news concerning raw milk in the US
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> Subject: RE: Ego issues
>
> Roy,
> I'm doing pretty well, all told. I'm sending you a sneak preview of this
> week's paper (awfully nice of me if you haven't subscribed yet :)
>
> Dave
>
> The Raw Milk Dilemma
> DAVE LEFEVER
> Editor
> I'm going to make a statement that shouldn't be a bit controversial, but
> these days seems like it might be:
> I love raw milk.
> I grew up drinking raw milk on the farm and today I still drink it
> whenever I can. It tastes great and I believe it's healthful too.
> By saying this, I don't mean to take anything away from pasteurized
> milk, which also tastes good and has a lot going for it nutritionally.
> There's no question that pasteurization has been a huge benefit in the
> distribution and marketing of dairy products on a large scale.
> Admittedly, there's the possibility of people getting sick from drinking
> raw milk. Then again, there's the possibility of people getting sick
> from many different foods.
> The recent action against Mark S. Nolt (story on front page), seems
> rather heavy handed. Yes, Nolt was breaking the law by not having a raw
> milk permit. But it's still hard to understand the vigor of enforcement
> actions that threaten the livelihood of a good farmer, spoken highly of
> by loyal customers.
> It's not like Nolt and similar farmers are trying to overthrow the
> conventional milk marketing system. They are just trying to make a
> living according to their values by producing high quality food and
> meeting the demands of the marketplace.
> There is a growing group of people that are wanting - even demanding -
> raw milk and other products such as kefir, especially from grassfed
> cows, and they are willing to travel considerable distances and pay good
> premiums for it. With crackdowns like the one on Nolt's farm, though,
> options are becoming limited. While you can buy tobacco that is proven
> deadly in practically any store, raw milk can be hard to find.
> Raw milk consumers tend to have a high level of awareness of how their
> food is produced. They are also aware of any benefits and risks of the
> products they buy. According to Nolt, people who come on his farm are
> welcome to see any part of it in operation. "My customers are my
> inspectors," he said.
> When laws erode that kind of trust and transparency, and hurt farmers
> trying to make an honest living, it's time to consider changing them.
>
>
> Pa. Cracks Down on Non-Permit Raw Milk Sales
> DAVE LEFEVER
> Editor
> On Aug. 10, officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture,
> state Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Food and Drug
> Administration, along with State Police officers, raided the farm of
> Mark S. Nolt near Newville, Pa.
> According to Nolt, the officials confiscated about $25,000-$30,000 worth
> of dairy products and packaging equipment on his farm, Nature's
> Sunlight.
> The reason for the action was that the Cumberland County dairyman had
> been selling raw milk and dairy products without a permit as required by
> Pennsylvania law, according to Bill Chirdon, director of the Bureau of
> Food Safety and Laboratory Services at the Pennsylvania Department of
> Agriculture (PDA).
> Among the reasons Nolt said he has not renewed his raw milk permit since
> August of 2006 is that the permit only allows the sales of fresh milk
> and aged cheese and not other dairy products he produces, such as kefir
> and yogurt.
> Nolt also said he is not willing to sign the permit because it gives PDA
> the authority to regulate his farm.
> "My customers are my inspectors," he said.
> Mark Nolt and his wife Mary Ann, along with 10 children, keep a grazing
> herd of about 50 crossbred dairy cows as well as raising beef, sheep and
> poultry on pasture, offering dairy products, meats and eggs to customers
> directly off the farm and at the Carlisle Farmers' Market.
> Mark Nolt said he was not home at the time of the raid, in which
> officials were accompanied by five police cars. According to Nolt, his
> wife asked to see a search warrant, which was produced after the
> confiscation had begun.
> The Nolt's case is emerging as a potential backdrop for a concerted
> protest against what some farmers and their supporters see as the
> over-zealous regulation of raw milk sales. A rally and press event is
> planned for today at noon on the Nolt farm in support of Nolt and raw
> milk sales.
> Leading up to the crackdown was the Pennsylvania Department of Health
> notifying PDA in May "that three households have experienced illness
> from consuming (Nolt's) milk, including one confirmed case of
> campylobacteriosis in a child," according to Commonwealth Court of
> Pennsylvania documents.
> Nolt said that PDA has produced no conclusive evidence of the illnesses.
> "We've seen no proof of sickness whatsoever," he said.
> According to Chirdon, the state's evidence s
