The day after my rant about ideology comes a refreshing report from Pennsylvania that actually suggests a pragmatic approach to the matter of raw milk. The Philadelphia Inquirer has a major article today with the heading, "Sales of Raw Milk Growing in PA". (The link will only be good for a few days without charge, the paper advises.)
What I found especially interesting, aside from evidence that demand for raw milk is growing quickly, is that state agriculturr officials appear to view the raw milk phenomenon as a way for the state’s small dairies to gain badly needed market support and a competitive edge over dairies in neighboring New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio, which prohibit raw-milk sales. The state grants permits to farms to sell raw milk or cheese, and the number of permits has nearly tripled from about 20 in 2003 to 57 now.
Consider these three sentences from the article: "By allowing raw-milk sales, Pennsylvania is bucking the federal Food and Drug Administration, which calls raw milk ‘inherently dangerous.’ Pennsylvania officials, however, believe raw milk is safe if regulated. The also see its financial benefit to farmers, who sell raw milk to consumers for $4.50 or more a gallon at a time when they are getting little more than $1 from dairy processors."
I wish I could report this is the beginning of a major turnaround on this emotional topic, but I suspect that for now it is an isolated exception to the rule of struggle that dominates.
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