Government Sneak Attack on CA Raw Milk

This just in from Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures raw dairy outside of Fresno...

The state of California has perpetrated yet another disturbing assault on our rights to consume whole foods. Call your representative in the California state assembly and senate, the governor, and the Secretary of Agriculture to make sure your voice is heard.

Eight words are threatening to change your life:

“or more than ten coliform bacteria per milliliter”

Those are the eight words added to dairy legislation in California on October 8, 2007.

Assembly Bill #1735 (AB 1735) was signed by the Governor and becomes law on January 1st 2008. Contained in this law are new standards for raw milk. These new standards require 10 coliform bacteria per ml or less. This standard does not increase the safety of raw milk and it will make the production of organic raw milk in California nearly impossible. Under the old tried and true old standards that have been in existence for forty years or more, coliforms could be 50 or 500. It did not matter.

Coliforms are not pathogenic. They do not cause disease. They actually act very effectively to protect raw milk against pathogens like E. coli 0157:H7. Coliforms make vitamin K, B-1, B-2, B-6 and B-12 and without coliforms, and the beneficial colicins they produce we would die.  v These eight words in California law will in effect remove and deny your access to raw milk, because it is not possible to reliably produce raw milk with coliform levels at less than 10 per ml. Most milk samples simply have coliform counts higher than 10 per ml. That is just the nature of milk, a fact that is in USDA published peer reviewed journals show the value of good coliforms in food safety and surely this should be known by the CDFA in California.

Read these studies on our website.

The language contained in AB 1735 was placed there by CDFA to get rid of Raw Milk in California. Last year you might remember that CDFA ordered a recall of all OPDC raw milk products. Several  months ago after threatened legal pressure CDFA settled with OPDC for a cash amount, mutual legal release, and the promise that OPDC would not sue CDFA or its personnel for the biased and unfounded recall. FDA, DHS, and CDFA concluded after several weeks of intensive testing of cows fresh manure and OPDC dairy products that there was no connection between any sickened children and OPDC raw dairy products. 

AB 1735 is nothing more than a CDFA sneak attack  trying its very hardest  to once and for all get rid of raw milk and OPDC.

But don’t take my word for it. Go to the California Assembly website and check out the legislative notes. This attack was directed right at you and me and we were not even consulted. Read more here about how to investigate your legislator’s intentions.

Investigate their intent.

It is time for you to call your representative in the Assembly and Senate, the Governor, and the Secretary of Agriculture to make sure your voice is heard.

It is also time to write to your local paper and post on your blog how you feel about these eight new words in California law.

Find out how.

The Agriculture Committee Staff claims that there was no argument or discussion about this issue and that there was unanimous consent during the vote when AB 1735 passed. There were supposedly public hearings held in January 2007, but neither Claravale nor OPDC was advised and no raw milk consumers were told either. These are the only two dairies in the state to be effected by the change of code and law. 

If you want raw milk on the shelf or at the farmers market in California; it is time to fight for this right.

We ask that you please come to the Fresno Farmers Market on Saturday October 27th at 11:00 AM for a press conference and formal announcement of the sneak attack.

The press will be present and will want to hear your testimonials.

We do not loose are rights all in one day. We lose them little by little every day.

Stand up and let’s show them what we brave raw milk consumers are made of in California.

Learn how you can help.

- Mark McAfee, Organic Pastures Dairy Company www.organicpastures.com

Comments

[Maria]

For REAL facts about raw milk(not paid propaganda by FDA and CDC/pharmaceutical companies which attempt to hold the key to our food chain and want NO competition from small farmers) go to www.rawmilkfacts.com --

[samhein]

I'm not a milk drinker, but am definitly a cheese eater. And I will now only eat cheses made from raw milk.

The flavour is wonderful, and as it is locally made, I know exactly where it comes from.

The BIGGEST plus, is that it is not from the mega producers and mega farms where the animals are submitted to terrible conditions, over medication and "farmers" who don't even know their animals. And the food being made isn't subject to all the additives and other serious problems that the big processors seem to be having.

The government, be it state or federal, has no right to tell people whether or not they can drink raw milk and use raw milk products. The consumer who uses these products is much more informed than any government office about these products.

Leave Us Alone! We don't need the nannystate. We need the fresh REAL farm foods that we, as a consumer, want. And, if all of you at the government level want to continue to take a chance on the big processors (you know...all those wonderful companies who have been having recall after recall...making people sick...killing our pets.....you know...those that the USDA and the government think are the greatest), be my guest! But continue to play with YOUR life. Not mine.

[Diane Vigil]

I know what you mean about the nanny state. But to me, it sounds more like "we want you to buy what we want you to buy."

[Nourisher]

The Australian Department of Agriculture is having a cow :) over here in Australia also.

A low down on Aussie politically puppetry shenanigans:

http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/the-raw-milk-wars

[Carla]

Maria,
www.rawmilkfacts.com didn't work for me. ?

Sam and Diane, I think it is a little of both -- "nanny state" and "buy what we say and don't ask us why because we have ulterior motives"

Joanne (Nourisher), love the community blog idea!
Carla

Organic Pastures may be setting on property that the City of Fresno is interested in accessing - specifically the sewer and water lines. If there was any interest in protecting the public from harmful contaminants, the issue would be the 40+ yr secret sideline that was uncovered - THEIRS! Illegal altering of the city sewer and water lines. Not only linked to Fresno's contaminated water, residents are being DELIBERATELY exposed to toxic, infectious. disease-carrying raw sewage and unknown pesticides followed by a trail of asthma, illness, infections, amputation and death. The risk analyst and former appraiser for the City finally got caught - lying to residents, running people off their property in order to illegally cross-connect, re-route, switch lines with corroded lines, clamp this nightmare together before secretly connecting to the main line as the citywide upgrade is in progress. Destroying/reconstructing connecting properties; no permits or inspections. Massive building and health code violations; selling these structures as "original!" Altering plat/parcel maps to cover up evidence of the illegal changes in property lines; all older records "no longer available." What they did to my family and me was barbaric. Then they targeted my neighbor who was never seen again; new deed looks forged. Other neighbor died which appeared to be the result of the toxic waste and pesticides. I uncovered a trail of missing persons, forged deeds (verified by expert) behind their operation - they are ruthless. Calling me a "liar" about what they did to our properties, they stooped even lower when I presented them with a copy of their own sewer layout which verified EXACTLY what I said was done. That is when they filed a Restraining Order against me, calling me a "liar" and a "danger to their lives" because I wanted an explanation. Official photographs from Fresno Flood Control, witnesses and old documents prove who the "liar" is. Put nothing past them - they probably set Organic Pastures up for the e.coli ordeal, in an attempt to put them out of business.
I have a letter from Gov. Schwarzenegger regarding my situation - "report it to the city of Fresno." There was no concern over bacteria or the safety or welfare of ANYONE. More evidence that something is very wrong with this picture. See my web page www.myspace.com/marlalk

[Toni C.]

When my son was born I had to take medication, which prohibited me from breast-feeding him. He could not digest pasturized milk formulas, and was in constant agony. Soy formula was used for a while, but also caused gastric distress. Then we discovered certified raw milk. WHAT A BLESSING! Not only was he able to digest it, he thrived!

[Kyle]

Have you heard of Ron Paul? There seems to be no end to his goodness. Now, in addition to taking on the Corporate-Military-Industrial-Media Complex, he is even helping us with the raw-milk cause.

Check it out, HR 4077:

SPEECH OF
HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2007
RE: H.R. 4077
Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation that allows the
transportation and sale in interstate commerce of unpasteurized milk
and milk products, as long as the milk both originates from and is
shipped to States that allow the sale of unpasteurized milk and milk
products. This legislation removes an unconstitutional restraint on
farmers who wish to sell unpasteurized milk and milk products, and
people who wish to consume unpasteurized milk and milk products.
My office has heard from numerous people who would like to purchase
unpasteurized milk. Many of these people have done their own research
and come to the conclusion that unpasteurized milk is healthier than
pasteurized milk. These Americans have the right to consume these
products without having the Federal Government second-guess their
judgment about what products best promote health. If there are
legitimate concerns about the safety of unpasteurized milk, those
concerns should be addressed at the State and local level.
I urge my colleagues to join me in promoting consumers' rights, the
original intent of the Constitution, and federalism by cosponsoring
my legislation to allow the interstate sale of unpasteurized milk and
milk products.

[Phyllis Entis]

The Washington Department of Agriculture has advised consumers that raw milk bottled by Pleasant Valley Dairy may be contaminated with Campylobacter. More details here: http://efoodalert.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-drinking-raw-milk-can-be-risky.html

[Sandra Hornsby White]

Hello from Grass Valley, CA.

As a community we have been busy here out in front of the Brair Patch Co Op and the Natural Food Store collecting signed letters and encouraging voters to preserve our way of life by calling the Governor's Office, The Secretary of Food and Agriculture, and Assemblywoman, Nicole Parra (she has done and outstanding job) with the Repeal of 1735; and the passing forward of the new proposed law 1604.

Now we are signing letters for support of 1604 AND calling the offices of the Governor, Nicole Parra, Secretary of Food and Agriculture on Valentine's Day 2008 at NOON. This is an old ACTIVIST trick to black out the phone lines. It gets their attention. I am also a professional legal petitioner/activist. I know what I am doing, too. Everything that was on yestrday's ballot got on by me. Since I am an old hippie and proud of it I am not above a demonstration!

Here are the numbers: Governor
1-916-445-2841
Nicole Parrra (thank her for being such a sweetheart) 1-916-319-2030 (You may also e-mail her Assemblymember.Parra@asm.ca.gov) Secretary of Food and Agriculture 1-916-654-0321 Leave a message for Bill Collins. Tell him how you feel about your food choices and way of life. I am also focusing on how humanley we treat our dairy animals, especially in comparison to how BIG DAIRY'S TREAT CATTLE. We prize our animals and treat them like family.