Indiana Festival Raises Funds for Farmer Mark Baker
September 9, 2013Raw Milk Serves an Economic Advantage for Local Farmers
September 16, 2013Wisconsin is currently considering Senate Bill 236 and Assembly Bill 287, bills that would permit the sale of raw milk directly from Wisconsin farmers to consumers. Raw milk has been a staple of Wisconsin and American diets for many generations and it has been consumed for many years without negative health effects.
The bill is sponsored by Senators Grothman, Schultz, Leibham, Vukmir and Tiffany; cosponsored by Representatives Murphy, Danou, Clark, Doyle, Knodl, Craig, Pridemore, Pope and Berceau.
The Weston A. Price Foundation is in support of the bill.
Action to Take
Wednesday, September 11 at 2:00pm is a public hearing in Room 411, south wing of the State Capitol Building (end of State Street), in Madison, Wisconsin. Please consider attending and speaking on behalf of the bill. “It will be of upmost importance to have a strong showing from members of the public to exhibit to legislators the overwhelming popular support for the bill.”
Due to anticipated volume, speakers are requested to keep their comments brief.
The hearing room holds 75-80 and there are overflow rooms to accommodate 100 more. Let’s pack the house with supporters!
Supporters of the bill who wish to write in support are urged to email or snail mail the committee chair, Senator Dale Schultz:
or
Senator Dale Schultz
P.O. Box 7882
State Capitol, Room 122 South
Madison, WI 53707
Background
The bill provides consumers with the opportunity to purchase fresh raw milk from local Wisconsin farmers provided farmers meet the following standards for safe production:
- The milk must be placed in a clean container
- The milk must be labeled with the name of the producer and state that the milk is unpasteurized
- The dairy farmer must post a sign stating “Raw milk products sold here. Raw milk products are not pasteurized”
- The milk must comply with DATCP rules for Grade A milk
- The water supply must comply with DATCP rules for dairy operations
Any safety concerns with this healthy product continue to be extremely remote. According to a Center for Disease Control (CDC) report from 2011, there are about 48 million people affected by foodborne illnesses each year. Only about 50 of these 48 million may have been caused by raw milk consumption.
Thirty states currently allow for the sale of raw milk, including our neighbors in Minnesota and Illinois. Wisconsin currently has no exceptions for the sale of raw milk directly from farms to consumers. California, the nation’s leading dairy producer, allows for the sale of raw milk and raw cheese and has experienced no adverse effects to their dairy industry as a whole and in fact has expanded their industry to a new clientele.
Please strike a blow for freedom and allow Wisconsin’s citizens the choice to drink and purchase raw milk directly from Wisconsin’s family farms.
The Campaign for Real Milk is a project of the nutrition education non-profit, The Weston A. Price Foundation. Donate to help fund research into the benefits of nutrient dense foods. http://www.westonaprice.org/lab
Pete Kennedy, Esq., is an attorney and served as president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. He has assisted and represented dairy farmers facing possible enforcement action in various states as well as helped others to get started in the business of distributing raw dairy products. Pete compiled the state raw milk law summaries posted at www.realmilk.com and has since written articles for Wise Traditions on raw milk distribution.
