The farmer's voice

National Farmers Union endorses raw milk

A farmer says "Raw milk consumption is growing at a rate of 25% per year while conventional milk sales are falling relentlessly."

Washington, DC, March 20, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) announces that the National Farmers Union (NFU) has adopted new pro-raw milk policies at its 111th annual convention, held on March 2nd-5th in Springfield Massachusetts. The conference theme, Making Waves in Agriculture, reflected the new, progressive stance on raw milk.

The new policies were proposed by Mark McAfee, founder and CEO of Organic Pastures Dairy in California, on behalf of the delegates from California, and supported by delegates from Pennsylvania and the Northeastern states. Conference participants called for access to raw milk for all citizens and responsible production standards for raw milk producers. The new policies stipulate single source production for raw milk to assure that consumers know the source of the raw milk they purchase.

The policy states:

"We support: a) The production and sale of raw milk as it provides a viable market niche for dairies. Because of the possible risks of cross-contamination, we recommend that raw milk be bottled as the product of a single source and wherever possible at the physical location of that source. Single-source bottling will keep intact the chain of responsibility and greatly aid in tracking possible cases of contamination,

b) Policies, practices and standards for responsible raw milk production for dairy producers that choose to produce raw milk (or raw dairy products) for human consumption, and

c) Equal access to raw milk (and or raw dairy products) for human consumption for all consumers that choose to consume raw milk."

"Raw milk consumption is growing at a rate of 25 percent per year," said McAfee, "while conventional milk sales are falling relentlessly. Farmers want to meet the consumer demand and the new NFU policy will help them achieve the right to sell raw milk directly to consumers." McAfee's Organic Pastures Dairy is the largest producer of raw milk in the U.S.A.

McAfee was chosen by the California Dairy Campaign (CDC) as a delegate to the NFU conference. The falling profitability of conventional dairies is a chief concern of the 200 dairyman who are members of the CDC.

The NFU delegates also urged an end to the ban on the interstate distribution of raw milk. The Campaign for Real Milk, a project of The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), works for wider consumer access to raw milk because of its nutritional and therapeutic advantages. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, which promotes farm direct sales, also seeks to overturn the interstate transportation ban.

During their deliberations, convention delegates heard the science regarding unprocessed (raw) milk, university studies, consumer reports and testimonials; they discussed the success of the emerging raw milk market and the health benefits of unprocessed dairy products. Delegates from across the US voted on these policies, giving the green light for raw milk to take a place at the national table of farmer policies. See the entire 2013 NFU policy guide:

http://nfu.org/images/stories/policy/FINAL%202013%20policy.pdf

Established in 1902, the NFU is the one of the oldest national farmer organizations and employs a team of state and national lobbyists to encourage pro-farm legislation and policy.

T he Weston A. Price Foundation is a Washington, DC-based nutrition education 501(c)(3) with the mission of disseminating science-based information on diet and health. Named after Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, WAPF publishes a quarterly journal for its 15,000+ members, supports 572 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly international conference.