Raw Dairy News
	Updated 12/23/2009: Conventional dairy farms have been losing money for about 50 years. The International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation now want raw milk legalized throughout the U.S., and they want regulations written to specify facility and safety standards. (No doubt the standards would favor commercial entities.)

Representative Ron Paul’s bill H778, would authorize interstate sales and transportation of raw milk and raw milk products. However, it has languished without a co-sponsor since its introduction January 28th, 2009.

Framingham, Massachusetts has imposed additional regulations on top of state regulations for farmers selling raw milk. Framingham’s regulations require weekly safety testing, whereas the state requires monthly testing, a raw milk license, direct farm sales and posted warnings against unpasteurized products.

Missouri filed a lawsuit against Bechard Family Farm for selling raw milk in a parking lot. The law states: “an individual may purchase and have delivered to him for his own use raw milk or cream from a farm”. Attorney General Chris Koster argues that this means raw milk must be delivered directly to the consumer’s home! Undercover health department agents purchased milk without pre-ordering it and requesting it be delivered, and on this point, the Bechards, unfortunately, could lose their case. The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund will represent the Bechards. If you know anyone living in Missouri, please ask them to file a complaint against the Missouri Attorney General, asking that this case be dropped. http://ago.mo.gov/consumercomplaint.htm.

The Canadian Constitution Foundation has taken up Ontario dairy farmer Michael Schmidt’s cause. Schmidt, who is facing 20 charges of selling raw milk, is awaiting a decision on his 2009 trial. The CCF says they will appeal all the way to the Supreme Court if they have to, because they believe the constitutional rights of both farmers and consumers who wish access to raw milk are being unfairly denied.

Scott Trautman, ordered by the state of Wisconsin to stop selling raw milk, staged a public protest in which he dumped his milk on the lawn of the State Capitol. In response, Rep. Chris Danou and Senator Pat Kreitlow introduced LRB3242/3 in the General Assembly to legalize direct sales of raw milk and raw milk products on the farm. The bill allows dairies with a Grade A permit to also be issued raw milk permits. They must display a sign saying “Raw milk products sold here. Raw milk products do not provide the protection of pasteurization.” Passage would be only a minor victory; requiring a Grade A license would exclude many family farms.

The current Wisconsin Statute says you can have incidental raw milk sales on farm but can not advertise it. The DATCP is now interpreting this as raw milk can not be made available to anyone who does not live or work on the farm. This could be an amusing loophole; a farmer could arrange to have any number of people work on the farm for an hour a week in exchange for a gallon of milk. The DATCP did not specify whether milk could be given away or sold to workers, only that it not be available to non-workers. The farm could still accept money if “work” was done by the consumer!

On December 21st, Max Kane, a raw milk activist who runs a food buying club, joined Mark McAfee, David Gumpert, Michael Schmidt, Scott Trautman and other raw milk activists in a Raw Milk Rally at the Viroqua, Wisconsin Courthouse, during Kane’s court date with DATCP for failure to turn over his club’s members or source of raw milk. Kane was found guilty and it seemed very much as if the Judge disapproved of his trying to represent himself. However, spirits were high, there was a great after party and supporters really felt as if they were part of a raw milk revolution/movement that was growing stronger.

The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund will represent Wisconsin’s Wayne and Kay Craig, who operate a Grade A Licensed Dairy with a farm store that sells raw milk only to its association membership. DATCP says they are selling milk illegally; FTCLDF says clubs do not need a retail food store license.

Eric Wagoner of Georgia, a farmer, created Athens Locally Grown network, an internet based famers market. He organizes the buying and selling between farmers and consumers, including raw milk that he picks up in a refrigerated truck from a legal, inspected raw milk farm in South Carolina. To avoid legal hassles, the customers have been ordering and paying for the milk directly from the South Carolina farm before Eric ever made a milk run. State inspectors, without a warrant or permission, boarded Eric’s truck, saw that it contained raw milk and insisted Eric dump all the milk a few days later in presence of State and Federal officials. Eric organized a large number of consumers with cameras to witness the dumping. He then wrote a letter to the Georgia Dept of Agriculture, daring them to meet him on his next run.

South Dakota’s Department of Agriculture proposed new raw milk regulations in a hearing scheduled for Thanksgiving week, with very little publicity or time for public comment. Currently the law allows raw cow or goat milk sales from the farmer directly to the consumer. The new regulations require a mechanical bottling machine, a separate milking parlor, specific mechanical pumps and storage facilities, the costs of which would obviously force many farms to cease selling milk. The regulations are on hold, possibly due to public outcry.

Depending on which source you read, 41-48 U.S. States are facing severe budget shortfalls, if not bankruptcy. Why are they wasting funds going after small farmers, whose “crimes” have no victims? Whose victims, indeed, eagerly seek out these products, even driving an hour or two out of town? Many dairies are multi-generational family farms that may have provided food to the parents and grandparents of those prosecuting them today. Besides pressure from Big Ag, what can be spurring this rash of persecution and prosecution? Policemen, expected to write a certain number of tickets each month, have a burst in “productivity” during the last week. Likewise, the USDA issues funds expecting states to meet registration quotas. Could it also be that governments hope to collect fees, fines and property to cover budget shortfalls?

Pasteurizing milk destroys the valuable enzymes (lipase, lactase, phospatase, and others) needed to digest milk. It also destroys much of the vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D and E. European countries realize this; you can buy raw milk from a vending machine in Slovenia!