Why milk sales have been declining?

They’re calling it “mutant milk”. These folks either don’t KNOW the difference between raw and pasteurized milk OR they don’t CARE. Always interesting to see what folks are saying about milk:

More on that forcible seizure of raw milk near Edmonton by agriculture ministry inspector backed by police

More details on that assault of a cow share agister near Edmonton by officials last week, via Michael Schmidt:

“October 26, 2010    Seizure of Milk Incident  This is a revised version posted Nov. 2, 2010:

Judith arrived at church around 6:30 p.m. to attend bible study.  Carl, a potential cow share buyer, approached the van as Judith was going around taking her 4 year old daughter, out of the van.  Carl had called earlier to purchase milk and was informed by Judith that she does not sell milk but people purchase cows or cow shares and that they milk the people’s cows for them. He was told that she would not do this without him signing a cow share contract so he was meeting her on the pretense that he was interested in a cow share.  While Carl was there three people walked up to the passenger’s slider door of the van.  Judith recognized Greg G. Smith, Investigator and Inspector, Agriculture and Rural Development and took action to close the van door. Greg G. Smith pushed against Judith and stepped in to block the door closing.  The men addressed Judith by name.  One person took Carl off to the side.  Greg introduced everyone to Judith and she asked for all their business cards (see attached for the cards produced). Judith was given two of Glenn’s business cards so the third person was not identified.

The black market for raw milk keeps growing in Canada — CTV Edmonton

Found this while looking to see if anyone else was reporting on the recent incident near Edmonton involving police and the wife of a raw milk agister. This is by Jennifer Tryon, CTV Food Specialist:

Image from CTV Edmonton website

‘A dark shadow is being cast over the food that gives us life. CTV News has uncovered a growing underground of illegal, unpasteurized milk.

“What we’re providing is milk at its purest,” says one raw milk farmer, who only agreed to be interviewed if his identity is concealed.

According to a government document, a quarter of a million Canadians drink unpasteurized milk. The farmer interviewed by CTV News says the demand is high. Some customers travel more than 200 kilometres to buy his illegal milk.

“I would say [customers] beg for the milk. It’s not even asking. They beg for the milk.”

Yard 2 skillet: bloody backyard chickens

Backyard chicken enthusiasts who are keen on experiencing the whole process have been signing up for a new kind of workshop. This excerpt is from an L. A. Times story titled “A Bloody Lesson for Backyard Chicken Enthusiasts“:

Instructor Jordan Dawdy, 33, helps Elizabeth Lameyer, 23, cut off a chicken's head at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture's "Yard to Skillet" workshop in Columbia, Mo. The town began allowing urban residents to raise chickens in February. (Eva Dou, For The L. A. Times / September 25, 2010)

Reporting from Columbia, Mo. —

Fluffy, white broiler chickens pecked around the backyard while a group of two dozen people — a set of knives laid out before them — eyed them warily.

Iowa agriculture secretary candidate Francis Thicke says he will work to legalize raw milk in the state of Iowa

Thanks to Augie at Journal of Natural Food and Healing for this update:

Iowa ag secretary candidate Francis Thicke (middle) with Susan, Rodney, and dairy cow. Pic via Augie's blog

“….Here is the quote he [Francis Thicke] sent me and four others in a personal note:

“Iowa has one of the most restrictive laws against raw milk in the nation.  No raw milk sales are allowed, even on the farm.   If I am elected, I intend to work with the legislature to try to get a bill passed to allow raw milk sales to consumers who come to a farm to buy the milk. If we could get that passed, it would be a big step forward.” Francis Thicke, Candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

First they came for the raw milk…

From Russ at the “Volatility” blog:

“I’ve never drank raw milk, but it’s my right to do so. Humanity has done so for tens of thousands of years. On a broader level, we have a human and constitutional right to grow and produce our own food and distribute it among ourselves as citizens. When you read the history books few things stand out as so emblematic of tyranny as feudal designations of all the produce of the land and the farmer as belonging to the king or the nobles.

Rawsome-style food clubs proliferate because of partner conflict and public demand in wake of recent police raid

You couldn’t buy publicity like Rawsome has been getting since the raid. Although mainstream coverage has been mostly limited to the L.A. Times, Time magazine, and The Colbert Report, the story has been all over the blogosphere.

Business as usual at Rawsome Foods private club in Los Angeles. Pic: The Complete Patient.

And in spite of armed invasion by those purporting to represent “government”, the people who heard the story were not dissuaded from wanting the food. In fact now that they learned that there was such a place, where food could be obtained outside the regulatory stranglehold, they wanted in on the action.

Agister’s wife assaulted by officials in Edmonton Alberta raw milk seizure?

Latest report from the [Canadian] wild west, via Gordon Watson:

Raw milk -- target of unlawful seizure by Alberta officials? Click image for source.

“I just got off the phone from conversation with an agister managing a herd with 2 cows, near Edmonton Alberta. He told me that yesterday afternoon (Oct 27 2010) his wife was pulled over while delivering raw milk to a member of the cowshare. An officer of the Edmonton police and an officer of some provincial ministry physically assaulted this lady, bruising and traumatizing her so badly that she went to the hospital, getting back home at 3 in the morning. All – in order to seize one gallon of raw milk out of her vehicle. That gallon being private property.

Rawsome raid conducted “by criminal elements of local, federal and state law enforcement”, says Mike Adams

Health Ranger Mike Adams of Natural News finally gives his considered critique of the raid on Rawsome Foods in Los Angeles, California:

Photo of Rawsome Foods sign in L.A. by Daniel Beaman via Flickr

“(NaturalNews) On June 30, 2010, a group of armed government agents from local, state, federal and even the Canadian government illegally trespassed on private property and raided Rawesome Foods, a private food buying club in Venice, California. With guns drawn, these agents tore through the property stealing computers, raw dairy products and honey, all while holding some of the volunteer workers hostage for several hours. When the agents finally left, they took with them thousands of dollars in private property as well as the surveillance footage of their armed rampage.

Missouri Milk Board uber alles

The latest developments in the Morningland Dairy scandal, as documented by Doreen Hannes, via Kimberly Hartke’s blog:

Pic via allthingscheese.com

“©Doreen Hannes — Those following the saga of Morningland Dairy should be aware that this past week has been a relentless roller coaster ride. On the upside of the roller coaster, many have donated to the Uncheese Party to help the family farmstead business in this battle, and Joe and Denise Dixon, owners of Morningland Dairy, are humbled and grateful for the generosity and dedication those committed to preserving access to real food have shown.

On the downside, the FDA sent a rather nasty toned letter asserting that they consider Morningland cheese “to pose an acute, life-threatening hazard to health.” While not a single report or complaint of illness has been reported in the 30 year history of Morningland, the FDA states in their letter that “because of the seriousness of this situation” Morningland “should conduct inspections for 100% effectiveness at their accounts”. You could accurately translate that to “more downtime, more money out of pocket, less likelihood of recovery,” and you’d be right.