It is amazingly twisted thinking to take a natural product, define it as dangerous, and therefore make it illegal. This is what just happened with raw milk in California. By lowering the coliform count in raw milk to below what naturally occurs, below what is considered safe, below what is natural, they have effectively outlawed the natural good product of raw milk.
In the nearly five years I’ve been a raw milk consumer I’ve learned a lot that has only reinforced my understanding of bacteria and contamination and health and wellness. And the fear driven craziness to wipe out all bacteria to avoid all possible dirt and contamination is an integral part of the problem. Whay are we more concerned about dirt than estrogenic byproducts of plastic? Why is antibiotic soap so popular and good – to the point that antibiotic chickens and cows also seem like a good wise thing to consume?
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Our fears are so misplaced, our knowledge still based on purity and cleanliness – which is an fundamentally unnatural and it turns out unhealthy state. We need the good bacteria in our gut to take up the space where the truly bad bacteria would otherwise grow. Just like we need that in our kitchens and cutting boards and sinks — if you wipe out 99% of the good bacteria, how virulent and nasty and difficult to wipe out is that 1% that is left?
Raw Milk in all its many forms – plain, yogurt, cheese, butter, kefir, sour cream, and more, is such a fabulous natural way to nourish the body, provide defense against the very illnesses we are accused of transporting, and providing great nourishment and healthy ingredients at the same time. We’re also supporting local food, sustainable farming, small farmers, and a creative economy.
i know in my gut (pun intended — and I mean this literally) that raw milk is different and contains active live principles that are different and better than pasteurized milk. Because I can’t drink heat treated milk without getting sick. I can drink all the raw milk I want and just feel calmer and happier.
I have researched and accept the small level of risk involved. I know my farmer. I know my cows! I’ve stroked their backs, I’ve gazed into their eyes. What they produce is real, safe, and natural. And has become essential for my health and wellness.
It is a slippery scary slope that California would seek to redefine and outlaw a wholesome natural product that has been used and enjoyed by generations of humans – that has been an essential part of our diet and that we have finally learned to return to.
Not only will I fight to make sure that raw milk is a choice informed consumers can make, but also that this attack on what is real and what is natural will be challenged on every front. This is an attack on the natural foods movement under the guise of safety.
Just like California almonds are now treated with a carcinogenic substance to make them “pasteurized” and safe, now milk will be rendered less healthy to protect us from a danger that doesn’t exist. It is fundamental misunderstanding of health and protection that allows this, but in the end it has to be the threat of loss of sales and the direct farm to consumer commerce that is the root of the trouble.
If it is accpted in California, it can be used as a standard elsewhere. For information on actions to take, click here.
