Here is one more dirty little milk secret the CDC would rather you didn’t know…

Big Dairyland

A “public health” charade is making headlines in Wisconsin.

At the center of the controversy is public enemy #1: Vernon Hershberger. Vernon’s a 41-year-old dairy farmer and a father of 10. Sounds dangerous, right?

Oh… you can’t imagine. He’s been selling raw, unpasteurized milk. And finally, the law has caught up with him for perpetrating this horrible crime.

But before we lock him up and throw away the milking stool, there are a few critical points.

None of Hershberger’s customers got sick. No customers ever complained. And he didn’t dupe anyone into buying milk they thought was pasteurized.

In fact, Hershberger doesn’t even have customers. He has private partners. They lease cows that he takes care of on his farm. He gives his partners raw milk from the cows they lease. This is completely legal. But that doesn’t stop authorities from flexing their muscle.

When agents from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture visited Hershberger’s farm, they found raw milk stored in tanks. This is the loophole they used to declare the milk “misbranded.” And that’s all it took to set criminal charges in motion.

In this twisted sham of “justice,” Hershberger faces a huge fine and more than a year in jail.

But here’s what the CDC, and Big Dairy interests, and everyone else involved in this case knows… Hershberger should be encouraged to produce milk the way he does. He’s practically a dairy hero.

Hit by lightning

Yesterday I told you the best thing you can do for a child about to take a sip of milk. stop her. Immediately! Because every glass of pasteurized milk is a disaster waiting to happen. (You can read about it here if you missed it.)

The CDC says you’re risking your health by drinking unpasteurized raw milk. What they really mean is this… If you could drink it raw from a factory farm, you really would be at terrible risk. Pasteurization is mandatory on these farms because health conditions are deplorable.

In a rational world, the CDC and your state and local governments wouldn’t care about raw milk production. In fact, they would encourage it. Without the “insurance” of pasteurization to fall back on, small dairies have to work hard to keep their milk clean and safe.

It’s just one more dirty little milk secret the CDC would rather you didn’t know…

Compared to factory farms, health concerns are almost nonexistent on farms that produce raw milk.

Every year in the U.S., food borne illness causes thousands of deaths. But from 1998 through 2011, the CDC linked fewer than 150 illnesses to raw milk.

So your chance of getting sick from raw milk is about the same as your chance of winning the lottery. And getting hit by lightning. On the same day.

In addition, raw milk is significantly more nutritious than pasteurized. None of the nutrients, enzymes, or amino acids are stripped away in processing. Essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals (such as calcium) are far more abundant in the raw product.

The only real “problem” with raw milk is the threat to Big Dairy profits.

That’s why these powerful milk industry lobbyists promote the absurd fairy tale that raw milk — consumed by millions of humans for thousands of years (and even in the Bible!) — is bad for you.

How would the Hershberger situation play out in your state? Is raw milk legal? Or does your local government tell you and your fellow citizens that you’re not allowed outside the boundaries drawn by Big Dairy? You know… for your own good.

At this link, you’ll find a map that shows which states allow raw milk sales, which states outlaw it, and which states have loopholes that farmers and consumers can use to work around the laws.

Just don’t call it “milk.”

Sources:
“Wisconsin Farmer to Stand Trial for Selling Raw Milk” Sarah Begley, The Daily Beast, 5/12/13, thedailybeast.com