Less Government = More Profit .... duh!

Rather than be forced to operate within the government's food system, which steals from farmers the majority of their profits, dairies that are allowed to sell raw milk, especially at the retail level, can easily more than quadruple their profits, which also means that a whole lot more money stays in the local economy. Just think of how this one policy change could revolutionize the American economy? (http://www.realmilk.com/rawmilkoverview.html).


Farm Fresh Milk

The Unpasteurized (Raw) Milk bill was passed and enacted into law on July 1, 2009. This progressive legislation legitimizes raw milk, acknowledges that the locally-based food system requires different rules than those established for industrial food, and recognizes that raw milk sales are an incredible economic opportunity for farmers and that there is a growing and significant demand among consumers. It creates a tiered regulatory system that is defined by the quantity of milk being sold. Tier 1 producers can sell up to 50 quarts (12 1/2 gallons) per day from the farm, and Tier 2 producers can sell up to 40 gallons per day between on-farm sales and home delivery to prepaid customers. It establishes a set of reasonable and basic standards that ALL raw milk producers must follow, thereby ensuring a clean and safe raw milk supply. A few examples: animals must be healthy, milking equipment must be cleaned and sanitized, milk must be cooled quickly, and farmers must maintain a daily transaction record. Those operating as Tier 2 producers must follow some additional requirements, including registration with and inspection by the VT Agency of Agriculture and regular milk testing. Regardless of the total quantity of milk being sold, any farmer can operate as a Tier 2 producer as long as s/he is following the Tier 2 requirements – this may be of interest to farmers who want to deliver smaller quantities of milk.

Bill makes raw milk cheese making and classes legal

S.105, signed into law in May, 2011, addresses the issues raised in the Notice of Warning letter that led to the suspension of Rural Vermont’s raw milk dairy classes by changing the definition of raw milk so that it may now be sold for “personal consumption,” rather than limiting its sale for “fluid consumption.” This simple change means that (1) farmers are no longer prohibited from selling raw milk to a customer because that customer plans to make the milk into dairy products such as cheese or butter for their own consumption; and (2) that educational dairy classes may be held in order to teach Vermonters how to make raw milk dairy products for their own consumption.
While Rural Vermont believes the current rules around classes are not perfect, we do think that it is an important step in the right direction in the sense that it legitimizes the rights of individuals to teach people how to make dairy products for their own consumption and represents an important step toward growing Vermont’s vibrant local agricultural system.
Misc Agriculture Bill or the Dairy Housekeeping Bill, S. 105: Contains new language that allows the raw dairy classes to be up and running again, as well as a number of other legislative fixes to do with agriculture. Compost language has been tied on to the end of the bill, attempting to limit the rights’ of municipal zoning regulators. This bill, although lengthy is comprehensive, clear and progressing in the right direction.

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