This, in my email recently:
Personal Liberties at Stake in Raw Milk Issue
Sunday, October 12, 2008 2:33 PMBy: Kimberly Hartke
Our constitutional right to liberty is systematically being attacked by government agencies flanked by anti-competitive forces in the food industry.
Nowhere is this more obvious than on the raw milk issue. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed SB201, a bill to preserve consumers’ rights to access farm fresh milk while guaranteeing its safety.
Read full article...
Showing posts with label Dear Dairy.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dear Dairy.... Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Raw Milk Raw Deal in PA
This in recently, from Weston A. Price Foundation:
Unwarranted Raw Dairy RecallsPut Spotlight on Hostile Regulatory Procedures
Washington, DC--Sept 17, 2008-
A series of rush-to-judgment raw dairy recalls and actions against raw milk farmers around the country, has exposed inappropriate protocols used to assess the safety of raw milk and extreme bias on the part of investigators.
On September 12, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) rescinded Telford, Pennsylvania raw milk farmer Trent Hendrick's raw milk permit, based on a few recent cases of food poisoning. Without any test results showing that the Hendricks Farm milk was contaminated, the state issued a press release naming the farm and circulated warnings against the consumption of all raw milk.
Today all independent tests came back negative, not only for campylobacter but for all other pathogens as well. The state based their decision on reports of three families that were customers of the dairy, several members of which were afflicted with intestinal pain, cramping and diarrhea. According to Hendricks, two of the families were on vacation at the time and were exposed to other possible sources of pathogens, including questionable water sources. However, investigators for the Pennsylvania health department discounted other likely vectors of disease and neglected to determine whether non-raw milk drinkers had also contracted the illness.
Prior to this incident, The Hendricks farm has been lauded by the PDA as being an exceptional raw dairy producer, one who operated by permit and had a superlative safety record. The farm's raw milk cheeses have won several American Cheese Society awards.
Hendricks had requested that the PDA wait until test results were in before issuing the press release. The shut down of his operation and press release resulted in financial hardship and considerable negative publicity for the dairy."I have jumped through hoops in an attempt to meet or surpass the state requirements," said Hendricks. "Our farm has an excellent track record on test results, and we even go above and beyond by testing the milk weekly for pathogens. All of our good faith efforts and compliance didn't amount to a hill of beans. When we needed the benefit of the doubt from the state, it wasn't there. We take food safety very seriously. All we asked is that PDA have evidence before they convict us. Instead, they insisted on putting out a press release damning our product before test results were back--before they had any conclusive proof.""
Until recently, the PDA did not suspend permits or issue press releases until appropriate testing confirmed the presence of pathogens in culture tests, says Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition education foundation that encourages the consumption of raw milk from pasture-fed cows. "In fact, they waited until they got two negative culture results, because pathogen testing is subject to error."
Also on September 12, the PDA carried out its third raid against Mark Nolt's farm. Nolt, a passive resister to the state permitting process, claims a constitutional right to sell the products of his farm without a permit. To date, the state has seized over $65,000 worth of product and equipment.
According to Nolt, the judge's order giving the PDA authority to seize and discard products from his farm was lifted on August 5, 2008 and the courts have denied the PDA a permanent injunction against the sale of raw milk. "The seizure and destruction of our farm products was an unlawful action by the state," says Nolt. PDA head of dairy safety William Chirdon has frequently stated that Nolt would be able to sell his raw milk without interference as long as he obtained a permit.
"Friday's actions demonstrate that PDA has no qualms about harassing raw milk farmers who have permits," said Taaron Meikle, president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. (FTCLDF) "This is why more and more raw milk farmers are choosing to operate outside the permitting system. They consider the raw milk permit a 'permit to harass.'"
In light of these two incidents, Jonas Stoltzfus, farmer and President of the Pennsylvania Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (PICFA), called for the immediate ouster of William Chirdon. "The FDA's negative statements about raw dairy have resulted in an aggressive stance against raw dairy farmers by state agencies across the nation. Persecution of Pennsylvania raw milk farmers began under Bill Chirdon's regime. His actions of September 12 demonstrate his willingness to persecute and prosecute farmers on no evidence at all," said Stoltzfus.
"We are concerned about extreme PDA bias against raw milk," says Meikle, "It is inappropriate for the state to issue warnings against the consumption of all raw milk when raw milk has helped thousands of Pennsylvania consumers overcome health problems and has a long history of safety. Last year, three people died from contaminated pasteurized milk in Massachusetts and thousands have been sickened by fresh produce. Where are the warnings against consumption of pasteurized milk and raw produce?"
Meikle notes that tainted, heat-processed baby formula killed three infants and sickened over one thousand babies in China, during the week of the PDA actions against raw milk. Fallon notes that a recall of raw cream in California highlights similar inappropriate protocols in that state. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recalled the raw cream when it tested positive for campylobacter after 12 days of highly specialized laboratory culturing. No illnesses from the raw cream were reported and CDFA admitted to a sample mix-up that sent the cream to the wrong lab. "Not only did the cream travel over 900 extra miles and sit for several days at the wrong laboratory before being sent to the correct laboratory, the source milk from which the cream was well under the mandated 10 coliform limit-- it was 6 coliforms, pathogen-free and campylobacter-free. CDFA officials consider this the gold standard for raw milk testing," said Fallon.
"We are waiting for Governor Schwarzenegger to sign SB201, the 2008 California Fresh Raw Milk bill, into law. This legislation will eliminate the 10-coliform limit, which is very difficult for raw milk dairies to pass on a consistent basis, and mandate frequent intensive testing for pathogens like campylobacter instead. Campylobacter is not a coliform and so it is missed by the coliform standards currently in force.
Raw milk defenders note that coliforms are mostly beneficial bacteria, which have pro-biotic effects. "The presence of good bacteria is one reason consumers want to drink raw milk," says Fallon. "The official attitude that the only good bacteria is a dead bacteria is a discredited paradigm based on 40-year-old science."
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501c3 nutrition education non-profit, dedicated to fostering a return to nutrient-dense foods and traditional farming methods. The Foundation promotes the consumption of raw milk and pasture-feeding of livestock. The Weston A. Price Foundation is based in Washington DC and has 400 chapters and 10,000 members worldwide.
Websites: westonaprice.org and realmilk.com
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund provides legal defense for sustainable farms engaged in raw milk production and direct farm-to-consumer sales. Website: farmtoconsumer.org.
The Pennsylvania Independent Consumers and Farmers Association is a group of Sustainable Farmers and the Consumers that support them. Their mission is to help defend the rights of farmers to provide humanely raised meats and farm fresh dairy products direct to consumers who value these foodstuffs without government interference.
CONTACTS:
Kimberly Hartke, WAPF Publicist (703) 860-2711 or (703) 675-5557, kimberly@hartkeonline.com
Jonas Stoltzfus, Pennsylvania Independent Consumers and Farmers Association Home 717-536-3618, cell 717-275-3016 mailto:jstoltz@pa.net
Maureen Diaz, Weston A. Price Chapter Leader, Pennsylvania 717-303-3832 cell 717-253-0529 mailto:motherhenof9@comcast.net
Unwarranted Raw Dairy RecallsPut Spotlight on Hostile Regulatory Procedures
Washington, DC--Sept 17, 2008-
A series of rush-to-judgment raw dairy recalls and actions against raw milk farmers around the country, has exposed inappropriate protocols used to assess the safety of raw milk and extreme bias on the part of investigators.
On September 12, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) rescinded Telford, Pennsylvania raw milk farmer Trent Hendrick's raw milk permit, based on a few recent cases of food poisoning. Without any test results showing that the Hendricks Farm milk was contaminated, the state issued a press release naming the farm and circulated warnings against the consumption of all raw milk.
Today all independent tests came back negative, not only for campylobacter but for all other pathogens as well. The state based their decision on reports of three families that were customers of the dairy, several members of which were afflicted with intestinal pain, cramping and diarrhea. According to Hendricks, two of the families were on vacation at the time and were exposed to other possible sources of pathogens, including questionable water sources. However, investigators for the Pennsylvania health department discounted other likely vectors of disease and neglected to determine whether non-raw milk drinkers had also contracted the illness.
Prior to this incident, The Hendricks farm has been lauded by the PDA as being an exceptional raw dairy producer, one who operated by permit and had a superlative safety record. The farm's raw milk cheeses have won several American Cheese Society awards.
Hendricks had requested that the PDA wait until test results were in before issuing the press release. The shut down of his operation and press release resulted in financial hardship and considerable negative publicity for the dairy."I have jumped through hoops in an attempt to meet or surpass the state requirements," said Hendricks. "Our farm has an excellent track record on test results, and we even go above and beyond by testing the milk weekly for pathogens. All of our good faith efforts and compliance didn't amount to a hill of beans. When we needed the benefit of the doubt from the state, it wasn't there. We take food safety very seriously. All we asked is that PDA have evidence before they convict us. Instead, they insisted on putting out a press release damning our product before test results were back--before they had any conclusive proof.""
Until recently, the PDA did not suspend permits or issue press releases until appropriate testing confirmed the presence of pathogens in culture tests, says Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition education foundation that encourages the consumption of raw milk from pasture-fed cows. "In fact, they waited until they got two negative culture results, because pathogen testing is subject to error."
Also on September 12, the PDA carried out its third raid against Mark Nolt's farm. Nolt, a passive resister to the state permitting process, claims a constitutional right to sell the products of his farm without a permit. To date, the state has seized over $65,000 worth of product and equipment.
According to Nolt, the judge's order giving the PDA authority to seize and discard products from his farm was lifted on August 5, 2008 and the courts have denied the PDA a permanent injunction against the sale of raw milk. "The seizure and destruction of our farm products was an unlawful action by the state," says Nolt. PDA head of dairy safety William Chirdon has frequently stated that Nolt would be able to sell his raw milk without interference as long as he obtained a permit.
"Friday's actions demonstrate that PDA has no qualms about harassing raw milk farmers who have permits," said Taaron Meikle, president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. (FTCLDF) "This is why more and more raw milk farmers are choosing to operate outside the permitting system. They consider the raw milk permit a 'permit to harass.'"
In light of these two incidents, Jonas Stoltzfus, farmer and President of the Pennsylvania Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (PICFA), called for the immediate ouster of William Chirdon. "The FDA's negative statements about raw dairy have resulted in an aggressive stance against raw dairy farmers by state agencies across the nation. Persecution of Pennsylvania raw milk farmers began under Bill Chirdon's regime. His actions of September 12 demonstrate his willingness to persecute and prosecute farmers on no evidence at all," said Stoltzfus.
"We are concerned about extreme PDA bias against raw milk," says Meikle, "It is inappropriate for the state to issue warnings against the consumption of all raw milk when raw milk has helped thousands of Pennsylvania consumers overcome health problems and has a long history of safety. Last year, three people died from contaminated pasteurized milk in Massachusetts and thousands have been sickened by fresh produce. Where are the warnings against consumption of pasteurized milk and raw produce?"
Meikle notes that tainted, heat-processed baby formula killed three infants and sickened over one thousand babies in China, during the week of the PDA actions against raw milk. Fallon notes that a recall of raw cream in California highlights similar inappropriate protocols in that state. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recalled the raw cream when it tested positive for campylobacter after 12 days of highly specialized laboratory culturing. No illnesses from the raw cream were reported and CDFA admitted to a sample mix-up that sent the cream to the wrong lab. "Not only did the cream travel over 900 extra miles and sit for several days at the wrong laboratory before being sent to the correct laboratory, the source milk from which the cream was well under the mandated 10 coliform limit-- it was 6 coliforms, pathogen-free and campylobacter-free. CDFA officials consider this the gold standard for raw milk testing," said Fallon.
"We are waiting for Governor Schwarzenegger to sign SB201, the 2008 California Fresh Raw Milk bill, into law. This legislation will eliminate the 10-coliform limit, which is very difficult for raw milk dairies to pass on a consistent basis, and mandate frequent intensive testing for pathogens like campylobacter instead. Campylobacter is not a coliform and so it is missed by the coliform standards currently in force.
Raw milk defenders note that coliforms are mostly beneficial bacteria, which have pro-biotic effects. "The presence of good bacteria is one reason consumers want to drink raw milk," says Fallon. "The official attitude that the only good bacteria is a dead bacteria is a discredited paradigm based on 40-year-old science."
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501c3 nutrition education non-profit, dedicated to fostering a return to nutrient-dense foods and traditional farming methods. The Foundation promotes the consumption of raw milk and pasture-feeding of livestock. The Weston A. Price Foundation is based in Washington DC and has 400 chapters and 10,000 members worldwide.
Websites: westonaprice.org and realmilk.com
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund provides legal defense for sustainable farms engaged in raw milk production and direct farm-to-consumer sales. Website: farmtoconsumer.org.
The Pennsylvania Independent Consumers and Farmers Association is a group of Sustainable Farmers and the Consumers that support them. Their mission is to help defend the rights of farmers to provide humanely raised meats and farm fresh dairy products direct to consumers who value these foodstuffs without government interference.
CONTACTS:
Kimberly Hartke, WAPF Publicist (703) 860-2711 or (703) 675-5557, kimberly@hartkeonline.com
Jonas Stoltzfus, Pennsylvania Independent Consumers and Farmers Association Home 717-536-3618, cell 717-275-3016 mailto:jstoltz@pa.net
Maureen Diaz, Weston A. Price Chapter Leader, Pennsylvania 717-303-3832 cell 717-253-0529 mailto:motherhenof9@comcast.net
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Raw Milk and SB201
The Fresh Milk Act of 2008
New news from the Weston A. Price Foundation I found in my email box about the next steps for AB201:
LET'S CLEAR THE LAST COMMITTEE HURDLE FOR SB201, The Fresh Milk Act of 2008!
We are getting closer to passage of SB201, the Fresh Milk Act of 2008, which will replace AB1735 (the "sneak attack" against raw milk) and guarantee the future of raw milk in California.
We appreciate all your support so far in making calls, which helped the bill pass unanimously out of two committee hearings. The fate of SB201 will have a big impact on raw milk throughout the country so we are sending this action alert to all WAPF members.
Once past the Appropriations Committee, we are expecting a vote by the full California House and Senate before the end of the summer.
ACTION TO TAKE
Please take a few moments on Monday and Tuesday to make your calls to committee members. SB201 will be heard on Wednesday, July 16 in the Appropriations Committee. With your support we can make it to the Assembly Floor.
Please call the Assembly Members below before Wednesday with this short message: "Please support SB201 this Wednesday July 16th in the Assembly Appropriations Committee." Let's inundate them with calls!
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER
Karen Bass • 916-319-2047
APPROPRIATIONS MEMBERS
Anna Caballero • 916-319-2028
Mike Davis • 916-319-2048
Warren Furutani • 916-319-2055
Ted Lieu • 916-319-2053
Pedro Nava • 916-319-2035
Jose Solorio • 916-319-2069
Your Calls Have Made a Huge Impact - Thank You and Keep it up!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Raw Milk Debate: A Response to the FDA
I found an excellent response to the FDA's 2007 Powerpoint presentation about the "dangers of raw milk."
Wouldn't it be terrific if the FDA focused as much of their money and effort on foods derived from animals and plants altered/medicated by companies like, ohhhhh Monsanto...which comprise a startling percentage of the foods consumed by the unaware American public...since things like genetic alteration of such is not even required to be included on the labels..??
Back to the raw milk. Forget the smokescreens the FDA throws up...they have a monetary interest in keeping milk altered. Responsibly-produce raw milk products cut into their bottom line, since it doesn't hinge on antibiotics, medications, growth hormones, or even pasteurization to produce an unnaturally-lasting shelf life...blah blah blah. A little note to self and others...doesnt it seem like the things the FDA barks on and on about the most are the LEAST relevant issues, seemingly drawing national attention to small farmers as the villains while preserving the right of exemption-from-scrutiny-and-accountability to Big Ag....or even the FDA themselves? Does anyone smell a rat? :)
Here's a great link to a point-by-point response to the FDA's campaign/attack against raw milk.
Wouldn't it be terrific if the FDA focused as much of their money and effort on foods derived from animals and plants altered/medicated by companies like, ohhhhh Monsanto...which comprise a startling percentage of the foods consumed by the unaware American public...since things like genetic alteration of such is not even required to be included on the labels..??
Back to the raw milk. Forget the smokescreens the FDA throws up...they have a monetary interest in keeping milk altered. Responsibly-produce raw milk products cut into their bottom line, since it doesn't hinge on antibiotics, medications, growth hormones, or even pasteurization to produce an unnaturally-lasting shelf life...blah blah blah. A little note to self and others...doesnt it seem like the things the FDA barks on and on about the most are the LEAST relevant issues, seemingly drawing national attention to small farmers as the villains while preserving the right of exemption-from-scrutiny-and-accountability to Big Ag....or even the FDA themselves? Does anyone smell a rat? :)
Here's a great link to a point-by-point response to the FDA's campaign/attack against raw milk.
It's time to be suspicious of the blatant FDA propaganda. If you look at the above Response to the FDA website, you'll find the advocate in support of the raw milk issue in this case is the Weston A. Price Foundation, an organization closely linked to an excellent small farmer's legal resource, the Farm to Consumer Foundation and Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Check it out if you have a chance! It is a legal issue, and a constitutional freedom issue, to which many other small farm issues are linked.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Another Whey to Fertilize
Because of our experimentation with fermentation, namely making kefir and Caspian Sea Yogurt frequently in the last couple of months, we've had a lot of whey collecting.
I've not yet ventured further into lacto-fermentation, and so have not yet begun making pickles and sauerkraut using whey as an agent. I've been meaning to toy around with whey in breads as well, but haven't gotten that far along my To Do list.
So what to do with it? I wasn't sure.
And when I'm not sure, I experiment a bit.
I'm not sure what the PH needs of my plants are(remember, the ones in all the buckets? ..Bucketville?), but I do remember hearing that whey might be good diluted with water and used on some kinds of plants. Which sorts of plants? It is there my science abruptly ends...I really don't know.
But I knew our two fig trees in pots were looking a little peaked, and I decided to begin emptying the whey from the yogurts/kefir on one of them, and to compare the two plants after some time passed.
I don't know if mine are deficient in nutrients, since we don't have a regular source of compost or rotted manure as soil amendments for Bucketville, so I figured as long as it was well watered-in, it probably wouldn't be doing anything but adding micronutrients and healthy bacteria to the soil much as the yogurt it had come from boosts our own human nutrition. If anything, I hoped it would feed and promote microbial growth and give a gentle boost to the rather plain potting soil.
Again, pardon the picture quality...it's my fault, not my camera's. For some reason, I'm putting it on a setting that blurs the foreground and highlights the background...argggh :) But do notice the colors of these photos... They were taken on the same day, at the same time and in the same lighting.
Here is the fig tree (in a pot) that regularly was fed the kefir and Caspian Sea Yogurt whey, and even leftover bits of the actual kefir and yogurt. I watered it in each time I applied it. It was often applied a quart at a time, a few days apart.
Notice the color...
Below is the second fig tree -- the one that received regular watering without any whey. Hey look! It's a cute little baby fig! Obviously it's a healthy tree...but notice the difference in the color compared to the first tree. It's particularly noticeable when looking at them side-by-side. The one fed the whey regularly is a much deeper, richer green, and the leaves are sturdier and more robust.
I don't know much more than this, and it's simply an experiment with these two plants...so don't go throwing kefir whey, etc., on your plants just because I did...I don't want to be responsible for killing off any of your little green friends! :) But I did want to show that for some reason, the whey seems to be agreeing with the fig tree, and as long as it does, I'll keep applying it...and watering it in each time. I figure it's natural and I know exactly where it comes from, unlike store-bought fertilizers. It's said to be healthy for humans to consume, so I believe it will likely be healthy for animals, when we get some someday, too.
If you have whey from cheese or yogurt-making, how do you use yours? I'd love to expand on my limited knowledge and get the lowdown from many of you kitchen veterans out there!
I've not yet ventured further into lacto-fermentation, and so have not yet begun making pickles and sauerkraut using whey as an agent. I've been meaning to toy around with whey in breads as well, but haven't gotten that far along my To Do list.
So what to do with it? I wasn't sure.
And when I'm not sure, I experiment a bit.
I'm not sure what the PH needs of my plants are(remember, the ones in all the buckets? ..Bucketville?), but I do remember hearing that whey might be good diluted with water and used on some kinds of plants. Which sorts of plants? It is there my science abruptly ends...I really don't know.
But I knew our two fig trees in pots were looking a little peaked, and I decided to begin emptying the whey from the yogurts/kefir on one of them, and to compare the two plants after some time passed.
I don't know if mine are deficient in nutrients, since we don't have a regular source of compost or rotted manure as soil amendments for Bucketville, so I figured as long as it was well watered-in, it probably wouldn't be doing anything but adding micronutrients and healthy bacteria to the soil much as the yogurt it had come from boosts our own human nutrition. If anything, I hoped it would feed and promote microbial growth and give a gentle boost to the rather plain potting soil.
Again, pardon the picture quality...it's my fault, not my camera's. For some reason, I'm putting it on a setting that blurs the foreground and highlights the background...argggh :) But do notice the colors of these photos... They were taken on the same day, at the same time and in the same lighting.
Here is the fig tree (in a pot) that regularly was fed the kefir and Caspian Sea Yogurt whey, and even leftover bits of the actual kefir and yogurt. I watered it in each time I applied it. It was often applied a quart at a time, a few days apart.
Notice the color...
Below is the second fig tree -- the one that received regular watering without any whey. Hey look! It's a cute little baby fig! Obviously it's a healthy tree...but notice the difference in the color compared to the first tree. It's particularly noticeable when looking at them side-by-side. The one fed the whey regularly is a much deeper, richer green, and the leaves are sturdier and more robust.
I don't know much more than this, and it's simply an experiment with these two plants...so don't go throwing kefir whey, etc., on your plants just because I did...I don't want to be responsible for killing off any of your little green friends! :) But I did want to show that for some reason, the whey seems to be agreeing with the fig tree, and as long as it does, I'll keep applying it...and watering it in each time. I figure it's natural and I know exactly where it comes from, unlike store-bought fertilizers. It's said to be healthy for humans to consume, so I believe it will likely be healthy for animals, when we get some someday, too.
If you have whey from cheese or yogurt-making, how do you use yours? I'd love to expand on my limited knowledge and get the lowdown from many of you kitchen veterans out there!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Raw Milk Update Excerpts
from the Weston A. Price Foundation:
CRITICAL COURT DATE TOMORROW
Today is the eve of a most important event in A Campaign for Real Milk. Tomorrow, Friday, April 25, all eyes will be on California, at the preliminary injunction hearing against enforcement of AB1735, a "sneak attack" bill that mandates standards so stringent, it would be impossible for raw milk producers to stay in business.
Gary Cox, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund General Counsel, is on his way to California to argue for a Permanent Restraining Order against further coliform testing of raw milk products in California. What happens tomorrow will have far-reaching effects on the availability of raw milk everywhere. Other states are watching what happens in California to see whether they will attempt similar legislation.
The research has been completed; the experts interviewed and testimonials collected; the depositions are done. He is READY!...
...If you can attend the hearing, please do so. It will be held at 10:00 am at the Hollister Superior Court, Judge Tobias presiding. The address is:
Superior Court of California County of San Benito
440 Fifth Street
Hollister, California 95023
Your attendance sends a message that raw milk matters. Support Gary Cox by packing the courtroom with quiet but passionate onlookers.
CALIFORNIA SENATE HEARING ON RAW MILK
The Senate hearing held April 15 in Sacramento was well attended and provided California lawmakers with the scientific information they need to craft a better bill regulating raw milk.
A big thank you to the many raw milk supporters who showed up-many drove long distances. Even though the hearing started two hours late and lasted until almost midnight, many stayed right until the end.
For a full report on the hearing, visit http://organicpastures.com/e_letter_12_post.html.
FOOD NETWORKING SERIES SEEKS RAW MILK DRINKERS
Has your health improved from drinking raw milk? Are you an advocate for raw milk? Do you feel that your health has benefited from drinking raw milk?
The Food Network wants to hear your story!
The Food Network is casting individuals whose health has improved from drinking raw milk for a new series airing on the Food Network this fall. Casting is underway, so Email a brief description of your story with your contact information and picture of yourself ASAP to aisha@alroker.com.
CRITICAL COURT DATE TOMORROW
Today is the eve of a most important event in A Campaign for Real Milk. Tomorrow, Friday, April 25, all eyes will be on California, at the preliminary injunction hearing against enforcement of AB1735, a "sneak attack" bill that mandates standards so stringent, it would be impossible for raw milk producers to stay in business.
Gary Cox, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund General Counsel, is on his way to California to argue for a Permanent Restraining Order against further coliform testing of raw milk products in California. What happens tomorrow will have far-reaching effects on the availability of raw milk everywhere. Other states are watching what happens in California to see whether they will attempt similar legislation.
The research has been completed; the experts interviewed and testimonials collected; the depositions are done. He is READY!...
...If you can attend the hearing, please do so. It will be held at 10:00 am at the Hollister Superior Court, Judge Tobias presiding. The address is:
Superior Court of California County of San Benito
440 Fifth Street
Hollister, California 95023
Your attendance sends a message that raw milk matters. Support Gary Cox by packing the courtroom with quiet but passionate onlookers.
CALIFORNIA SENATE HEARING ON RAW MILK
The Senate hearing held April 15 in Sacramento was well attended and provided California lawmakers with the scientific information they need to craft a better bill regulating raw milk.
A big thank you to the many raw milk supporters who showed up-many drove long distances. Even though the hearing started two hours late and lasted until almost midnight, many stayed right until the end.
For a full report on the hearing, visit http://organicpastures.com/e_letter_12_post.html.
FOOD NETWORKING SERIES SEEKS RAW MILK DRINKERS
Has your health improved from drinking raw milk? Are you an advocate for raw milk? Do you feel that your health has benefited from drinking raw milk?
The Food Network wants to hear your story!
The Food Network is casting individuals whose health has improved from drinking raw milk for a new series airing on the Food Network this fall. Casting is underway, so Email a brief description of your story with your contact information and picture of yourself ASAP to aisha@alroker.com.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Raw Milk Restrictions, Raw Nerve
Here they are. Here are the villains at Organic Pastures Dairy. Remember, it's a crime to provide clean food straight from grass to cow to consumer any more. It's a crime to drink a glass of untampered milk.
Also remember that everyone else wants a piece of the pie, especially all interests "protected" by the FDA and to get that, well...you need to legislate the dickens out of any bovine operation focused more on knee-deep pastures than bureaucracy. Well, that, and the fact that for some reason, too many Americans have swallowed the brainwashing that everything, yea everything that gets consumed in our slickly-marketed and commercialized world HAS to be processed, or something is just...well...not normal, right?
...Ahem...
In 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 1735 into law. This was a blow to consumer choice in his state, relating to raw milk.
See a video protesting that move (below)
Recently, it would appear the raw milk dairies are under a concentrated and stepped-up attack from government authorities who "milk" this opportunity for all it's worth to prey on the public's ignorance of the role of healthy bacteria and raw foods on human health -- and the endemic modern disconnect/ignorance of the progression of any of our basic foods from pasture to dinner plate.
We need to wake up and insist upon our own right to determine what goes on our plates and how it is raised. It's more than a red flag waving when government regulation insists on being the decision maker FOR us, and criminalizes we the public for exercising our own basic human right to choose and control our own foods.
We can NOT let this one go, folks. If we allow any bureaucracy to make these choices FOR US, it's no longer our government, but rather our Big Brother.
The raw milk issue is just one of many important issues. Yet it is fundamental. We must not allow the system to self-perpetuate a runaway algae bloom of legislation designed to feed the corporate interest machine, at the expense of losing our individualism and innovation (not to mention independence and Yank ingenuity).
Here is a good article from the Boston Globe about this issue. Anyone who has experienced the joy of unadulterated foods, including raw milk, knows that we must preserve our right to raise them, AND purchase them freely.
If you have a local dairy providing sumptuous pasture and producing a superior raw milk product, befriend them! They are likely good folks who are quietly and steadfastly swimming against the tide of mass agribusiness and its hydra clones.
Here's Greenwood Farms website, a Missouri farm page I ran across during a web search. They, like many other dairies, have responded to the consumer demand for raw milk. Those look like some really contented Jersey cows!
Mmmmm... now I'm craving a creamy glass of cold milk :)
Also remember that everyone else wants a piece of the pie, especially all interests "protected" by the FDA and to get that, well...you need to legislate the dickens out of any bovine operation focused more on knee-deep pastures than bureaucracy. Well, that, and the fact that for some reason, too many Americans have swallowed the brainwashing that everything, yea everything that gets consumed in our slickly-marketed and commercialized world HAS to be processed, or something is just...well...not normal, right?
...Ahem...
In 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 1735 into law. This was a blow to consumer choice in his state, relating to raw milk.
See a video protesting that move (below)
Recently, it would appear the raw milk dairies are under a concentrated and stepped-up attack from government authorities who "milk" this opportunity for all it's worth to prey on the public's ignorance of the role of healthy bacteria and raw foods on human health -- and the endemic modern disconnect/ignorance of the progression of any of our basic foods from pasture to dinner plate.
We need to wake up and insist upon our own right to determine what goes on our plates and how it is raised. It's more than a red flag waving when government regulation insists on being the decision maker FOR us, and criminalizes we the public for exercising our own basic human right to choose and control our own foods.
We can NOT let this one go, folks. If we allow any bureaucracy to make these choices FOR US, it's no longer our government, but rather our Big Brother.
The raw milk issue is just one of many important issues. Yet it is fundamental. We must not allow the system to self-perpetuate a runaway algae bloom of legislation designed to feed the corporate interest machine, at the expense of losing our individualism and innovation (not to mention independence and Yank ingenuity).
Here is a good article from the Boston Globe about this issue. Anyone who has experienced the joy of unadulterated foods, including raw milk, knows that we must preserve our right to raise them, AND purchase them freely.
If you have a local dairy providing sumptuous pasture and producing a superior raw milk product, befriend them! They are likely good folks who are quietly and steadfastly swimming against the tide of mass agribusiness and its hydra clones.
Here's Greenwood Farms website, a Missouri farm page I ran across during a web search. They, like many other dairies, have responded to the consumer demand for raw milk. Those look like some really contented Jersey cows!
Mmmmm... now I'm craving a creamy glass of cold milk :)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Raw Milk in the News Again
This just received in a news update from the Weston A. Price Foundation (thank you, C !)
FDA HARASSES DAIRY COMPANY EMPLOYEESGrand Jury Investigation is Latest Government Tactic against Raw MilkMarch 24, 2008: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESpecial FDA agents and investigators from the US Food and Drug Administration aggressively interrogated two young female employees of Organic Pastures Dairy Company, the nation's largest raw milk producer, with questions focusing on the dairy's interstate sales of raw colostrum and raw milk for pet food.
The surprise interrogations took place after work in their private homes on the evening of March 19, just hours after Judge Tobias of the Hollister Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order against the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The state court ruling blocked enforcement of California's anti-raw milk AB 1735, which mandates unnecessarily stringent standards for beneficial coliform bacteria in raw milk. The temporary restraining order represents an important legal victory for raw milk producers and consumers in California and throughout the nation.The federal agents threatened one employee with arrest if questions were not fully and truthfully answered about Organic Pastures' order fulfillment practices.
Her answers reflected information that is readily available at the company's website, www.organicpastures.com. The other employee was told FDA would "make it worth her while" to "wear a wire" and record conversations with Organic Pastures president Mark McAfee. The employee refused the offer. "We are like a family, I would never do that to a family member," she said, reflecting her close relationship with the McAfee family.
Both employees were served subpoenas to appear April 3 for a secret grand jury investigation. In 2003, Organic Pastures received a confirmation letter from Larry Childers of the FDA, which clearly stated that interstate sales of raw colostrum are not regulated because colostrum is not milk.
The FDA website notes that "pet food" requires no pre-market approval and is unregulated by the FDA. The Bronx Zoo in New York and other zoos regularly order raw colostrum and raw dairy products from Organic Pastures to save babies of endangered species and keep other animals healthy. Orders stipulate that the milk and colostrum must be raw because pasteurized versions make them ill. Many veterinarians recommend raw milk for cats and dogs.
"FDA has gone on the record as 'hating raw milk' in any form," says Mark McAfee, founder and president of Organic Pastures. " The harassment of our employees and grand jury investigation is just the latest round in the government vendetta against Nature's perfect food. If Organic Pastures is doing something illegal, all FDA needs to do is come and tell us and we will make the necessary changes to our labels and procedures."
Organic Pastures will be represented in this action by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Membership in the Fund helps support the defense of raw milk and direct farm-to-consumer sales.
For further information visit www.ftcldf.org.
CONTACT:Mark McAfee, President, Organic Pastures Dairy Corporation, (55) 846-9742, cell (559) 351-2453, mark@organicpastures.com.Taaron Meikle, President, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, (703) 964-7421, tgmeikle@aol.com.
FDA HARASSES DAIRY COMPANY EMPLOYEESGrand Jury Investigation is Latest Government Tactic against Raw MilkMarch 24, 2008: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESpecial FDA agents and investigators from the US Food and Drug Administration aggressively interrogated two young female employees of Organic Pastures Dairy Company, the nation's largest raw milk producer, with questions focusing on the dairy's interstate sales of raw colostrum and raw milk for pet food.
The surprise interrogations took place after work in their private homes on the evening of March 19, just hours after Judge Tobias of the Hollister Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order against the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The state court ruling blocked enforcement of California's anti-raw milk AB 1735, which mandates unnecessarily stringent standards for beneficial coliform bacteria in raw milk. The temporary restraining order represents an important legal victory for raw milk producers and consumers in California and throughout the nation.The federal agents threatened one employee with arrest if questions were not fully and truthfully answered about Organic Pastures' order fulfillment practices.
Her answers reflected information that is readily available at the company's website, www.organicpastures.com. The other employee was told FDA would "make it worth her while" to "wear a wire" and record conversations with Organic Pastures president Mark McAfee. The employee refused the offer. "We are like a family, I would never do that to a family member," she said, reflecting her close relationship with the McAfee family.
Both employees were served subpoenas to appear April 3 for a secret grand jury investigation. In 2003, Organic Pastures received a confirmation letter from Larry Childers of the FDA, which clearly stated that interstate sales of raw colostrum are not regulated because colostrum is not milk.
The FDA website notes that "pet food" requires no pre-market approval and is unregulated by the FDA. The Bronx Zoo in New York and other zoos regularly order raw colostrum and raw dairy products from Organic Pastures to save babies of endangered species and keep other animals healthy. Orders stipulate that the milk and colostrum must be raw because pasteurized versions make them ill. Many veterinarians recommend raw milk for cats and dogs.
"FDA has gone on the record as 'hating raw milk' in any form," says Mark McAfee, founder and president of Organic Pastures. " The harassment of our employees and grand jury investigation is just the latest round in the government vendetta against Nature's perfect food. If Organic Pastures is doing something illegal, all FDA needs to do is come and tell us and we will make the necessary changes to our labels and procedures."
Organic Pastures will be represented in this action by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Membership in the Fund helps support the defense of raw milk and direct farm-to-consumer sales.
For further information visit www.ftcldf.org.
CONTACT:Mark McAfee, President, Organic Pastures Dairy Corporation, (55) 846-9742, cell (559) 351-2453, mark@organicpastures.com.Taaron Meikle, President, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, (703) 964-7421, tgmeikle@aol.com.
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