Raw Milk Safe for Now

The crowds descending on Sacramento had an effect: the legislature has given us a reprieve and rescinded the restrictions on raw milk. Here's the link for the article in the SF Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/16/BAEBUFL9G.DTL

The gist of the story is found in these two paragraphs:

Raw milk proponents say the coliform limit is impossible to meet, and that it's unnecessary because most coliform are benign, or even good for human health, and that raw milk already is tested for the kinds that cause illness, including E. coli and listeria.

The department, which has a long history of trying to outlaw raw milk in California, said in a statement that "coliform do not belong in raw milk" and that AB1735 "went through the normal legislative process."

You probably don't need me to say that I agree with the first paragraph and laugh derisively at the second (the "department" is the California Department of Food and Agriculture).

I have to confess to curiosity: why is the CDFA so determined to wipe out raw milk? There is plenty of pastuerized milk sold in the state. It's not as if raw milk is the only thing available or that raw milk proponents want to force everyone to drink it.

They can't even say that people who drink raw milk are costing the state a fortune in health care costs because they're always getting sick or dying. (They did try to pin some illnesses on raw milk once, but their case fell apart. The dairy and all the milk tested clean for e coli and listeria).

Raw milk producers are not even a threat to Big Ag. There are only two raw milk dairies in the state and about 40,000 consumers who buy the stuff. You can't even follow the money in this case.

I don't get it. But I'm glad we got through to them and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It doesn't sound like the CDFA is going to give up.

Raw Milk

Today, many, many people are descending on Sacramento in an attempt to get our legislature to let us be grown ups.

Our nanny government has decided that we don't know enough to not eat things that might hurt us, so they must make it illegal to sell raw milk.

You know. Milk from the cow. Like people have been drinking it for thousands and thousands of years.

We protested enough that they've decided to let us have a public forum to fix their bill. You can find information here:

http://www.organicpastures.com/ab1735_letter6.html

The gist of the problem, as usual, is semanitcs. The legislature is using an incorrect definition of coliform bacteria, and like the false premise, this only leads to a false conclusion. Raw milk drinkers hope desperately that our lawmakers figure this out and will change the wording of their bill. Or get rid of the bill, entirely.

Or I swear - I'm gonna buy my own cow.

Raw Milk

If you live in California, you will shortly not have the right to buy raw milk.
AB 1735 takes effect on January 1st, having passed the legislature with no debate and no warning to dairy farmers or consumers.

This is not how our ruling bodies are supposed to work.

Read the letter from Ron Garthwaite and Collette Cassidy of Claravale Farms and then write to your legislators. More information can be found at www.Organicpastures.com

I use raw milk for my yogurt. It makes the best yogurt I've had this side of Ireland and I don't want to give it up. Raw milk is safe and much healthier than the pasteurized junk put out my the Food Industry.

Sure, it needs to be produced by a properly clean dairy. Isn't that true for all our milk?

Oh, right. The pasteurized stuff can come from cows standing in their own muck, because it gets pasteurized. Silly me.

I truly do have a hard time holding down the sarcasm and cynicism when it comes to rulings like this. Help us out and write a letter or send an email.

Dairy farmers are fighting back.

They're Taking my Raw Milk!

This is too important to let get by:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/26/MNM2SVJDN.DTL

The California legislature has passed a law, with no public debate, that will pretty much put raw milk ranchers out of business. I want my milk raw, folks. Unpasteurized. From a clean farm withequipment and clean cows who've been out on pasteur all their lives, and with all the bacteria it's supposed to have.

Yes, I will buy it illegally if I have to, assuming I can find someone who's selling it illegally. But I shouldn't have to. This is ridiculous.

For the record, I don't use raw milk when I cook for clients. I don't even give it to my husband. The use of raw milk is an individual decision and the government has no right to take it away.