Producers of Raw Milk in Vermont Welcome New Regulations
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VPR News reports that new changes in raw milk regulation—in particular a two-tiered system for smaller and larger producers—and new standards for refrigeration, could help popularize and legitimize raw-milk selling in Vermont. Though there will necessarily be a tradeoff in the retail price of the product, farmers say that what’s more important is ensuring the milk supply is healthy.
VPR’sSteve Zind reports.
(Zind)Raw milk makes up just a tiny part of the sales of Vermont dairy products. But advocates say with the growth of small scale agriculture it’simportant to make it easier for farmers to market and sell products like rawmilk directly to consumers.
(Osha) “So this is our milk room, ormilk house, whatever you want to call it.”
(Zind)Stewart Osha and his wife Margaret are a case in point. They milk three cows on their Turkey HillFarm in Randolph Center where they also produce everything from maple syrupto meat.
TheOshas milking parlor looks pristine. Nearby there’s a tidy little shop with a few gallons of raw milk in the refrigerator.
(Osha) “Wow! Somebody’s been here today! This was fullthis morning.”
(Zind)The new law establishes two tiers of raw milk producers. There are standards for farms selling lessthan 50 quarts a day and additional regulations for large producers selling upto a maximum of 40 gallons a day.
Theregulations are designed to assure the safety of the product because ofconcerns over bacteria that could pose a health risk in unpasteurized milk
TheOshas are a small producer. Still, they’ll have to make some changes. In the past they’ve sold their milk inunlabeled bottles. Now they’ll have to uselabels with the date the milk was produced, and a health warning.
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September 17th, 2009 at 6:38 am
[…] Producers of Raw Milk in Vermont Welcome New Regulations […]