Raw Milk Gets Support in Oregon's Family Farm Bill

by Taylor Leake · 2011-03-03 07:32:00 UTC
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Oregon's House Bill 2222, dubbed the "Family Farm Act," is designed to tweak some state rules to make it easier for small scale and family farms to provide local, sustainable food to those who want it. The bill, written by Friends of Family Farmers, would allow small farms to slaughter up to 1,000 chickens for use as human food without state or federal inspection, expand the state limit for raw milk producers (currently three cows or nine goats), establish family farm representatives on the State Board of Agriculture, and more.

On the raw milk front, Oregon's Family Farm Act is part of a larger, national movement. There is legislation in Texas, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin focused on making it easier for consumers to get raw milk and raw milk products. Depending on the state, the legislation looks to ease local regulations or even outright legalize the sale of raw milk, which is extremely restricted in some states. It's good news for folks who want the choice to buy a less processed, local, dairy product.

Unfortunately, this movement also comes at a time when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering tightening restrictions on raw milk cheese. Right now, cheese made from raw milk must be aged at least 60 days, but the FDA says it may want to lengthen that time. The idea is that the lengthy aging process kills off harmful bacteria. If the FDA does lengthen the aging time for raw milk cheese, it would limit the kinds of cheeses that could be produced and add yet another restriction on an already restricted product — the kind of limitation that states like Oregon are trying to do away with.

You can help support family farmers and those who want to choose local, sustainable food from small farms. Stand up for decentralization of the food supply by supporting reasonable regulations that don't limit our food choices. Sign Friends of Family Farmers' petition telling Oregon State Representatives to should support the Family Farm Bill (HB 2222). The legislation would allow family-owned and small-scale farms to produce and sell more good food, and it's a huge step towards fixing our industrialized, factory farm food system.

Photo Credit: kthread via Flickr

Taylor Leake is a foodie and activist. He's previously worked for Food and Water Watch and Wake Up Walmart.

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