Page 80 - Fall2012

A Campaign for Real Milk

RAWMI: THE RAW MILK INSTITUTE
By Mark McAfee, Founder, Organic Pastures Dairy

For years, we have all known that raw milk we in the raw milk movement were not happy
production and consumption has been oppressed about Whole Foods cutting-off raw milk sales,
and hobbled by regulators and the huge dairy their argument did have some validity.
processors that are politically and economically Nationally, raw milk standards are literally a
tied to the regulators. After all, the processors do scattered chaotic mess, and the dairy processors,
not like raw milk. They do not make any money national brands and the FDA love it this way.
on raw milk simply because raw milk does not Raw milk is illegal in some places and it is legal
ever get processed. Raw milk bypasses the in other places. In some places, it can only be
processors and directly connects the farmer to sold on the farm but with no signs to advertize.
the consumer―economically, nutritionally and Strangely it is legal to be sold in some places
spiritually. if fewer than 23 quarts per day are offered for
High quality raw milk is a horror story for sale and illegal if more than 23 quarts are sold.
processors because processing is a method to In some states it can be sold if you buy the cow
fake high quality using technology to cover-up or part of a cow. In Florida it can be bought as
A Campaign CAFO filth; and in the processing, the most aller- pet food. The U.S. raw milk situation has been
for Real Milk genic food in America is created. Compounding intentionally configured to be a total mess.
is a project of their challenges, more and more humans cannot For many years those of us in the raw milk
the Weston A. consume processed milk because of lactose in- movement saw this situation festering and brew-
Price tolerance. ing. We have heard farmers all over America
High quality raw milk cannot be outsourced saying, "Somebody help; somebody set some
Foundation. from China and it cannot be faked. High quality standards and lead us away from this chaos." We
To obtain raw milk can only come from high quality ethical waited and waited. Years passed and no one stood
some of our farmers who care and invest in their systems and up to lead raw milk to a better place, a place of
informative conditions from “Grass to the Glass." consistency, pride, safety and transparency, with
Real Milk high ethical standards that everyone, regardless
brochures, THE SAFETY CARD of size or location, could achieve.
Processors and their friends in the FDA con-
In this vacuum, The Raw Milk Institute

contact the tinuously use the Food Safety Card against raw (RAWMI) was finally born in late summer of
Foundation at milk. It is now time to establish a record of truth, 2011. The mission was to mentor and assist
(202) a raw milk food safety record to demonstrate to farmers and to establish “Common Standards”
363-4394. the world that raw milk is a very safe food and for raw milk production. This effort would assist
Check out our can be reliably produced when standards are consumers in their efforts to find and identify
website, applied with care. high quality, dedicated, committed raw milk

On March 25, 2010, Whole Foods Market producers and be able to see and understand their
www. discontinued raw milk in all of its stores nation- food safety efforts.
RealMilk.com ally, including fifty-five California stores, eight It has long been known that few consumers
for additional stores in Pennsylvania and additional stores in really know what to look for in their raw milk
information Washington, Connecticut and other states. One producer and farmer. The evidence of safe raw
and sources of the leading reasons they gave for this action milk production is not easily seen from out in
was the total lack of uniform national standards front of the barn gate or from the on-farm store.
of Real Milk for raw milk. Raw milk in California was not The evidence lies very deep in the practices of the
products. the same as raw milk in Connecticut. Although farmer from “Grass to the Glass.” The evidence

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