Raw milk riles the Midwest

The Midwest is the epicenter of the raw milk wars these days.

Wisconsin farmers are challenging the state’s ban on raw milk sales (and therefore Governor Doyle’s raw milk sale veto) in court.  It appears they’re using the “milk coop” argument – that consumers who purchase shares in a farm have a right to buy raw milk from that farm.  From the AP:

The case isn’t a direct challenge to Wisconsin’s ban on raw milk sales, but if Kay and Wayne Craig prevail, it would open up a loophole large enough to drive a herd of dairy cows through.

“Our entire system of licensing would be in jeopardy,” said Cheryl Daniels, the food safety division attorney with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

There are some examples in New York, especially in New York City, of “raw milk buying clubs” purchasing shares in a cow to bypass the state’s raw milk certification requirements.

Meanwhile in Minnesota, an E Coli outbreak traced to a rogue dairyman’s farm is prompting a crackdown on illegal raw milk sales in the state.  Read the fascinating “rebel history” of Michael Hartmann in the Star-Tribune.