Originally published March 23 2012
Where are raw milk sales still legal in the USA?
by PF Louis
(NaturalNews) More and more health conscious consumers are becoming aware of the value of raw milk and raw milk products in lieu of pasteurized milk and milk products. As a matter of fact, pasteurized milk products lack nutrition and are dangerous, while raw milk handled with care is a very healthy food (http://www.naturalnews.com/033242_CDC_unpasteurized_milk.html).
But with all the unbelievable events lately of FDA and local health authority raids on raw milk providers, it's important to keep up with the letter of the law. Each state is different and able to change its law without much public notification.
It's interesting that raw cheeses from all over the world can be retailed legally in most states, even in those that ban raw milk retail purchasing. Think of that. More and more people are being forced into FDA sanctioned highly toxic vaccinations and cancer treatments while the FDA savagely "protects" us from raw milk.
An organization created to help with legal matters of raw milk
Even worse is the extent at which dairy farmers and food club providers are harassed, shut down, and imprisoned over the slightest or even imagined infractions. So what to do if you're interested in your own food freedom? Get involved with the Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF).
The FTCLDF is open to memberships from farmers, food club providers, and consumers. The annual fees are very reasonable, and as a non-profit organization, they provide many free legal services to its members. Depending on where you live, there are various methods to avoid legal issues for getting raw milk.
A few states allow retail sales of raw milk. In those states, the FDA, USDA, and local health officials tend to harass outspoken raw milk dairy farmers. It's difficult to believe that California is one of the few states allowing raw milk sales. The recent Rawsome Foods raid certainly contradicts that legality (http://www.naturalnews.com/033225_Rawesome_Foods_photos.html).
Many states do allow farm to consumer direct sales of raw milk while allowing raw milk cheeses to be retailed. Go figure. There are a few sideline entrepreneurs who will buy orders from farmers and deliver to urbanites in states that restrict raw milk purchases directly from farmers only.
Some states approve herd or cow share memberships, while a few others say neither yay nor nay and have let it continue -- so far. A herd or cow share membership entitles you to part ownership of a milking cow or goat. It's similar to condo time sharing. Your share entitles you to get milk from that owner shared cow.
Then there are the states that ban any form of raw milk distribution. Distributing raw milk over state lines is not allowed even in states that allow raw milk sales. That's where some farmers have gotten into legal jams, suffering from vicious raids by overzealous SWAT teams and harsh penalties from heavy handed courts.
You can find out more about the details of raw milk legality where you live from this excellent color coded FTCLDF map: http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm
Sources for this article include:
http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/about.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/035023_Amish_raw_milk_food_freedom.html
http://www.naturalnews.com
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml