r o d u c t s . V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d P a l m e r ' s m a i n c r e d i t o r , R a w e s o m e m e m b e r L a r r y O t t i n g , t h e n p u b l i s h e d a d e f a m a t o r y w e b s i t e , " U n h e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s " . I n J u n e 2 0 1 0 , a n u n n a m e d P a l m e r e m p l o y e e e x p l a i n e d t o a V e n t u r a C o u n t y S h e r i f f ' s d e t e c t i v e a n d a L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y ' s a g e n t t h a t H e a l t h y F a m i l y F a r m s l a c k e d t h e m e a n s t o p r o d u c e a l l o f t h e f o o d i t w a s s u p p l y i n g . L a t e r t h a t m o n t h , o n J u n e 3 0 , b u t v i a i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n c e 2 0 0 8 , r e g u l a t o r s r a i d e d R a w e s o m e . T w o d a y s a f t e r t h a t J u n e 2 0 1 0 r a i d o n R a w e s o m e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z s e n t f r o m A s i a a g r o u p e m a i l a l l e g i n g t h a t " g o v e r n m e n t a g e n t s t r e s p a s s e d a n d k i d n a p p e d v o l u n t e e r s a n d m e m b e r s f o r t h e e n t i r e t i m e t h a t t h e y s e i z e d t h e p r o p e r t y , a b o u t f i v e h o u r s " , a n d t h a t " t h e y s t o l e , u n d e r t h e t e r m c o n f i s c a t e , t h o u s a n d s o f d o l l a r s w o r t h o f m e m b e r s ' F O O D t h a t w a s p r i v a t e p r o p e r t y " . R e f e r r i n g t o V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s " o n l i n e n o t i c e s " , a L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y a g e n t , a r g u i n g t o p r o t e c t t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d t o c o n c e a l i d e n t i f i e s o f u n d e r c o v e r a g e n t s , w h o s e " l i v e s a n d s a f e t y w o u l d b e p u t i n t o j e o p a r d y " , g o t a L o s A n g e l e s S u p e r i o r C o u r t j u d g e t o s e a l t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n ' s d o c u m e n t s . T h e L o s A n g e l e s D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y ' s o f f i c e a l s o b e g a n s u r v e i l l a n c e o f t h e e m a i l a c c o u n t s o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z , o f P a l m e r , a n d o f P a l m e r ' s f a r m e m p l o y e e V i c t o r i a B l o c h . A l t h o u g h R a w e s o m e c o n t i n u e d n o r m a l o p e r a t i o n , a n d e v e n d r e w s u p p o r t i n m a i n s t r e a m m e d i a , t h e r a i d i n t e n s i f i e d t h e S t e w a r t – V o n d e r p l a n i t z c o n f l i c t , d i v i d i n g R a w e s o m e ' s m e m b e r s h i p a n d p o i s o n i n g R a w e s o m e ' s a t m o s p h e r e , w h e r e a c l o u d o f v a g u e c o n s p i r a c y t h e o r i e s r e a c h i n g g l o b a l p r o p o r t i o n s s e e m e d t o h o v e r . I n l a t e 2 0 1 0 , b u t t o n o a v a i l , V o n d e r p l a n i t z v i s i t e d V e n t u r a C o u n t y D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y i n v e s t i g a t o r s t o s e e k P a l m e r ' s p r o s e c u t i o n f o r a l l e g e d l y d e f r a u d i n g R a w e s o m e . I n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1 , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d O t t i n g s u e d S t e w a r t a n d P a l m e r f o r s o m e $ 2 0 m i l l i o n . I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 , a u t h o r i t i e s a g a i n r a i d e d R a w e s o m e , b u t t h i s t i m e c l o s e d i t , a r r e s t e d S t e w a r t , a n d , e l s e w h e r e , a r r e s t e d P a l m e r f o r c r i m i n a l c o n s p i r a c y i n i l l e g a l l y p r o d u c i n g a n d s e l l i n g u n p a s t e u r i z e d d a i r y . A l s o a r r e s t e d w a s P a l m e r ' s f a r m e m p l o y e e V i c t o r i a B l o c h , c h a r g e d s i m i l a r l y . A l t h o u g h c l a i m i n g c r e d i t f o r b u i l d i n g R a w e s o m e ' s s u c c e s s , V o n d e r p l a n i t z f o u n d h i m s e l f m a r g i n a l i z e d b y R a w e s o m e ' s s u p p o r t e r s d e m o n s t r a t i n g p u b l i c l y . F u r t h e r , o u t s i d e t h e c o u r t h o u s e a t s u c h a d e m o n s t r a t i o n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z , t r y i n g t o a n s w e r i n t e r e s t e d n e w s m e d i a , c o n c l u d e d h i m s e l f b l a c k l i s t e d f r o m n e w s g a t h e r i n g . I n 2 0 1 2 , S t e w a r t a n d P a l m e r w e r e a r r e s t e d o n c r i m i n a l c h a r g e s a s t o f u n d i n g o f P a l m e r ' s f a r m , w h e r e b y t h e y a l l e g e d l y m i s l e d i n v e s t o r s a b o u t t h e i r o w n c r e d i t w o r t h i n e s s , a n d c o u l d e a c h f a c e 4 0 y e a r s i m p r i s o n m e n t . A f t e r f o u r m o n t h s o f j a i l , S t e w a r t t o o k a p l e a d e a l , p a i d a f i n e , g a v e u p R a w e s o m e ' s c a u s e , a n d b e g a n d i s t r i b u t i n g o l i v e o i l . B y J u l y 2 0 1 3 , t h e c i v i l s u i t ' s j u d g e h a d r e d u c e d t h e 3 0 c i v i l c h a r g e s t o t w o , P a l m e r h a d c o u n t e r s u e d V o n d e r p l a n i t z a n d O t t i n g , a n d t h e j u d g e o r d e r e d t h e p a r t i e s t o n e g o t i a t e a s e t t l e m e n t . B y t h e n , V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s s e e m i n g l y i r r a t i o n a l v e n d e t t a w a s i n f a m o u s , p a r t i a l l y b l a m e d f o r R a w e s o m e ' s d o w n f a l l . D e s p i t e h i s r o l e i n R a w e s o m e a n d t h e o t h e r a n i m a l - l e a s i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s t h a t h e c o n t i n u e d a f t e r R a w e s o m e ' s d e b a c l e , V o n d e r p l a n i t z w o u l d n e v e r b e p r o s e c u t e d . S t i l l , b y 2 0 1 0 , h e b e l i e v e d h i m s e l f t h e t a r g e t o f g o v e r n m e n t a l o r p h a r m a c e u t i c a l c o n s p i r a c y t o n e u t r a l i z e h i m . I n 2 0 0 9 , h e h a d d e s c r i b e d t h e o n g o i n g f l u p a n d e m i c a s a h o a x m e d i a t e d b y f l u v a c c i n a t i o n . S o o n , h e a l l e g e d a p p a r e n t r e t r i b u t i o n b y i n v a d e r s o f h i s h o t e l r o o m i n T h a i l a n d f o r c i b l y g i v i n g h i m i n j e c t i o n s t h a t s e n t h i s " m e r c u r y , b a r i u m , a n d c h r o m i u m r e a d i n g s o f f t h e c h a r t s " , i m p a i r i n g h i s h e a l t h , c a u s i n g w e i g h t l o s s , a n d p r e m a t u r e l y a g i n g h i m . L a t e r , h e c l a i m e d t h a t o n a T h a i l a n d r o a d , h i s c a r ' s b r a k e s s u d d e n l y f a i l e d , c a u s i n g a p o t e n t i a l l y f a t a l c a r w r e c k t h a t h e l i k e w i s e a t t r i b u t e d t o a p l o t a g a i n s t h i s l i f e . I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 3 , a t h i s f a r m i n T h a i l a n d , V o n d e r p l a n i t z a p p a r e n t l y l e a n e d a g a i n s t h i s h o u s e ' s s e c o n d - s t o r y b a l c o n y r a i l , w h i c h p r o v e d f a u l t y , a l l o w i n g h i s f a l l t h a t b r o k e h i s s p i n e a n d p a r a l y z e d h i m . A t t h e h o s p i t a l , h e a c c e p t e d p a i n - k i l l i n g d r u g s , y e t r e f u s e d s u r g e r y t o r e p a i r i n t e r n a l b l e e d i n g . A f t e r a f e w d a y s , h e l o s t c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d d i e d . D e s p i t e r u m o r s o f c o n s p i r a c y , t w o o f V o n d e r p l a n i t z ' s c o l l e a g u e s d e s c r i b e d l o c a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s s u g g e s t i n g a g e n u i n e a c c i d e n t . V o n d e r p l a n i t z h a d a u t h o r e d t w o b o o k s : a m e m o i r r e t r a c i n g h i s p a t h t o a n d i n t r o d u c i n g t h e P r i m a l D i e t , " W e W a n t T o L i v e " ( 1 9 9 7 / 2 0 0 5 ) , a n d a f o l l o w - u p r e c i p e b o o k c i t i n g p u t a t i v e s c i e n t i f i c e v i d e n c e , " T h e R e c i p e f o r L i v i n g W i t h o u t D i s e a s e " ( 2 0 0 2 ) .

Nutritional career

Aajonus Vonderplanitz, a self-proclaimed nutritionist, promoted a raw food diet, particularly emphasizing raw meat, and advocated for individuals' rights to choose their food options. His career spanned several decades, during which he developed his Primal Diet, wrote books, and engaged in activism for food freedom. Notably, he claimed to have helped numerous individuals recover from cancer and other illnesses through his dietary approach.

his cancer in remission, Vonderplanitz would claim. At age 22, Vonderplanitz began promoting himself as a nutritionist. At about age 23, the still John Swigart met a girl toddler who renamed him Aajonus. Disliking his given name, a reminder of illness and mistreatment, he accepted the renaming, and later took his European ancestors' last name Vonderplanitz. He would attribute his health gains over the next two years mostly to raw juices and raw dairy. By age 25, eliminating raw dairy, Vonderplanitz adopted raw veganism. At age 27, seeking health answers, he reputedly sojourned by bicycle, while he "lived off the earth", across North America and into Latin America. Nearly three years later, he returned to Los Angeles telling of a seemingly implausible health answer: eating raw meat. Vonderplanitz would claim a diverse résumé, partly since by age 40, he still had marginal income as a nutritionist. He recalled ethically refusing $7.5 million to be made, in 1971, the Winston Man for seven years, and, in the 1980s, while earning income painting murals and such inside homes, some acting on the soap opera "General Hospital". He claimed to have created a brief diet, damaging within a few days to weeks, for a client demanding quick weight loss, but who allegedly published it for profit as the Beverly Hills Diet. Upon overturning a traffic ticket at age 22, he sought to develop legal expertise by private study. After 2000, he wrote business contracts and legal responses for farmers. In his latest years, owning a farm in the Philippines and another in a remote area of Thailand, near its northern border with Laos, he spent much time at his Thailand farm. Vonderplanitz claimed tutelage by a Southern California nutritionist named Bruno Corigliano followed by nearly three years of bicycle travel across North America and into Latin America, in his late 20s, while studying biology and medical textbooks, Native American indigenous healthcare, and wildlife habits. He claimed to have discovered raw meat's putative healing capacity when fasting in the wilderness, where a pack of coyotes killed, tore open, and offered him a jackrabbit, then watched him until he ate it. In his early 20s, among the outdoor purveyors at Venice Beach, he set up a table with the banner "NUTRITIONIST", and began counseling in a raw-food niche. In hindsight, he claimed that his advice had been often ineffective, and sometimes even harmful, until he included raw meat. At perhaps age 30, he became a staff nutritionist, advising customers, at a healthfood store, Aunt Tilly's Too. Although not in his 1997 book, he used the title PhD, specifying nutritional science, in a 2001 research report on milk, cowritten with William Campbell Douglass II MD, and thereafter. In 2009, he was reported to lack accredited scientific or medical training. In September 1986, at age 39, living in a Beverly Hills "slum" while freelancing in nutrition, Vonderplanitz returned to Cincinnati, Ohio. There, his only child, his son, estranged for about 20 years, had recently been in a severe car wreck, driving, without a seatbelt on, straight into a tree. Vonderplanitz claimed to have sabotaged his son's conventional medical treatment, in Mercy Hospital's intensive-care unit, and used raw foods to awaken and retrieve his comatose son from imminent death, and to reverse his paralysis and brain damage. Ten years after his son's recovery, Vonderplanitz recounted the tale in his first book, "We Want to Live", first published in 1997 and revised in 2005. Upon the 1997 release of Vonderplanitz's first book, Robert Atkins interviewed him, based by then in Malibu, on Atkins's nationally syndicated radio show. Vonderplanitz had claimed that his own protocol had cured over 200 clients of cancer. In 2000, Vonderplanitz trademarked the name "Primal Diet". Unlike later diets called "primal", Vonderplanitz's Primal Diet principally includes raw meat, raw eggs, raw dairy, raw fats, and unheated honey. In 2002, his other book, the "Recipe for Living Without Disease", was published. Nearing 2010, he was still claiming over 90% rate of cancer remission among his clients closely heeding it. Despite mainstream dismissal, his Primal Diet gained a sizable, if underground, following. Although Vonderplanitz dated it to the 1970s, his food-rights campaign more clearly began nearing 2000. Into 2011, Vonderplanitz and an ally, James Stewart, were the raw-milk movement's de facto leaders. In 1997 or 1998, Venice resident James Stewart, in poor health, discovered Vonderplanitz's Primal Diet. By 2000, Stewart was a southern California distributor of raw milk for Claravale Farm, which had only eight cows, but was the state's only farm still licensed to supply unpasteurized milk to retail stores. While Claravale Farm added cows in-house, eliminating Stewart. Stewart then focused on growing his private food club, Rawesome. Rawesome would keep Stewart and Vonderplanitz at the center of the raw-dairy movement until Rawesome's controversial closure via government raid in 2011. In the late 1990s, Vonderplanitz formed the not-for-profit organization Right to Choose Healthy Food (RTCHF). RTCHF, declared Vonderplanitz, "will combat any legislation banning people's right to choose raw food". Yet RTCHF apparently focused on raw dairy. In this agenda, Vonderplanitz originated the "animal-leasing" model, whereby a private food club, whose members are also RTCHF members, contracts a farmer to produce solely for that food club. As president of RTCHF, Vonderplanitz mediated these animal-leasing arrangements in multiple states. Vonderplanitz meanwhile criticized the "herdshare" or "cowshare" model, whereby a consumer buys "shares", thus "partially owns" unpasteurized dairy. In February 2012, ruling against Allgyer, the judge called it "a cow share" that was "merely a subterfuge". Yet in the Wisconsin state trial of farmer Vernon Hershberger, Vonderplanitz participated and claimed victory in May 2013. The preeminent food club linked to Vonderplanitz's Right to Choose Healthy Food was the Rawesome food club, known for exotic raw foods, and thriving, drawing celebrity clientele, in Venice, Los Angeles. In 2001, James Stewart had founded a private food club, "The Garage". By 2003, it evolved into Rawesome, which Vonderplanitz wrote the contract for, invested in, and steered clients to. In 2005, regulators tried to restrict Rawesome, but Vonderplanitz wrote the response and persuaded Stewart to resist. The government dropped the citation, Rawesome continued normal operation, and, over the

Aajonus Vonderplanitz

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Food activism

" Aajonus Vonderplanitz, a self-proclaimed nutritionist, promoted a raw diet and advocated for food (...TRUNCATED)

"his cancer in remission, Vonderplanitz would claim. At age 22, Vonderplanitz began promoting himsel(...TRUNCATED)

Aajonus Vonderplanitz

"O r i g i n a l l y n a m e d J o h n R i c h a r d S w i g a r t , a n d b o r n i n(...TRUNCATED)

Food activism ; California

" Aventajado Vonderplanitz is a prominent figure in the food activism movement in California. He adv(...TRUNCATED)

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