Here’s an excerpt from a fascinating and significant post by midlife farm wife Donna OShaughnessy, from Chatsworth, Illinois:
“….Which brings me to our issue with the company who buys our milk, or I should say, the issue our milk company is having with us .To recap, for the last 11 years we have shipped milk to company A. They pick up the milk every other day. On the off days we have several people who buy raw milk from us directly following Illinois State law. They come to our farm with their own containers , fill them and then drink the unpasturized, non-homoginized milk in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. Renegades, all of them. Recently milk company B made an uninvited visit to our farm suggesting we sign up with them as company A was planning to stop buying milk from dairies in our area.
The catch; company B tells us we must sign a statement saying we will not sell raw milk to private customers. Even though it is legal to do so in Illinois. Even though there is not a single proven case of raw milk related foodborne illness in Illinois, even though farmers have the right to sell products from their farm as a manner of making a living. Even though the conventional milk company pays us only 1/3 the price our private customers pay us.
We asked for a copy of this written contract over 10 days ago. We have not received it.
Today a representative from company A called to inform us the head office was now “aware” of our selling raw milk and they wanted us to stop. Company A has never in the past given us anything in writing telling us it was against their policy to buy milk from farmers who sell raw milk off the farm. In fact, Company A, who again we have been selling milk to for ELEVEN YEARS, has never asked us to sign anything related to raw milk sales. Nor have we ever hidden the fact that we sell raw milk since it is legal to do so.
The representative went on to tell us we should expect to receive a letter in the mail very soon which would give us 30 days to stop selling an important farm product that has been proven to be very healthy for both children and adults. A product that provides needed revenue for us. A product people want. A product that Illinois State Law says we may sell.
All of this begs the question “Why don’t you sell ALL of your milk direct to customers ?” We would like to, but our dilemma sits with Illinois State Law which states we can sell raw milk but we cannot advertise that we sell raw milk. What ?!?! Let me say that again. What ?!?! I can advertise my raw ground beef but not our raw milk ? ….”
The Bovine 
Gee willikers Batman, companies ‘A’ and ‘B’ couldn’t possibly be those wonderful fun loving ‘organic’ folks from Organic Valley and Horizon/Dean Foods respectively, now, could they?
Working hard for the family farm…….NOT.
Organic Valley and Horizon, they’re not what you think they are. Unless you think they are corporate slugs, then you’d be right.
Here is a potential problem solver; have your own milk man delivery service or hire someone who will be a milkman for you. Sell direct to the consumer. One milkman can on average have 100 customers per day. Multiply that by many trucks delivering milk, dairy, and other farm fresh foods. Now you have a very good customer base and you will be getting more than 1/3 the price as you get from the buyer you now speak about.
The Milkmen USA
Milkmen USA, your idea interest me, but how can they legally have a milkman? I believe it is illegal for them to transport the milk to the customer. How exactly would they use a milkman legally?
You can’t do it legally. You can’t do anything that is good and healthy, legally. So you have to get a real fast truck, drive like a maniac, meet in secret and risk getting infiltrated, shot at, arrested, jailed, tortured and all that fun stuff. Which isn’t healthy either, BTW. 🙂
Welcome to the NEW WORLD ORDER.
Kinda like the OLD WORLD ORDER, except with a big technological update, a vast improvement for the controllers, the ideologues, the eugenically-inspired ‘elite’.
Not so great, for the rest of us. Get used to it.
signed,
The Terminator
Exactly the response i expected, and well put! The article is about my parents farm so I was interested if you had some crazy idea (other than the obvious one). It’s such a struggle, but they cant risk breaking the laws. If only the gov’t would set milk quality standards to sell raw. But of course, whats in it for them.