Legalize the selling of Raw Milk....

[hamburgman]

Agreed you can still die from USDA inspected meat, seems to be recalls when that happens.  How many people have died from pasteurized milk in the last year?

 

[pop]

Hey Crystal Cattle I never intended to be bashing family farms, for the most part I feel that the farms do a great job, especially the smaller family farms. I sometimes wonder about the larger factory farms, as well as the minimum wage milk plant workers. I just get sick and tired of all of these do righters telling us that we do not have enough sense to take care of ourselves. We all know that we need to make sure that our cows and goats are healthy, test for brucellosis, TB and even Johne's and whatever else you feel that you should. I just wish that we did not have so many people watching over our well being. All of our ancestors made it pretty well fending for themselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

[creativecattle]

Hey Crystal Cattle I never intended to be bashing family farms, for the most part I feel that the farms do a great job, especially the smaller family farms. I sometimes wonder about the larger factory farms, as well as the minimum wage milk plant workers. I just get sick and tired of all of these do righters telling us that we do not have enough sense to take care of ourselves. We all know that we need to make sure that our cows and goats are healthy, test for brucellosis, TB and even Johne's and whatever else you feel that you should. I just wish that we did not have so many people watching over our well being. All of our ancestors made it pretty well fending for themselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Great point. I think that it should be up to individuals to decide what is best of their family and themselves - as long as it doesn't cause harm to the others around them.

I guess I just don't know who these factory farms are? It really disheartens me to hear people in agriculture using this term. This was a term that animal rights groups like HSUS and PETA developed to put negative images in the consumers minds. Do you really believe that there are the so called "factory farms" out there?

 

[nate53]

I guess I just don't know who these factory farms are? It really disheartens me to hear people in agriculture using this term.  This was a term that animal rights groups like HSUS and PETA developed to put negative images in the consumers minds.  Do you really believe that there are the so called "factory farms" out there?

The vast majority of these so called factory farms are actually family farms, HSUS doesn't want people to know that but it is the case.  HSUS does not want animal production period (no cattle, no hogs, no dogs, no etc...., they use emotion and the public's lack of knowlege of the subject to bring this no animal production closer to reality.  They are a huge outfit, lots bigger than peta, a lot of people donate money to this organization thinking that they are connected to their local animal shelter but they are not.  Something like 2 percent of their massive budget goes to help animals, most goes for advertising, lobbying, and lawsuits.   Hog confinements, big dairies, chicken - turkey barns, feedlots, are a few that would be considered factory farming.  HSUS has cast a negative image on these type of operations, they are the family farms of yesterday and today that have gotten bigger and more effecient so they can survive.  I will comment on hog confinements because that is what I know most about, they are a lot more effecient than hogs back in the day on dirt, the hogs are on concrete they have access to feed and water 24-7, inside out of the weather, the newer barns are controlled by a computer which turns fans and heaters on and off based on a desired room temp., the manure drops into a pit below and is pumped out as fetilizer for corn mainly.  We have raised hogs on dirt and in confinemnt, IMO as far as the animals and enviroment (zero runoff) is concerned the confinement is lots better.  The one thing I would like to see change is to have a good reliable, affordable option for odor control.  Some people say its just country living but there have been plenty of lawsuits from people that are down right offended by it, although some people won't ever be happy.  We would be considered one of these factory farms, we have beef cattle (not confined), we contract wean to finish pigs, and are a row crop operation.  It also disheartens me to hear people in agriculture using this (factory farm) term.  HSUS is not going away they are making progress towards their goal of no animal production, people in the ag world need to get informed and let the non ag people know how these operations operate instead of them seeing some negative image on the news or a commercial.  There are bad apples in every sector but these are the exception not the rule.  Most of these operations care very much about their animals and the publics perception of their operation but they are not organized and not nearly as well funded.

 

[knabe]

why not outlaw this?

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/fox-reporter-gives-update-covered-in-sea-foam-20110827

probably much more dangerous, both from the flooding and the toxicity.

what a joke.  stop dissent.  vote democratic.

 

[nate53]

http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Lifestyle/Cambodian-baby-suckles-milk-straight-from-cow.aspx?cp-documentid=30582945

 

[knabe]

he's got her milked down real good.

 

[knabe]

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-20/farmer-acquitted-in-minn-dot-raw-milk-trial

Schlangen, 54, said he was prepared for the decision to go either way "just because the system doesn't let the jury realize they have the power to disregard a stupid law."

 

[J2F]

Should you have the right to consume raw milk (food) in this country? Yes and you do just can't pay cash money for it.
Now that being said when you chose to do this or as a farmer you choose to barter or sell this off your farm both parties have to deal with any consequences on their own. Don't ask for money from the government (my money) for doctors or lawyers cause your sick or getting sued  and going to loose the farm. Everyone wants to be in a free country and do what they want until their decisions go bad and then they have their hand out looking for (expecting) help. Now most people on this board are intelligent and can take care of themselves but if you were to offer raw milk to the masses then watch out, another trillion in debt and lawyers and judges getting rich by leaps and bounds. I am all for more freedoms and less regulation in all aspects of life in this country but to go with that personal responsibility is less government assistance and stiffer penalty's for bad decisions. You can't have one without the other.