Reply to "CK" and information about raw milk sales?

Question

I was unable to get back to someone who's question I answered, and "CK" does not allow email. So my responce is here, and will contain information for others.

CK lives in Texas. Raw milk sales are legal in Texas. Sales must be on the farm and can only be directly to the consumer. Farmers must obtain a Grade A Raw for Retail Milk Permit from the state Department of Health. Licensees can sell milk products such as raw cream and raw yogurt as well. There are currently eleven retail raw milk licensees in the state with all of them selling only raw goat milk and raw goat milk products.

Here is a link to anyone wishing to look up the laws about raw milk sales in their own state:

http://www.realmilk.com/milk-laws-1.html

Since many folks in the Environmental section are interested in slow foods, farmers markets, or direct farm purchases this gives you information about the legalities of raw milk purchases.

Comments?

Answer 1

Also I've heard of producers that sell raw milk and milk products and label tham as "not for human consumption" or "pet food" this gets them around alot of laws and regulations. I was raised on a dairy farm and always drank milk right from the cow/bulk tank and never had a problem but people that aren't used to raw milk to need to be careful if they intend to drink it/ use it for food stuffs.

Answer 2

Another way you can "sell" raw milk is to sell an intrest (like .0000001%) in your milk animal to the person who wishes to buy, they just pay you for "up-keep".... It is not illegal for people to use milk from their own animal.

I have been milking cows and goats on my small farm for over 20 years. And so did my family before me. I use raw milk from my animals for my consumption and for making cheese every day. I milk in a sanitary fashion... that is: I milk with with clean hands, I wash udders with a sanitizing solution before and after milking,  I bleach my milking machine, buckets, and equipment after each milking and I strain my milk, then refrigerate it right away... I have yet to get sick from my milk or cheese... EVER... sometimes the milk does clabber, even then, I use it in cooking, or  I make cottage cheese out of it . My experience with raw milk products is entirely positive. I think the scare tactics to induce fear about raw milk products in the general public, are basicly bogus, and that "they" (big agi-dairy concerns) do so in order that the "big business" milk industry can keep control of milk prices and who can sell milk. Can you imagine if small farmers like me could actually supply our neighbors with wholesome fresh milk? In my area alone there used to be 37 small dairys, people could go and buy milk, cheese, cream and butter right from a dairy farmer, and they did. Now there is not a single "legal" dairy in my area. Why?  Because dariy farmers can only legally sell to creameries, the closest creamery is 40 miles away... a creamery won't send out a truck for less than a 1000 gallons of milk so... that means a farmer has to have enough land or money to support a lot of cows or goats... Which small farmers do not have...so... even though there is a growing demand for raw organic milk and milk products in my area, the laws lobbied in to place in my state by the big biz milk industry, (which is is the largest in the USA... I live in California) make it completely illeagal for small dairy farmers to sell their raw milk directly to the public. And I would point out that this is a realitivly new thing, my grandmother sold her milk and milk products directly to the public with out fear of being a criminal. In France, noted for it's superior cheeses,  raw milk products are consumed by the truck load. But oh, no, we Americans can't handle raw milk, or rawmilk products, us stupid American farmers can't possibly do what those smart intellegent French farmers have been doing for centeries... the American public is too stupid to be able to tell a spoiled product from a good one... duh.