Negotiations on June 14 with the Harris County, Texas District Attorney’s Office resulted in dropping all of the raw milk-related charges against the Houston-area courier. During the negotiations—conducted under the watchful gaze of some 50+ raw milk supporters who packed the
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
Casualties of the Raw Milk Ban
Humpback Dairy, the largest camel milk producer in the U.S., has stopped shipping raw milk for human consumption across state lines. In a January 6 letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Sam Hostetler, owner of
Wild Day in Michigan: A Court Victory and A Raid
FTCLDF member Joe Golimbieski got some good news Monday morning when his attorney Michelle Halley called to report that Judge James Jamo denied the request of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
State Control Over Private Property in Michigan
A troubling aspect of food regulation is how government agencies believe they can intrude into activity that is far removed from the stream of public commerce. A glaring example of this is now a matter of public record in
West Virginia Emergency Herdshare Rules
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Walt Helmick filed final emergency rules governing herdshare operations on August 26. The emergency regulations are in effect for 15 months at which point the state
Michigan Leaseholder Sues Over Seized Cream
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) wishes Mike Lobsinger would go away, but that’s not going to happen. Lobsinger, who has a herd lease agreement through which he obtains raw milk and raw cream, has sued
West Virginia Raw Milk: Making the Legal Illegal
What do you do if you oppose any raw milk distribution and your state legislature passes a law legalizing herd shares? If you are the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture and the West Virginia Department
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