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
State Raw Milk Bills – 2017 Update
Forty-two states currently allow access to raw milk through statute, regulation, or policy. In the 2017 session, legislators have introduced raw milk bills in several states where any raw milk sales or distribution is illegal; in addition, a number of other states have introduced legislation that would
HB 2030 – Support Virginia Food Choice, Family Farms & Local Artisans
Virginia House Bill 2030 would allow the face-to-face sale of food products at farmers markets or through farm-based and home-based sales directly to consumers as long as the producer
State Raw Milk Bills – 2016 Update
In the 2015 legislative session, six states passed legislation increasing raw milk access. While it doesn’t look like this year’s session will be as productive, there are several states that have a good chance of
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
Symbria and Sara Patterson Win FTCLDF Activism Award
Falls Church, VA—January 6, 2016—The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is proud to announce that Utah farmers Symbria and Sara Patterson are the winners of the first annual Gravel Road Gang Activism Scholarship, an award recognizing
PRESS RELEASE: U.S. Representatives Massie and Pingree Reintroduce Milk Freedom Legislation
Washington, D.C.—September 18, 2015—U.S. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and a bipartisan coalition of 16 other lawmakers have reintroduced legislation to improve consumer food choices and to protect local farmers from federal
Food Rights Updates: CT Raw Milk, ME Food Sovereignty & FDA Oversight in TX
Connecticut Herdshare Bill Now Law: Connecticut became the sixth state to pass legislation increasing access to raw milk in 2015 when Governor Dannel Malloy signed Senate Bill 360 (SB 360) into law on June 23rd. The bill legalizes the “transfer or exchange of raw milk between persons…
State Raw Milk Legislation Recap
This year has been a productive session for legislation increasing access to raw milk. While there is still resistance to raw milk legislation, opposition has declined overall around the country. With deaths being attributed to the consumption of cheese and ice cream made with
Triumph Tempered by Loss – Utah HB 104 Signed into Law but Proponent Passes Away
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—(March 26, 2015)—Tuesday was a day of both excitement and tragedy for the Patterson family, owners and operators of Red Acre Farms CSA in Southern Utah. Symbria and Sara, a mother and daughter team have been working hard for months for the passage of a bill that would allow Utah residents to operate or participate in “herd share” programs in