Sold out farm stores, contraband deliveries, safety warnings: U.S. battle over raw milk intensifies | Milk

IAt 8 a.m., Redmond, an 11-year-old Brown Swiss dairy cow and designated heifer at Churchtown Dairy Farm, is being milked in her designated barn. She concentrates on munching on the hay. Her seventh calf floats nearby.

The milk produced by this herd is sold unpasteurized in half-gallon and quart glass bottles at the adjacent farm store, which sells out weekly. It became so popular that stores were forced to limit sales.

Redmond and her shiny bovine sisters, who spend the winter in a Shaker-style barn in upstate New York, seem oblivious to the cultural and political storms brewing around them. This is an issue that focuses people's minds far from the scent of farm mud and straw.

While some see the production and state distribution restrictions on raw milk as promoting health and others as a serious risk to raw milk, the complexities involved in what is called the “Woo-to-Q pipeline” It has become a political test. In line with yoga, wellness and new age spirituality Supporters can fall into the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. Department of Health is that champion. He has made unpasteurized milk part of his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, and recently tweeted that government restrictions on raw milk are part of a broader “war on public health.”

Republican and conspiracy theorist marjorie taylor green “Raw milk is good for the body” has been published. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states:Raw milk may contain dangerous bacteria Salmonella, etc. E Escherichia coliListeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, and other substances that cause food poisoning. ”

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave an order H5N1 in milk at a dairy processing facility comes amid concerns that the virus could become the next Covid-19 if it spreads through U.S. dairy herds and infects humans. (Bird influenza) testing will be expanded. Since March, more than 700 dairy herds across the United States have tested positive for avian influenza. mainly in california. However, the new testing strategy does not target farms that directly process and sell their own raw milk.

At the same time, another dairy product has become the subject of conspiracy theories after misinformation spread. Use of Bobal in cattle feed In England. Arla Foods, the Danish-Swedish company behind LuluPak, has announced it will trial an additive designed to reduce methane emissions in cows on 30 of its farms. Even though Bobal has been approved by regulators, some social media users have raised concerns about the safety of the additive and threatened a boycott.

In the United States, raw milk is seen as anti-government by those on the right and anti-business by those on the left, occupying a middle ground unmoved by either ideology as political lines become increasingly fractured.

“Food production has always been political,” says Abby Rockefeller, owner of Churchtown Dairy and land reclamation pioneer.

Churchtown manager Eric Vinson laments that raw milk is being lumped in with QAnon and the wellness community. “There's a widespread idea that people who want to take responsibility for their own health are starting to become conspiratorial,” he says. “That's unfortunate. Raw milk may be a political issue, but it's not a left-right issue.”

Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Alaska, Georgia and Wyoming have passed laws or changed rules since 2020 to allow on-farm and store sales. In New York state, sales at licensed farms are legal, but the supplies are smuggled into marked cities. “For dogs and cats.” There is no suggestion that Churchtown is involved in it.

The Amish community abandoned its apolitical stance and voted Republican in November's national election, partly due to the raw milk issue. Amish organic farm attacked It was announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in January.

Some health-conscious “farmers market moms” say they are turning to raw milk to boost their immunity and harbor latent anger at the government's pandemic response and mandatory vaccinations.

Rachel, a mother of a three-year-old in Manhattan who declined full anonymity because of the potential for social judgment, said: Corrupt medical system. ” But like many people, she said she felt “caught in the middle” of a political battle.

According to market research firm Nielsen IQ, sales of raw milk are up 21% to 65% compared to a year ago. Mark McAfee, California Raw Milk Advocate He is also the owner of Law Farm USA in Fresno, and says production and supply across the state is increasing by 50% annually. However, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call raw milk one of the “highest risk” foods people can consume. Experts say they are “horrified” by a trend they see as a throwback to pasteurization, invented in the 19th century by Louis Pasteur.

Vinson disagrees with the idea that raw milk is “inherently dangerous,” saying that because traditional dairies rely on pasteurization, “there is no need to worry about hygiene around milking operations. “There is no need to do anything, and we can cut corners.” “Raw milk production requires more care, but it also comes at a higher price,” he added.

Since the pandemic, the number of tourists visiting Churchtown has increased.

Earlier this month, McAfee's Raw Farm was damaged. notification The California Department of Health has warned that the H5 virus, known as avian influenza, has been detected in a batch of Cream Top whole raw milk.

It is still unclear whether the virus can be transmitted to people who consume infected milk. CDC officials warn The theory is that people who drink raw milk could also become infected.

Vinson is back at Churchtown Dairy, tending to the cows. A giant Jersey cow shadows a four-day-old calf. On weekends, we offer barn tours to visitors interested in raw milk. “One of my main jobs is to inform the public about agriculture and agricultural issues,” he says. It also includes embracing change. “It’s important to say we don’t know everything and to always be on the lookout.”