America is an amazing place…. I have just been catching up with some Natural News posts and found a link to the Wisconsin case in which the Zinniker family farm and cow share is attempting to establish its right to produce raw milk for its members. (To get round the prohibition on selling raw milk, those interested in doing so buy a share of a cow on the farm so that, when they take its milk, they are, technically, not ‘buying’ raw milk but taking the milk of their own cow.)
If you are not already familiar with the raw milk saga see this post, on the FM site here or the Campaign for Real Milk site but, in essence, the authorities in Wisconsin do not approve of raw, unpasteurised milk and are determined to prevent its sale or consumption. Whatever the arguments for against raw milk, the judge in the case has come out with the most extraordinary ‘Decision and Order’ (read it in full here) which states, inter alia:
….as a result the court denied the Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgement which means the following:
(1) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to own and use a dairy cow or dairy herd;
(2) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to consume the milk from their own cow;
(3) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to board their cow at the farm of a farmer;
(4) no, the Zinniker Plaintiffs’ private contract does not fall outside the scope of the State’s police power;
(5) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to produce and consume foods of their choice…….
And I thought that America was meant to be the land of the free……
I love the new look to your site! very swish and usable ..and I love the foxes in your garden!
Great – so pleased that you like it. Just wait for the squirrels in the winter!!!
Having run a lead article by a nutritionist on ‘Raw Milk – the pros and cons of processing’ in a recent issue, the current issue also updates the situation both here and in the US, where armed raids by police continue to take place in various states, aided and abetted by the FDA. A new film, ‘Farmageddon’ that exposes the ‘unseen war on American family farms’ is now showing in increasing parts of the US (www.farmageddon.com).
Here, a film called ‘The Mooman’ is about to be released, about the challenges of gearing up to produce raw milk by a W Sussex farmer, who can now deliver across the country. By contrast, the Irish Govn are on course to ban raw milk sales by the end of the year unless stopped by campaigners (see: http://www.rawmilkireland.com).
A DVD of a recent conference featuring raw milk issues is available from the London branch of pioneering campaigners the Weston A Price Foundation, which is highly recommended, purchase of which would support them in their campaigning (www.westonaprice.org/london).
Simon Best
Editor, Caduceus magazine
H Simon – and many thanks for the extra news and links. Will keep an eye open for the Mooman.
I find the argument between pasteurized v. raw milk to be a little ridiculous. Shouldn’t the argument be between milk consumption v. veganism. Milk in any form has been shown to be detrimental to humans (notmilk.com) and I think we should be advancing the cause of veganism here as opposed to raw milk.
The only milk safe for humans is that of a mother’s breast milk. Full stop.
Why do we insist on forcibly raping and impregnating cows endlessly (and subsequently arguing over pasteurization v. raw) when we should really just kick the habit altogether?