Opinion
On its face, the upcoming trial of Vernon Hershberger, which starts today, is about food and dairy licensing and the Wisconsin farmer’s refusal to seek out certain permits. Hershberger is accused of four criminal misdemeanors. The first three include failing to have a retail food establishment license, operating a dairy farm as a milk producer without… Continue Reading
Gamblers in Las Vegas taking advantage of all those free drink offers might soon be ordering up a nice cold glass of raw milk. With only two dissenting votes Thursday afternoon, the Nevada Senate’s Committee on Health and Human Services gave a “do pass” recommendation to Assembly Bill (AB) 209, making raw milk sales legal… Continue Reading
A rule change published earlier this year by the Illinois Department of Public Health is drawing fire this spring from raw milk advocates who object to three provisions in the proposal. These are: On-farm sales would continue to be permitted, but limited to 100 gallons per month. Raw milk dairies would be required to purchase… Continue Reading
At least 31 residents of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula were sickened early this year in a Campylobacter outbreak linked to raw milk, according to a report from state health officials. While this outbreak, which lasted from early January to mid-February, appears to be over, the farm whose raw milk caused the outbreak could still be serving… Continue Reading
Health officials in Pennsylvania are advising customers of Stump Acres Dairy in York County to discard any raw milk purchased from the dairy after a sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, local news station WHPTV reports. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture collected the sample on April 24 and confirmed the presence of the Listeria bacteria… Continue Reading
Health officials in Wisconsin suspect three patients sickened by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 contracted their illnesses after consuming raw milk, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Raechelle Cline told Food Safety News Thursday. All three patients reside in Manitowoc County, and they include a three year-old child and his or her mother. Officials are… Continue Reading
Vernon Hershberger’s religious beliefs do not provide any resolution to the legal consequences he must face for operating a food establishment without a license, operating as an unlicensed milk producer, operating a dairy plant without a license and violating a product hold order. The Wisconsin raw milk dairy farmer therefore will proceed to a long-delayed… Continue Reading
This week has not been an easy one for any of us. Certainly people most impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings or the West, Texas explosions had it worse than those of us who just had to watch in discomfort from a distance. The discomfort is that feeling that something is out of place. Maybe… Continue Reading
The Montana Alliance for Raw Milk (MTARM) fell just one vote short Thursday, meaning it will remain illegal for anyone in the Big Sky state to sell raw milk for human consumption. And it was a wild ride. But instead of mourning the second death of their bill in the Senate, raw milk advocates said… Continue Reading
Infection rates of the foodborne pathogens Campylobacter and Vibrio parahaemolyticus rose in 2012, while other major pathogens generally maintained rates similar to recent years, according to the nation’s annual “food safety progress report” published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday. Campylobacter infections, most commonly associated with poultry and raw milk, rose… Continue Reading
Update: Senate Bill 574 failed to achieve the required two-thirds vote in the Montana Senate on April 17 and is probably dead for this session. The super majority was required to limit governmental liability under Montana’s Constitution. Montana’s plan to permit certain small farms and ranches to produce and sell raw milk directly to… Continue Reading