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It’s time for devastating for many pastured poultry and Comments must be submitted to the USDA
producers backyard poultry owners. The proposed rule by November 9. WAPF, FARFA, and forty-seven
allows vertically integrated operations to use other organizations have requested an exten-
and group identification for thousands of birds, but sion, but we do not know yet whether it will be
consumers mandates individually numbered permanent leg granted. You can submit comments online at
to speak up bands for any bird that crosses state lines and www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=A
is not kept in an isolated group "throughout the PHIS-2009-0091-0001 or by mailing them to:
again. preharvest chain." Since many pastured poultry Docket No. APHIS–2009–0091, Regulatory

operations and backyard poultry owners order Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
day-old chicks from hatcheries scattered around 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale,
the country, the rule will apply to many people MD 20737-1238.
who never take their birds across state lines after At the time this article goes to press, we are
that first shipment. still working on a full analysis and sample com-
It’s time for producers and consumers to ments. You can find a copy of the proposed rule
speak up again. While the agency listened to and more information at www.FarmAndRanch-
some of our concerns about NAIS, it’s clear that Freedom.org.
the full message was not yet heard.

RAW MILK VENDING MACHINES IN GERMANY

Anita Rausch and Doug Mitchell, WAPF chapter leaders (for nearly eight years!) in Germany, write to report that
raw milk vending machines are appearing all over Germany.
The "MuhKuhMat" machine in the pictures below is located at Markushof farm, in a small village called Masi-
bach ("Corn Creek") south of historic Heidelberg. They discovered it earlier this year while helping a young American
mother of three—soon to be four—locate real raw milk in her local area.
Markushof adopted organic farming practices several years ago. For many years the grandfather quite happily sold
fresh milk to villagers and local raw milk enthusiasts. When he passed away, the family didn't have time to deal with a
steady stream of customer interruptions, so they decided to invest in a twenty-four-hour vending machine, making real
farm-fresh raw milk available around the clock.
The machine will accept coins from a single cent (!) all the way up to a two-Euro coin, as well as bills, dispensing
precisely metered amounts, all for only one Euro per liter. The family told me that a few children in the village even
come by with their cup and a ten-cent coin and drink the milk right on the spot.
Markushof does have a German-only website with pictures of the farm and MuhKuhMat, or "MooCowMachine"
in English (www.markushof-naturkost.de/). They also have an on-site shop open weekends, where they offer value-
added products like their own grass-fed meats and organic produce, as well as other tasty local naturalia like whole &
milled grains, artisanal cheeses and wines.
Audrey, the young American mother, is considering joining the WAPF, and Anita is hoping she will send a picture
for the Healthy Baby Gallery. Her youngest was with Anita and Doug that day in Maisbach, but he was still a little too
small to hold up a milk bottle for the pictures.

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