Markets have always been a driving force in our economy, has it not? So why are the various government bureaucracies doing their best to shut down businesses that came about because a need developed that these small businesses are working to fill. What might that be you ask? Good question. The need is simply families and individuals who want healthier food for themselves and their families and in this particular case, raw milk.
I received a blog today that really upset me. I had been thinking about writing a blog on this subject for a couple of days. This solidified the urge.
So why was I wanting to write the blog? Because a local farmer I buy free range meats, chicken and eggs from was arrested in early August on charges related to raw goat milk. The farm hasn’t had goats or goat milk for over a year due to the government harassment. This Santa Paula farm, Healthy Family Farms, is run by Sharon Palmer, a single mother of 3 children. She and her children, besides working and living on the farm, also eat what they grow and harvest.
These farmers who have goat herds are so conscious of safety and health issues. As this blog by Kimberly Hartke, California Moves To Take Away Citizens Right to Board Cows, Goats points out so beautifully how the farmers take great pains to ensure quality and safety. One batch of tainted milk would close them down. What better incentive is there to ensure that what you produce is the healthiest product available? Yet they are being targeted and their livelihood is in jeapordy.
The fact that these types of businesses are being singled out absolutely infuriates me. Our country was built on these types of businesses. We have a right to buy what we want to consume in the way of healthy natural unprocessed products. The milk has been so processed that it doesn’t taste like milk anymore. I stopped consuming it. I remember what milk tastes like, real milk. I remember milk with real cream floating at the top of the bottles and how we’d race to be the one who got that lovely little gem first! Some time ago I bought a glass bottle of government approved organic milk that was supposed to have that cream top. You could see it. Well, I don’t know how they did it but they managed through all the processing to take every bit of wholesome good flavor right out of it!
Happy Healthy Free Range Chickens
Yet I wonder what is next? What about the farmers who sell truly free range chicken eggs, chickens or beef or lamb or pork? Will they be next on the take down list?
We need to let our state and federal lawmakers know that we want the right to buy what we wish to consume from farmers that are willing to do the hard work of creating healthy, organic and in some cases, raw products. We must let our voices be heard! Help where you can.
There is a film called Farmegeddon. Sharon from Healthy Family Farms is one of the farmers interviewed and filmed in the movie. Find a screening near you and watch it! Be informed!
Do you remember how real unprocessed milk tastes? Do you remember cows or goats that grazed on grass? Did you ever visit a farm and had milk from a cold vat soon after the cows had been milked? Do you remember milk delivered to your porch?
I do remember milk being delivered! (We were actually reminiscing about this on a page for my high school class.) I don’t drink milk any more, so I don’t have taste comparisons to make. Nor do I know much about the raw milk issue–is it being controlled because of safety issues? What are the safety issues with raw milk?
I would hate to see regulation kill the small farmers, especially those who support sustainable and humane farming. Ironically, many of the threats to people from food come from the large markets–the recalls of tainted beef seem to affect the huge processors.
Judy Stone-Goldman
The Reflective Writer
http://www.thereflectivewriter.com/blog/
Personal-Professional Balance Through Writing
Yes, I agree as to where the threats to our food comes from. The government agencies say it is a health issue. The thing is that the small farmer who raise grass fed animals either goats or cattle don’t have sickly animals. They test their raw milk and find 0% harmful items. Imagine what would happen to their business if one person got sick from their raw milk. How many of us were raised on raw milk? And initially there was no problem with raw milk until the big processing farms started taking over.
So they say it’s a health issue. Many believe it’s big dairy who wants to shut down the little guy because it hurts there business. One couple are madly looking for a supply of raw milk now that their herdshare goat farm is threatened with being shut down. Their daughter has been on raw goat milk since she was 2 weeks old. She still needs the milk at 16 months old. It’s just not right. I only recourse could be having a chicken, a goat, a cow in our own backyards! Won’t the cities love that! Or we may all have to move out of the cities!
Thanks for filling me in. As I said, this has been off my radar, but I am a big supporter of natural foods, sustainable farming, etc. As far as I’m concerned, anything from a grass-fed animal is going to be better (people don’t remember what milk used to taste like, and I can say the same about beef). The state of big farming in this country is hard to really examine because it is so scary…
I agree about it being scary. I saw a news investigation that made me ill. They showed how the big processing plants can take scraps of cheaper cuts of meat and glue them together and then sell them as the higher priced steaks like filet or rib eyes. I believe this “glue” also affects the tenderness. It causes the meat to bind together so you don’t see the joinings. They brought in a professional chef and cooked two pieces of steak, one glued and one a prime steak. The chef couldn’t tell the difference. And you get to eat that lovely glue and pay a higher price for it!
Now is our health a top priority there?
I want the better tasting small farmer meat.
I remember the milk man well. We had a chute in our kitchen and it was delivered cold and fresh. Although I do not drink real milk anymore – I drink soy milk, my kids do and they often comment how milk from one store tastes to different from another. It makes me very upset that farmers are being squeezed out of our economy. Fresh food is the exception and processed junk is all over the place. Farmers markets are my favorite place to shop and I hope they continue to thrive. We only buy free range meats – they cost more, but are worth it. I share your frustration and anger!
I don’t drink milk anymore either. But I have had the raw goat milk a few years ago and was amazed at the sweetness of fresh raw goat milk. But I would definitely drink a glass of raw cow’s milk if I could now and then. I too only shop farmer’s markets and buy my free range meats there. My favorite supplier is not doing the beef, lamb or pork right now because of the lawsuit! Why do they make it so difficult for small businesses to do business? Okay, taking a deep breath! Need to return to calmness. This makes me crazy!
Yes, Julianne, I do remember milk being delivered to our porch when I was a kid, as well as eggs, butter and cottage cheese! I really do miss the Milk Man! My husband, too, remembers milk with the cream on top, and he misses it too. As I am becoming more and more passionate about the quality of the food we put in our bodies, for me and my family, too, I also feel frustration and find it hard to believe how our government is working so hard to take away the rights of the independent farmers and their customers. What is that all about except Money? Pretty sad, but you are right that we need to make sure our elected officials hear our anger with this and our demands to be free to make our own choices about the food we eat. I am anxious to hear what happens with this goat farmer’s case. Please share whatever you learn about we can support him and express our outrage.
Thank you, Donna! We just stay informed and do what we can. And that means to tell others and keep them aware of what is being done. So tell your sister and your friends as well. If we all join forces, we can prevail!
This is sad that the our government has to have their noses into everyones business…I’m actually rather sickened by this as well. Since I am trying to detox from the toxins from years of eating conventional foods. I am trying very hard to eat healthier and spend the money to buy organic and higher quality foods, if that is taken away from Americans, will we be America.
I know this is all about BIG business, but I think we need to stop for a moment to really think about the consuquences of all this. Is the governement really trying to kill the human race? In my mind they are. Just like the government telling us we have to use CFL lightbulb and can no longer use incandscent..where CFl lightbulbs are actually emitting neurotoxins.
Julianne, WE do have the right to choose what kinds of foods to eat or not eat. We are Americans, we have freedoms to choose..don’t we?
boy, I wish I could say unequivocally yes to that question, Wendee. But I am wondering the same thing. I agree with a lot of what you say. I’ve even read articles where others say that big money does want to destroy us or make us slaves to them. I want to believe in a world that is kind, fair and equal. I want the utopian world. So I’m going to continue thinking of what I want and resist or speak against those that get in the way of a loving, kind, gentle world with peace and prosperity for every single one of us.
Oh Julieanne, how I despair for the loss of our food rights and good, REAL food. The blog you reference is about “my” goat farmers – the ones in my neighborhood – there is a San Francisco Chronicle article as well and they have a YouTube video up now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-aJccUz9NU We can’t buy raw almonds any more, we can’t get raw goat milk, foods are GMO w/o labeling (hope that changes soon in CA), irradiated fruits – I’m waiting for someone to knock on my door and insist that I use pesticides in my backyard garden.
Oh, and I tweet about this with #herdshare and #rawmilk
GReat to know. I’ll add #herdshares and #rawmilk to my tweets! Thanks! So your goat farmers are the Hulmes? There is a growing organized group across the nation dedicated to helping these farmers stay in business. If you want some links, I’ll send them to you if you don’t already have them.
I remember drinking milk that was still warm on a farm! I remember our milk bottles being on our doorstep every morning. It seems the bigger the movement back to real, natural, unprocessed food the more is taken away from us. This is all very sad and I hate to think what my children will be left with!
Louise Edington
Breaking Through Online Frontiers
http://louiseedington.com
YOu bring up a good point. My grandkids have never tasted really good milk. Well, maybe two of them have. My grandson has had buffalo milk in India and he says it puts our milk to shame. His sister may have gotten some in Poland becuase she talked about how great the cheese tasted in Poland. I’ll have to ask her about the milk there!
I certainly love fresh organic produce and I remember the fresh milk with cream being delivered to our door. In fact when I first came to the States, I used to shake the milk to mix in the cream, not realizing there was none. I dont drink milk, but I do buy organic, natural dairy products whenever I can. I believe that the government trying to harass farmers is a good sign (not that I believe they should be doing it) but that it means they realize what a threat real milk and real farmers are to the corporate farm culture. Awareness is even more important, to increase the demand for the real deal. I believe that to change the world we live in, we need to change the way we respond. To move the conversation out of the negative and into the positive. What can we do that will spread hope and deliver more fresh milk, get support behind these farmers?
Get ordinary people to buy organic? What can I do? I love your passion Julieanne!
Jennifer Duchene
The Home Makeover Mixtress blending lifestyle, laughter and Chic Cocoons™
http://LYShome.com
Jennifer, thanks for your thoughtful post. I think the best way is to get as many people informed on what is going on. Share the blog with others you know and tweet it. There are more and more people buying from farmer’s markets or directly from the farmers and avoiding grocery stores. The more we support local farmers, the better it is for them and us. That way we still get nutritious products to keep ourselves healthy!
Makes me mad to read about this kind of harassment. I love the image of cream floating on top of the bottle, though I don’t have a sense memory of the taste, since I have an allergy to milk so barely drank it when I was a kid. Your post did bring back a happy memory of visiting cows when I was very little and tasting the warm milk immediately after watching the cow be milked. Although I don’t remember the quick little taste I had, I do remember a sense of magic and pleasure.
Thanks for you comments, Vicki. It would be nice if our kids and grandkids had that opportunity as @LouiseEdington:disqus pointed out in her comments. So few kids truly know where our food comes from except you drive up to a window and order it. I watched Jaime Oliver quiz kids on where food came from and it’s astonishing how little they know.
I dont have a memory of these things accept for I had a family friend that did deliver milk to peoples front door. What I do know is that this countries economy was built on the back of small businesses who employed far more overall than the large Corps. That is what is being dissolved in our country unfortunately the small MOM and POP brick and mortar run out of Biz from the big Guys. Dont get me wrong I do like the Walmart prices but I would have no problem paying a little more for friendly service and just a good feeling that I am loyal to that business because I like their products and them as a person. The influence the large Corporations have over our Govt. is SAD and its Sad that Money buys Govt. policy not sure how to change this accept to turn it over to Spirit and continue to Vote for those who I feel align with my Beliefs.
Thank you for bringing this subject to the surface for me.
Kirk Zacharda
“Being Fit Mind-Body-Spirit”
Well, I for one avoid Walmart. Walmart takes every dime it gets in any community and takes it out of that community and they purchase way too much from China. I’d be very careful buying food from them! Farmers Markets are a better bet! Please let others know about these farmers plights so they can get the support of as many people as possible. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Julianne This is awful! What area or city did this happen in?
I would love to have a local source to buy organic fresh chicken from here in the South Bay. I’m sorry for your friends.
Debbie
Hi, Debbie, The farmer arraigned occurred in Santa Paula. The herdshares farms are in Northern California near San Jose. But if California halts all herdshares this will affect all small farmers throughout the state. It’s very disturbing. That’s why I ask everyone to please share the blog post so others can be informed and if we join forces our voices will be heard. Thanks so much for your concern!
Well said Julianne! Thanks for supporting us and posting this.