Page 92 - Winter2017

Raw milk same types of public outreach programs would entire length of Humboldt County on its way to

vending go over big in Humboldt County. The local food Del Norte County to the north where raw milk is
legal. Tantalizing many citizens, this truck goes
scene is alive and thriving in Humboldt, and op-
machines are portunities to get to know the farmer better, and straight past at least six natural food stores in
operating see with one’s own eyes where food is coming Humboldt where customers have been literally
safely from are always much appreciated. Happy cows begging for raw milk to appear on the shelves.
It has become quite the pastime for citizens to
make happy people!
in many joke about “hijacking” this raw milk truck be-
European ORGANIC PASTURES DAIRY cause the closest source of legal certified milk
Mark McAfee is internationally known for is about one hundred eighty miles round trip!
countries. his exceptional diligence in adhering to the strict Some even fantasize elaborate schemes includ-
There are safety rules California has put in place for the ing setting up pretend highway construction and

more than production of raw milk intended for human con- then bribing the truck driver with specialized
one thousand sumption. In fact, Mark and his team go above Humboldt goodies in exchange. When people
and beyond these safety rules. For example, after get desperate for something they truly want,
raw milk they fill each holding tank with milk, they lock it and their local government insists on blocking
machines in down and send milk samples off to a third party them from making their own decisions about

Italy alone. laboratory, Food Safety Net Services (FSNS), their own health, especially when it is legal in
to test for all major milk pathogens. They hold the rest of the state, their imaginations can begin
the milk until they get the results back, less than to run a little wild!
ten hours later, and only when they have the
“all clear” signal from the independent testing WEARY OF THE BAN
laboratory, do they bottle the milk and get it out Needless to say, people in Humboldt are
for distribution. This could be an ideal model growing increasingly weary of this raw milk
for future raw milk farms in Humboldt County. ban and are more resolved than ever to take back
Organic Pastures is by far the biggest pro- their right to decide for themselves whether or
ducer of certified raw milk in the state, produc- not they want to drink raw milk. Their increased
ing about twenty-one thousand gallons of raw determination has moved more from a place of
milk per week, which is over one million gallons vocal public outcry to thoughtful practical plan-
of raw milk per year! They currently distribute ning. So, with an attitude of “enough is enough,”
their milk to at least seven hundred stores and citizens are closely tracking this new effort to
twenty-two farmers markets in California, from ask the five current supervisors to rescind the
the Oregon border to the Mexican border. This is local 512 raw milk ban.
important for the Humboldt supervisors and the Citizens who want the ability to easily and
Humboldt community at large to know because legally purchase certified raw milk in Humboldt,
their safety record, as recorded and reported by including some who believe it is absolutely
the California Department of Public Health and necessary for their health, are asking “What
the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention will be our next step if the ban is not lifted this
(CDC), is far better than that of the pasteurized time around?”
milk industry as a whole. For anyone who wants The answer to this important question may
to dig into the public information, the official come down to whom the citizens elect, through
safety record of Organic Pastures and that of the democratic voting process, as their next
smaller California certified raw milk producers “voice of the people” in the June 5, 2018 election.
speaks volumes, and should reassure anyone Two of the supervisors who will be voting on
who is concerned about the safety of certified this issue, Virginia Bass and Ryan Sundberg, are
raw milk. up for re-election, and they both have at least one
There’s an ongoing joke around Humboldt. formidable opponent who is ardently supportive
It seems there’s an Organic Pastures delivery of removing the ban on raw milk in Humboldt.
truck full of certified raw milk that heads up Dani Burkhart has declared in the 4th Dis-
Highway 101 on a weekly basis. It travels the trict to run against Virginia Bass. When asked to

92 Wise Traditions WINTER 2017