If you ever wanted to see the federal government run amuck, the Northwest Herald’s Kevin Craver’s expansion of McHenry County Blog’s Saturday article ought to fill the bill.

Mayo Underwood runs Underwood Gardens, an organic garden supply company, as well as selling heirloom plant seeds.

One of her products is fermented salmon heads. They provide good fertilizer and the product stinks so much it keeps away the critters.

Underwood told me Friday that the fish heads were “a threat to Homeland Security.”

Craver has found something even more stupid.

The United States Agriculture Department thinks the jars of fermented salmon heads might contain mad cow disease.

Really.

After prodding, U.S. Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s staff told Underwood she would have an answer by Monday.

Apparently, help didn’t come from the second term Democrat.

Otherwise, Underwood would have told Craver.

2,000 customers rely on the product.