The natural health community has been touting the benefits of raw milk for years. Now there are two bipartisan bills in Congress to help legalize it. Action Alerts!
In a victory for supporters of the raw milk movement, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Chellie Pingree (D–ME), and a bipartisan coalition of eighteen other lawmakers, have introduced two congressional bills:
- The Milk Freedom Act of 2014 would overturn the interstate ban on raw milk, as well as provide relief for small, local producers who have been harassed, fined, and prosecuted for distributing unpasteurized dairy.
- The Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2014 would allow the interstate shipment of raw milk between two states where the sale of raw milk is already legal.
Meanwhile, local legislators aren’t waiting for Congress to act: ten states—California, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Oklahoma—are all considering legislation to legalize or enhance the sale of raw milk.
Why, after years of grassroots activism, are we finally seeing these results? Increasingly, citizens and legislators are appalled not only by the industrial food complex, but by the FDA’s targeting of small family businesses. For example, in 2011, the FDA conducted a year-long sting operation on an Amish dairy farmer, which climaxed in a 5 a.m. raid and the destruction of his business.
Raw milk is natural and healthful. The government estimates that 1% to 3% of Americans are drinking it. As the Weston Price Foundation notes in their Real Milk campaign, people are 35,000 times more likely to get sick from other FDA-protected foods than from raw milk.
Opposed to our position are the mainstream media and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response, many raw milk producers have taken the proactive step of securing certification from the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI); some take more precautions than required by the state and by RAWMI, adding an extra layer of on-site testing before delivering milk to clients.
It should be noted that the government has long had an anti-raw milk political agenda, no doubt linked to its close ties to massive dairy companies and Big Farma—an agenda which these bills threaten.
Action Alerts! Please ask your congressional representative to support Reps. Massie’s and Pingree’s raw milk bills. Take Action!
In addition, if you’re a resident of one of these states, please send an additional message to your legislators in support of raw milk!
California—Take Action!
Georgia—Take Action!
Hawaii-—Take Action!
Iowa—Take Action!
Louisiana—Take Action!
Maryland—Take Action!
Massachusetts—Take Action!
Michigan—Take Action!
New Jersey—Take Action!
Oklahoma—Take Action!
