In 1967 Congress passed the Wholesome Meat Act, Public Law 90-201, amending the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The act expanded the federal government’s authority over meat slaughter and processing to intrastate commerce but did
Herd Shares in Virginia: The Stumbling Beginnings
In 1975 when I first started milking goats on my small ten-acre farm near Charlottesville, I was besieged by persons allergic to pasteurized cow milk and/or just wanting to consume raw milk. Not knowing the law but having heard
Introduction to the FTCLDF On-Farm Poultry Processing Map
In 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90-492, amending the Poultry Products Inspection Act. The amendments created exemptions allowing for the sale of uninspected poultry that is slaughtered and processed on a farm, meaning an inspector does not have to be
Another Raw Milk Raid in Texas
Imagine going to pick up your weekly gallon of milk, only to be met by a group of county health inspectors and sheriff’s deputies who threaten arrest if you take the milk. Sound far-fetched? Perhaps. But that’s exactly what happened
Police Called in to Stop Local Food Distribution
Cameron, TX—June 10, 2016—Health departments have stepped up their attacks on your right to purchase food directly from farmers, resorting to bringing the police to harass and intimidate local raw milk customers. That’s what happened to one group of raw milk customers in
No Chickens Allowed on the Farm
Henrico County Virginia officials have told FTCLDF member Stewart Goodwin that she cannot have chickens on her property that is zoned for agriculture. Here is Stewart’s account of her dispute with the county.
Virginia Ag Diverts Local Health Department Inspections from High Volume Restaurants to Farmers Markets
Virginia Department of Agriculture Consumer Services (VDACS) is siccing the local health departments upon your local farmers markets to require permits and food sanitation inspections from any vendors selling food items or
Illinois Raw Milk Regulations Now Final
On January 13, the Illinois Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR) approved regulations governing raw milk production and sales; the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) spent over three years
Raw Milk Nation – Chart & Map Updates
The 2015 legislative session was a productive one with six different states enacting laws increasing raw milk access: Connecticut, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming. This latest update accounts for the changes the state legislatures
FTCLDF Member Bavuso Wins Virginia Right to Farm Case
In a major victory for Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund member Anthony Bavuso, a York County Poquoson Circuit Court Judge has ruled that the Virginia Right to Farm Act and a state zoning law prohibited York County from requiring Bavuso to obtain a special use permit in order to conduct oyster