Please note: If you are new to my blog you can catch up on the reasons for my raw milk passion and the struggles our own farm have experienced, by reading any of the previous posts on the topic I have written over the last 3 years . To do so, simply enter "Raw Milk" in the search bar under the picture of our house, on the right.
About this time last year a group of individuals got together to discuss raw milk in Illinois. The group at that time did not include any raw milk farmers or consumers. the very folk who produced and consumed the milk.
But details like that slid right by those in power as important details often do.
So this group, that did include government officials and representatives from the Big Milk companies, wrote down along list of rules about a subject few of them had any knowledge of. Many of them had never even tasted raw milk or been to a farm that specialized in its production.
But, somehow, someway, some one let it slip to a farmer who does produce and sell and consume raw milk that these meetings were taking place and that farmer used her high tech skills (phone calls) and rallied the troops.
Now, nearly a years after the Illinois Department of Public Health realized they had only policies about raw milk and no enforceable LAWS, we are still meeting and discussing and arguing and some days I will admit we are even learning.
But still, no final rules.
Which I am very happy about. If we the farmers and consumers had never gotten involved, never gotten angry, never gotten serious, never gotten HOARSE (from repeating our selves over and over and not being heard) we'd be following or in many cases, breaking, rules written by the uninformed...our state government.
Yet, we are not. And raw milk is being produced and sold and safely consumed by THOUSANDS in our state. Because of the fuss IDPH has made about the need for rules even though the CDC cannot support their fears with any legitimate illness reports, more and more people are educating themselves about this nutritious, wholesome, great tasting food.
Our own farm cannot keep up with the demand.
All the farmers in the Dairy Work Group cannot keep up with the demand.
All the dairy cows from one end of our state to the other, from the northern town of Winthrop Harbor to the most southern town of Cairo, cannot keep up with the demand.
So, Illinois Department of Public Health, I have to ask you. Why are you continuing down this road to attempt to limit raw milk sales when there is
No Need
No Desire
No Reason to do so.
Really, THIS is your priority ?
Next month the Dairy Work Group meets again. And if we have to meet again and again and again to get our point across, then we will. Just watch us.
Thats the trouble with governments. Sometimes it's just what we call "jobs for the boys". Keeps someone busy in a job when there is no real need for that job. With all thats going on in the world (or even just your country) you think they'd have bigger fish to fry!
ReplyDeleteThey will continue down that path because their Reason, Need and Desire is to CONTROL. Regardless of the facts, morality and utter disregard for taxpayer money and individual rights, they will continue. The State has a limitless amount of manpower & money (ours, of course) at their disposal and individuals do not. Once again, I applaude, admire and appreciate your willingness to bring to light the atrocities done by the IDPH, and hope that enough people will stand up for the rights of the individual to consume whatever they feel is best for them.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I got to meet you at the State 'hearing' in Bloomington, and I wish we had more people with the same fire as you do in their bellies; maybe if we had all been raised on raw milk we all would. Please please, keep ringing that bell, talking yourself hoarse, you are doing great work.
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