The Wisconsin Raw Milk Bill of 2010
You say raw milk is dangerous and causes illness. You say that's why it's illegal. You say I'm trying to pass a bill to legalize raw milk.
1. We don't make things illegal because there dangerous or cause illness.
2. Raw milk is not actually illegal. You can legally buy it at the farm where it's produced.
3. This bill would not change that. It would still be illegal to sell raw milk at the supermarket. It would still be illegal to advertise the sale of raw milk. The raw milk bill would not prevent the continued harassment of farmers selling raw milk directly to people who come to there farm for milk. The new law would simply require farmers to continue selling milk to the dairy processing company.
4. Raw milk cures illness it doesn't cause it. I've been drinking raw milk for 4 years, I know.
5. Spend 15 minutes on the Internet and you will be at the farm this week end looking for raw milk for your family.
6. I am supporting this bill, hoping it will reduce the harassment of family farms, by big dairy, the Wisconsin veterinary association, and the Wisconsin medical association, through the FDA, and the health department. These organizations have a conflict of interest, when it comes to raw milk.
a. Large dairy sells a toxic inferior product at full price and pays the farmer next to nothing.
b. Veterinarians need sick animals.
c. Doctors, the FDA, and the health department need sick people.
d. The media can't antagonize government, or big business.
Mike Grimm
PS, This bill was later vetoed by the governor. Personally I do not believe this bill would have helped the raw milk consumer.
The fallowing was my response to an e mail I received from senator Grothman.
Subject: Glenn's Final Word on Raw Milk (Column Attached.)
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 15:17:17 -0500
From: [email protected]
Why I Support Raw Milk
By: Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend)
May 20, 2010
In the final few weeks of this Legislative Session, over 100 bills landed on the Governor’s desk. The one that generated the most intense feeling is the bill that would have legalized the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk if you had a Grade A license, maintain records for each sale, and have the milk tested for certain disease-causing microorganisms, including Salmonella. A farmer could not advertise except for signs on the farm. The farmer would also have to place warnings about unpasteurized milk on containers.
The state medical establishment, the public health establishment, the Dairy Business Association, and the Farm Bureau all opposed the bill. The only supporters were a handful of farmers who sold unpasteurized milk, a vocal minority of medical professionals who prescribe raw milk, and the thousands of citizens who drink it. Yet, despite overwhelming odds, this bill passed the State Senate 25 to 8 and the State Assembly 60 to 35. Governor Doyle eventually sided with the medical establishment and dairy business and vetoed the bill.
While I personally am a city boy who drank less than 2 gallons of raw milk in my life, I became involved when the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture (DATCP) shut down a raw milk operation in Dodge County. I received complaints from quite a few customers who wondered why they couldn’t get their raw milk and wound up becoming the Republican lead of the Senate bill which eventually passed the State Legislature. Senator Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) and Rep. Danou (D-Trempealeau) were the authors.
Raw milk has been illegal to sell in the State of Wisconsin for the last 30 years, except for incidental sales. Nevertheless, DATCP, bowing to commonsense, largely did not enforce the law until 2009 when new bureaucrats got a toehold in the Division of Food Safety. During this time (and to this day), dairy farmers drank their own raw milk and gave raw milk to their employees and friends and relatives who visited them. Bodybuilders, people who felt raw milk tasted better, and people who felt it was better for their health also purchased milk from local farmers. For a short period in the 1990s (I’m told) the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture encouraged the sale of raw milk as a new niche market. They encouraged farmers to sell “cow shares” in which consumers would buy part of a cow so that the customer would only be getting his milk from a cow he owned to get around the prohibition.
In the late 1990s, DATCP determined cow shares were illegal but continued to not enforce the ban. Meanwhile, as the organic farm movement grew (raw milk does not have to be organic but it seems to attract many of the same consumers) more and more people came out to these farms to buy raw milk. Some doctors, as well as nutritionists and chiropractors were prescribing raw milk to their patients. A lot of people began to report raw milk cured allergies, stomach disorders, reduced autism, helped diabetes, reduced obesity, and had other health benefits. It also was good for normally lactose intolerant people.
Also during this time, other states began to loosen restrictions on sales of raw milk. While it is regulated, people can buy raw milk in grocery stores in California. I’m told it’s also legal to sell raw milk in food stores in Washington State. In some form or other, raw milk is sold in over half the states. In Europe, raw milk is sold in vending machines.
Opponents of raw milk claim that some people will get sick. They also argue that if people get sick, the entire dairy industry will suffer as people will panic and stop buying milk. I find neither argument persuasive.
While occasionally people get sick from all kinds of food, milk-especially raw milk-is healthier than ever. People alive today grew up drinking raw milk when farmers milked by hand into an open bucket in a barn next to cow manure and flies – that was the norm back then. Health testing of cows was a fraction of what it is today. Today, milk goes directly from the cow to the bulk tank and is immediately chilled. Just as raw vegetables may be healthier than cooked vegetables, a lot of very smart people feel raw milk is better than cooked milk. In my district, the people who drink raw milk are from the most well read and educated segment of society. I’ve heard of a lot of stories of people being healthier with raw milk.
As far as the concern that if someone gets sick, there will be a drop in milk sales-common sense will tell you this is not so. People very occasionally get sick from raw milk now. People also sometimes get sick from pasteurized milk (I’m willing to believe less so, but I also believe the health benefits are less.) Where is the drop in sales? Where is the drop in sales caused by the hundreds of thousands of members of dairy families, their employees, and visitors to the farms who drink raw milk now? There is none. The only danger to the reputation of milk is coming from the Dairy Business Association that is exaggerating the dangers of raw milk.
One legislator told me they never had raw beef until they lived in Wisconsin. I love raw beef. I’m sure someone got sick once. The beef industry has shown common sense in not forbidding me from ordering my hamburgers medium rare. I’m glad the commercial fishermen don’t try to shut down all the new sushi places that are popping up. The dairy industry ought to back off and give advice as to what type of regulation they want for raw milk rather than ban it. For the first time in my life, there is a growing segment of society which (correctly) views raw milk as a food for upscale health conscious people and the dairy industry of all people is trying to kill it off. America should be a free country and your average person should be free to experience the benefits of raw milk just as farmers already do.
By forcing these sales underground, DACTP may wind up creating a health hazard. DATCP ought to go back to the “turn a blind eye policy” that existed before 2009 and suggest some common sense legislation everyone can live with for the next year.
Please let me know what you think on this issue. Contact me in Madison at 1-800-662-1227 or email me at [email protected].
Dear Sen. Grothman,
“The one that generated the most intense feeling” ?
Only for fresh milk drinkers. Others saw the raw milk bill as some stupid political agenda. If they only knew what we know. They would see what a burden our health care system is on our economy. We are all starving to death in the land of plenty, in the land flowing with milk and honey.
"the bill that would have legalized the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk” ?
The bill wouldn't have legalized fresh milk. It would have still been illegal in stores. It's all ready legal to sell on the farm. We need a bill that would stop the harassment.
“if you had a Grade A license,”
Which you would lose if the dairy processor stopped buying your milk.
“maintain records for each sale,”
Not an improvement.
“and have the milk tested for certain disease-causing microorganisms, including Salmonella.”
Why? Has there ever been a confirmed case of raw milk making someone sick? Testing is simply another tool for harassing the farmer. The consumers buying directly from the farm don't want it.
“A farmer could not advertise”
Why? And what's the definition of advertising? We certainly have the right to know where to find fresh milk.
“except for signs on the farm.”
That would be the only improvement.
“place warnings about unpasteurized milk on containers.”
On my milk bottles?
“(DATCP) shut down a raw milk operation in Dodge County.”
How did they do that? Would the raw milk bill have prevented it?
“Nevertheless, DATCP, bowing to commonsense, largely did not enforce the law until 2009”
Are you sure? I didn't see any fresh milk at pick n save.
“In the late 1990s, DATCP determined cow shares were illegal but continued to not enforce the ban.”
Are you saying that advertising was allowed, or only that incidental sales were allowed?
“While occasionally people get sick from all kinds of food”
Occasionally?
“People very occasionally get sick from raw milk now”
Are you sure? I haven't found any confirmed cases. Could you send me a list?
“DATCP ought to go back to the “turn a blind eye policy” that existed before 2009”
You mean less harassment, can't you help us with that?
“By forcing these sales underground, DACTP may wind up creating a health hazard.”
A farm is pretty big to go underground. What health hazard? Didn't you go to the public hearing?
"America should be a free country and your average person should be free to experience the benefits of raw milk just as farmers already do."
The only way, the average person, could be free to experience the benefits of raw milk, would be to repeal the ban on fresh milk. With all that you've heard, don't you agree?
Sincerely, Michael Grimm
PS;
It's not the states job to tell us what to eat.
We don't make things illegal because they're dangerous.
Why are large businesses allowed to make up lies about there competition?
Why does our government arbitrarily choose to help one business and destroy another?
Why can't we sue all the people who came out against raw milk, for slander, pain and suffering, lost wages, and unfair business practices?
Why can't we stop the states harassment, and simply allow incidental sales?
Currently the law has an exemption which states that incidental sales are allowed on the farm as long as there is no advertising and as long as they are not in the regular coarse of business.
Merriam-Webster incidental in·ci·den·tal
1 a: being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence <social obligations incidental to the job>
What I see is “likely to ensue” or anything less than 50%.
No advertising? How do you define advertising?No one would knowingly give up there right to free speech.
Consumers driving all the way out to the farm to get milk, is not "the regular coarse of business". What ever your definition, it has to be an “exemptions” in order to be called an exemption.
PSS;
The harassment of farmers is most certainly illegal, and any public employee taking part in such actions, should be criminally prosecuted, considering the severe health and financial consequences of his or her actions.
An outright ban on fresh milk could not be morally or legally enforced. Almost everyone knows processed dairy is toxic. All of us know how many outbreaks there are from other foods. We've all been to the public hearing, so we all know the health benefits of fresh milk, and how safe it is. We can't knowingly condemn our children to the same ill heath we've had to endure. The people against fresh milk all have a conflict of interest, they are the competition. They all benefit from our suffering. It's not legal to interfere in the fair competition between businesses. The lies told about fresh milk have put thousands of farmers out of business. Anyone caught, spreading lies about fresh milk should be held personally responsible for all the pain and suffering, expense, and lose of income they cause.
The harassment of farmers selling raw milk is de facto regulation and should not be tolerated.
How can we allow these organizations to deny us fresh food. We all know most of our health problems are diet related. How difficult would it be to drink a glass of fresh milk? There is all most no difference in taste. The only difference is processed milk makes you sick and fresh milk makes you healthy.
1. We don't make things illegal because there dangerous or cause illness.
2. Raw milk is not actually illegal. You can legally buy it at the farm where it's produced.
3. This bill would not change that. It would still be illegal to sell raw milk at the supermarket. It would still be illegal to advertise the sale of raw milk. The raw milk bill would not prevent the continued harassment of farmers selling raw milk directly to people who come to there farm for milk. The new law would simply require farmers to continue selling milk to the dairy processing company.
4. Raw milk cures illness it doesn't cause it. I've been drinking raw milk for 4 years, I know.
5. Spend 15 minutes on the Internet and you will be at the farm this week end looking for raw milk for your family.
6. I am supporting this bill, hoping it will reduce the harassment of family farms, by big dairy, the Wisconsin veterinary association, and the Wisconsin medical association, through the FDA, and the health department. These organizations have a conflict of interest, when it comes to raw milk.
a. Large dairy sells a toxic inferior product at full price and pays the farmer next to nothing.
b. Veterinarians need sick animals.
c. Doctors, the FDA, and the health department need sick people.
d. The media can't antagonize government, or big business.
Mike Grimm
PS, This bill was later vetoed by the governor. Personally I do not believe this bill would have helped the raw milk consumer.
The fallowing was my response to an e mail I received from senator Grothman.
Subject: Glenn's Final Word on Raw Milk (Column Attached.)
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 15:17:17 -0500
From: [email protected]
Why I Support Raw Milk
By: Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend)
May 20, 2010
In the final few weeks of this Legislative Session, over 100 bills landed on the Governor’s desk. The one that generated the most intense feeling is the bill that would have legalized the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk if you had a Grade A license, maintain records for each sale, and have the milk tested for certain disease-causing microorganisms, including Salmonella. A farmer could not advertise except for signs on the farm. The farmer would also have to place warnings about unpasteurized milk on containers.
The state medical establishment, the public health establishment, the Dairy Business Association, and the Farm Bureau all opposed the bill. The only supporters were a handful of farmers who sold unpasteurized milk, a vocal minority of medical professionals who prescribe raw milk, and the thousands of citizens who drink it. Yet, despite overwhelming odds, this bill passed the State Senate 25 to 8 and the State Assembly 60 to 35. Governor Doyle eventually sided with the medical establishment and dairy business and vetoed the bill.
While I personally am a city boy who drank less than 2 gallons of raw milk in my life, I became involved when the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture (DATCP) shut down a raw milk operation in Dodge County. I received complaints from quite a few customers who wondered why they couldn’t get their raw milk and wound up becoming the Republican lead of the Senate bill which eventually passed the State Legislature. Senator Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) and Rep. Danou (D-Trempealeau) were the authors.
Raw milk has been illegal to sell in the State of Wisconsin for the last 30 years, except for incidental sales. Nevertheless, DATCP, bowing to commonsense, largely did not enforce the law until 2009 when new bureaucrats got a toehold in the Division of Food Safety. During this time (and to this day), dairy farmers drank their own raw milk and gave raw milk to their employees and friends and relatives who visited them. Bodybuilders, people who felt raw milk tasted better, and people who felt it was better for their health also purchased milk from local farmers. For a short period in the 1990s (I’m told) the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture encouraged the sale of raw milk as a new niche market. They encouraged farmers to sell “cow shares” in which consumers would buy part of a cow so that the customer would only be getting his milk from a cow he owned to get around the prohibition.
In the late 1990s, DATCP determined cow shares were illegal but continued to not enforce the ban. Meanwhile, as the organic farm movement grew (raw milk does not have to be organic but it seems to attract many of the same consumers) more and more people came out to these farms to buy raw milk. Some doctors, as well as nutritionists and chiropractors were prescribing raw milk to their patients. A lot of people began to report raw milk cured allergies, stomach disorders, reduced autism, helped diabetes, reduced obesity, and had other health benefits. It also was good for normally lactose intolerant people.
Also during this time, other states began to loosen restrictions on sales of raw milk. While it is regulated, people can buy raw milk in grocery stores in California. I’m told it’s also legal to sell raw milk in food stores in Washington State. In some form or other, raw milk is sold in over half the states. In Europe, raw milk is sold in vending machines.
Opponents of raw milk claim that some people will get sick. They also argue that if people get sick, the entire dairy industry will suffer as people will panic and stop buying milk. I find neither argument persuasive.
While occasionally people get sick from all kinds of food, milk-especially raw milk-is healthier than ever. People alive today grew up drinking raw milk when farmers milked by hand into an open bucket in a barn next to cow manure and flies – that was the norm back then. Health testing of cows was a fraction of what it is today. Today, milk goes directly from the cow to the bulk tank and is immediately chilled. Just as raw vegetables may be healthier than cooked vegetables, a lot of very smart people feel raw milk is better than cooked milk. In my district, the people who drink raw milk are from the most well read and educated segment of society. I’ve heard of a lot of stories of people being healthier with raw milk.
As far as the concern that if someone gets sick, there will be a drop in milk sales-common sense will tell you this is not so. People very occasionally get sick from raw milk now. People also sometimes get sick from pasteurized milk (I’m willing to believe less so, but I also believe the health benefits are less.) Where is the drop in sales? Where is the drop in sales caused by the hundreds of thousands of members of dairy families, their employees, and visitors to the farms who drink raw milk now? There is none. The only danger to the reputation of milk is coming from the Dairy Business Association that is exaggerating the dangers of raw milk.
One legislator told me they never had raw beef until they lived in Wisconsin. I love raw beef. I’m sure someone got sick once. The beef industry has shown common sense in not forbidding me from ordering my hamburgers medium rare. I’m glad the commercial fishermen don’t try to shut down all the new sushi places that are popping up. The dairy industry ought to back off and give advice as to what type of regulation they want for raw milk rather than ban it. For the first time in my life, there is a growing segment of society which (correctly) views raw milk as a food for upscale health conscious people and the dairy industry of all people is trying to kill it off. America should be a free country and your average person should be free to experience the benefits of raw milk just as farmers already do.
By forcing these sales underground, DACTP may wind up creating a health hazard. DATCP ought to go back to the “turn a blind eye policy” that existed before 2009 and suggest some common sense legislation everyone can live with for the next year.
Please let me know what you think on this issue. Contact me in Madison at 1-800-662-1227 or email me at [email protected].
Dear Sen. Grothman,
“The one that generated the most intense feeling” ?
Only for fresh milk drinkers. Others saw the raw milk bill as some stupid political agenda. If they only knew what we know. They would see what a burden our health care system is on our economy. We are all starving to death in the land of plenty, in the land flowing with milk and honey.
"the bill that would have legalized the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk” ?
The bill wouldn't have legalized fresh milk. It would have still been illegal in stores. It's all ready legal to sell on the farm. We need a bill that would stop the harassment.
“if you had a Grade A license,”
Which you would lose if the dairy processor stopped buying your milk.
“maintain records for each sale,”
Not an improvement.
“and have the milk tested for certain disease-causing microorganisms, including Salmonella.”
Why? Has there ever been a confirmed case of raw milk making someone sick? Testing is simply another tool for harassing the farmer. The consumers buying directly from the farm don't want it.
“A farmer could not advertise”
Why? And what's the definition of advertising? We certainly have the right to know where to find fresh milk.
“except for signs on the farm.”
That would be the only improvement.
“place warnings about unpasteurized milk on containers.”
On my milk bottles?
“(DATCP) shut down a raw milk operation in Dodge County.”
How did they do that? Would the raw milk bill have prevented it?
“Nevertheless, DATCP, bowing to commonsense, largely did not enforce the law until 2009”
Are you sure? I didn't see any fresh milk at pick n save.
“In the late 1990s, DATCP determined cow shares were illegal but continued to not enforce the ban.”
Are you saying that advertising was allowed, or only that incidental sales were allowed?
“While occasionally people get sick from all kinds of food”
Occasionally?
“People very occasionally get sick from raw milk now”
Are you sure? I haven't found any confirmed cases. Could you send me a list?
“DATCP ought to go back to the “turn a blind eye policy” that existed before 2009”
You mean less harassment, can't you help us with that?
“By forcing these sales underground, DACTP may wind up creating a health hazard.”
A farm is pretty big to go underground. What health hazard? Didn't you go to the public hearing?
"America should be a free country and your average person should be free to experience the benefits of raw milk just as farmers already do."
The only way, the average person, could be free to experience the benefits of raw milk, would be to repeal the ban on fresh milk. With all that you've heard, don't you agree?
Sincerely, Michael Grimm
PS;
It's not the states job to tell us what to eat.
We don't make things illegal because they're dangerous.
Why are large businesses allowed to make up lies about there competition?
Why does our government arbitrarily choose to help one business and destroy another?
Why can't we sue all the people who came out against raw milk, for slander, pain and suffering, lost wages, and unfair business practices?
Why can't we stop the states harassment, and simply allow incidental sales?
Currently the law has an exemption which states that incidental sales are allowed on the farm as long as there is no advertising and as long as they are not in the regular coarse of business.
Merriam-Webster incidental in·ci·den·tal
1 a: being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence <social obligations incidental to the job>
What I see is “likely to ensue” or anything less than 50%.
No advertising? How do you define advertising?No one would knowingly give up there right to free speech.
Consumers driving all the way out to the farm to get milk, is not "the regular coarse of business". What ever your definition, it has to be an “exemptions” in order to be called an exemption.
PSS;
The harassment of farmers is most certainly illegal, and any public employee taking part in such actions, should be criminally prosecuted, considering the severe health and financial consequences of his or her actions.
An outright ban on fresh milk could not be morally or legally enforced. Almost everyone knows processed dairy is toxic. All of us know how many outbreaks there are from other foods. We've all been to the public hearing, so we all know the health benefits of fresh milk, and how safe it is. We can't knowingly condemn our children to the same ill heath we've had to endure. The people against fresh milk all have a conflict of interest, they are the competition. They all benefit from our suffering. It's not legal to interfere in the fair competition between businesses. The lies told about fresh milk have put thousands of farmers out of business. Anyone caught, spreading lies about fresh milk should be held personally responsible for all the pain and suffering, expense, and lose of income they cause.
The harassment of farmers selling raw milk is de facto regulation and should not be tolerated.
How can we allow these organizations to deny us fresh food. We all know most of our health problems are diet related. How difficult would it be to drink a glass of fresh milk? There is all most no difference in taste. The only difference is processed milk makes you sick and fresh milk makes you healthy.