Thistle Hill's John & Janine Putnam (Images courtesy of Thistle Hill Farm)

Ever discovered an artisanal cheese at your local farmers market that you couldn’t stop raving about to fellow foodies? Well, there is an excellent chance that splendid cheese was made from raw milk, giving it the rich flavor that processed cheeses just can’t deliver.

Many medical professionals and nutritionists have indicated that raw milk from grass-fed cows is more nutrient dense than conventionally produced milk. They support the family farms feeding free-roaming cows on healthy grass that want to sell raw milk to folks who want to purchase it. Unfortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug administration prohibits raw milk for human consumption in interstate commerce.

The FDA Faces a Challenge in Court

The FDA’s prohibition has led the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund and eight other plaintiffs to mount a legal challenge arguing that the federal regulations are unconstitutional. The FDA filed a motion to dismiss, but last week federal Judge Mark W. Bennett denied the motion. It is a small, but important victory for small dairy farmers, the health of consumers, and the environment.

As part of his ruling, the judge ordered proceedings in the case to be stayed 60 days to allow plaintiffs time to decide whether to file a ‘citizen petition’ with FDA. The petition would ask FDA to clarify its interpretation of the statutes and regulations giving it the power to ban raw milk for human consumption in interstate commerce.

Having survived the first round in the case, the plaintiffs have until October 18th to determine what their next course of action will be.

Yes to Small Dairy Farms, No to CAFOs

A previous post on American Feast's Sustainable Food Blog explained some of what is at stake:

Family-scale dairy farms feeding free-roaming cows on healthy grass face tough competition from concentrated animal feeding operations. The densely penned cows at CAFOs are sickened from being fed the abundance of corn grown with massive government subsidies, posing a very real threat to human health. Cow droppings make good fertilizer on small farms, but at CAFOs the immense amount of waste is a toxic threat to the health of people and the environment.

Of course, people around the globe have been safely consuming raw milk and cheeses for thousands of years. Allowing the interstate sale of raw milk is an important step toward making family-scale dairy farms part of a healthier and more sustainable future.

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a nonprofit defending the rights and freedoms of family farms by protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient-dense foods.

To learn more about the Fund, go to: Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund

To view previous posts on the topic of raw milk, go to:

Nutritious Raw Milk Can Be Produced Safely by Local Farmers

Support Family Farmers & Get Healthy with Raw Milk

Vermont Cheese Artisans Succeed with Old World Skill

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