NY Action Alert – Sign Petition for Expanded Raw Milk Sales in New York State

🖨️ Print post

Contact NYS Ag Officials Monthly

Expand Raw Milk Sales in New York State

New York law currently allows the sale of raw milk by licensed farmers on the farm only. The prohibition of the delivery of raw milk by licensed dairies has cost New York farmers millions of dollars in sales every year to raw milk producers in neighboring states such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. There is no valid food safety reason not to allow sales of raw milk through delivery at venues such as farmers markets; as demand has gone up considerably for raw milk in recent years, the number of foodborne illness outbreaks has remained flat or gone down.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) has the authority to issue regulations allowing the sale of raw milk through delivery, on the farm, and at venues other than on the farm, but has refused to do so. A sustained campaign of pressure on NYSDAM is needed to get them to issue regulations. Will you help?

We are asking that farmers be allowed to sell raw milk, cream, and butter at other venues such as farmers markets and deliveries, and not solely at the farm.

ACTION TO TAKE

1. Sign the online “NYS Raw Milk Petition” requesting a change in New York regulations to remove the “on farm only” restriction. By doing so you agree to contact NYSDAM Commissioner Richard Ball and NYSDAM Dairy Division Chief Casey McCue on a monthly basis to request this change in the law. The contact information for McCue and Ball for emails, letters and phone calls is included below. 

2. Encourage 10 additional people each month to phone, email or write a letter every month until the law is changed. 

Here’s a shortlink for the online petition you can share:  bit.ly/3HjsLmM

Here’s a shortlink for a hardcopy petition you can download and print (landscape, to-sided); it also has a QR code on a third page:  bit.ly/44sC7Xf 

TALKING POINTS

1. People want to choose the food they eat; a change in the law on delivery of raw milk and sales at other venues would better enable them to do that.

2. Dairy farms in New York have declined from 6,200 to 3,500 over the past 15 years. Dairy farmers need a viable market for their raw milk. 

3. There are only 39 illnesses on average per year attributed to raw milk consumption. In the most recent year, 2020, for which there are records, there were only five outbreaks and 28 illnesses total. As the number of raw milk drinkers has gone up in recent years, the number of foodborne illnesses attributed to raw milk consumption has remained flat or gone down.

4. In one recently conducted poll 97.1% of consumers said they supported raw milk.

5. Consumers want greater access to local food.

THE PETITION

        As consumers of raw milk in New York State, we, the undersigned, request that the NYS Agriculture and Markets Milk Control and Dairy Services remove “on farm sales only” from its rules and regulations in order to allow raw milk farmers with NYS Ag and Market-issued permits to meet the growing demand for raw milk at venues of closer proximity.

       We believe removing “on farm sales only” from the rules and regulations governing raw milk sales is consistent with the Commissioner of Agriculture’s duty “to aid and promote direct marketing of farm products” and will, as a result, provide a market for small family farms who are struggling financially. This increased food security will also promote economic growth in rural areas while also saving us time and money traveling long distances to purchase raw milk at permitted farms.

       By signing this petition we agree to contact NYS Ag officials on a monthly basis to politely and persistently request this change and encourage others to continue asking until they make this change.  

CONTACT INFORMATION

Division Chief Casey McCue – 

Phone: 518-457-1772

Email:  casey.mccue@agriculture.ny.gov

Address:  Casey McCue

    10B Airline Dr.

    Albany, NY 12235

Commissioner Richard Ball –

Phone: (518) 457-2771

Email:  commissioner@agriculture.ny.gov

Address:  Commissioner Richard Ball

    10B Airline Dr.

    Albany, NY 12235

LINKS

Online petition – bit.ly/3HjsLmM

Hardcopy petition to download and print – bit.ly/44sC7Xf 

NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets – https://agriculture.ny.gov/about-us 

NYS regulation, 1 NYCRR 2.3(b)(1) – https://casetext.com/regulation/new-york-codes-rules-and-regulations/title-1-department-of-agriculture-and-markets/chapter-i-milk-control/subchapter-a-dairy-products-article-4-agriculture-and-markets-law/part-2-requirements-for-the-production-processing-manufacturing-and-distribution-of-milk-and-milk-products/section-23-general-permits-permit-to-sell-raw-milk-permit-to-ship-into-the-state-permit-to-produce-milk 

🖨️ Print post