Given the upset about the Manna Storehouse incident and other such infringements on our food rights, I had to savor my latest experience purchasing raw milk.
It had been a while since I placed an order for milk with Kathy in New Hampshire, what with being away in Europe and all, so when I called her Thursday to reserve a couple gallons for pickup yesterday, she had some bad news for me. Salina, the cow that normally produces my milk, has just become pregnant, and her production was declining. How would I feel if some of my milk came from Nora?
Salina? Nora? I hadn’t been aware of just which cow my milk was coming from, so I asked what the difference was.
Well, Salina is a full Guernsey, while Nora is three-fourths Guernsey and one-fourth Jersey. In Kathy’s estimation, Nora’s milk isn’t as high quality as Salina’s—it doesn’t last as long, and doesn’t have as high a beta carotene content.
I could definitely vouch for the shelf life of Salina’s milk. When I left for Europe, about a quart of her milk was still in my fridge. It was two weeks old. When I returned, almost three weeks later, it smelled only slightly. I decided to make kefir from it, and it came out great.
When I related this story to Kathy, she had an idea—why not take a gallon from Nora and a gallon from Salina, and use Nora’s milk first. Then I’d know Salina’s milk would last a couple or three weeks, with no difficulty.
I had one last question: How did Kathy know whose milk was whose? She explained that she directs each cow’s milk from the electric milker into a covered pail, so she can monitor production of each of her three milking cows.
Yesterday I picked up my milk from Kathy, and she had some good news for me. She had obtained more milk from Salina than she expected. So the milk in the jugs with the yellow caps were from Salina. The milk in the jugs with the white caps were half from Salina and half from Nora.
Talk about personalized service. I feel very fortunate to have a milk provider who is taking such good care of me.
***
One last recollection of my recent trip to Europe. I spent the last six days in Copenhagen, and found myself enchanted. A very pleasant city—one where everything seems to work and where there are very few signs of poverty, like people panhandling or sleeping on the streets. That in spite of crazy prices, like $5 for a cup of coffee, $10 for a veggie smoothie, $40 for one person at an Indian restaurant buffet.
One of the really amazing things about the place is how many people ride their bicycles to work and to get around. You go out on the downtown streets during the morning rush hour, and there’s a strange silence for a large city–there’s heavy traffic, yet almost no sounding of horns or quick acceleration of cars and trucks.
Accentuating the quiet are the hundreds and hundreds of people bicycling to work and school, in separate wide lanes between the sidewalks and the traffic, not competing with cars, and their opening doors, for space.
I’m talking about serious bicycling. November in Copenhagen isn’t the most pleasant time of year–it’s generally between 30 and 45 degrees, and most days there’s a cold raw wind and at least some rain. I tend to shy away from bicycling when it’s less than 65 degrees, yet men and women alike are out there in all the mess, bundled up and riding their upright urban bikes. A few are wearing helmets, but most are not. They are a part of the traffic patterns, stopping at lights and signaling turns.
There are even places where bicycles can be automatically borrowed and returned, much like airport luggage carts. And at many businesses, as well as at subway and train stations, you’ll see dozens and even hundreds of bicycles parked outside, some locked but many not (per the photo above). Theft seems not to be a problem.
It’s certainly a way to reduce energy consumption, but I was told by a few locals that the government promotes the bicycling via television as a way to counter obesity. Bicycling several miles each day through wind and rain will certainly toughen you up and keep the pounds off.
Complementing all this are the dozens of windmills planted in the ocean and harbor around the city, which provide on the order of 20% of the country’s energy needs. Inspiring stuff.
I learned on a previous trip to France that it’s available there mostly through farms. So my sense of Europe is that it’s not unlike the U.S. in that availability varies country to country…and the European Union isn’t any more supportive than our governments are.
http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2007/6/30/a-french-view-of-raw-milk-nothing-added-nothing-lost-everyth.html
David
DOUBLESPEAK??? I am having an increasing problem of understanding English these days, maybe its just a result of the aging process?
On another thread, I’ve heard the Europeans have put together powerful consumer opposition to GMOs being grown over there. But I wonder if there is any consumer-based voice over there in support of raw milk. The idea of vaccinating cows strikes me as questionable, knowing what I do about the misgivings many parents have about the standard vaccinations for children.
On the subject of your local farmer and the separating of milk from different cows, that’s certainly artisanal AND it gives excellent traceability if there ever was a problem.
This stealth FDA move ( customized for OPDC for sure ) has hit OPDC with a major blow to its national UPS sales and distribution markets. Starting in the next few weeks OPDC will not be shipping to any people that order raw colostrum products. The FDA lawsuit states that raw milk or products that contain raw milk ( ie raw colostrum ) now must all be pasteurized if traded or shipped in interstate commerce. OPDC will still ship to a sellect few customers that can legally show that the order is for a zoo use or pet food only. An Affidavid and notary is required under very strict FDA reviewed circumstances ( which is currently being negotiated with a cooperating FDA representative ). OPDC explained that the Bronx Zoo requires access to raw milk for endangered species. OPDC will also, petition the FDA to allow the sale of raw milk to Russion Cosmonauts that are not allowed by some of their doctors to drink pasteurized or processed milk.
The FTCLDF has decided not to take this case and fight the FDA. They have quite a few other cases to fight at this time. OPDC has decided to immediately surrender and settle so that we can fight the better and bigger battle and live another day. A settlement is currently being fashioned to settle the case. The FDA case was to "injoin OPDC from further interstate sales" and nothing else….so a loss is not that big of a deal anyway.
OPDC will also abandon its Nevada Reno and Las Vegas Wholefoods Markets that have been served for two years with raw colostrum. These markets have grown and will be abandoned becuase of stealth FDA rule making. Our deepest sympathy goes out to these abandoned customers and their children.
OPDC knows when it is time to fight and when it is time to get stronger. Our strategy is to build the California raw milk markets to a tipping point. At that time the rebellion will speak for itself and fire the FDA leadership outright and probably indict them for crimes against immunity.
In CA, raw milk demand is growing and enjoy the support of 400 retail stores and a population of 37 million with 40,000 weekly consumers. This is "raw milk territory" and this is where will live to fight another day.
Merry christmas….we have love, raw milk and health.
What else could we ever need or want.
Blessings to all,
Mark McAfee
The very lifes blood of a nation is the quality and quanity its food supply and the enduring undebased value of it currency. Both our food and wealth are under a full scale attack.
Churchhill once praised the RAF.
We can also say. Never have so many owed so much to so few our REAL FARMERS.
Thank you Mark amd all the other farmers struggling against this beast.
Gordon Watson will be in court today in BC Canada figthing for raw milk freedom you can read about it at The Bovine.
http://www.chroniclet.com/2008/12/09/state-investigates-lagrange-organic-food-business_122/
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State investigates LaGrange organic food business
Steve Fogarty | The Chronicle-Telegram
LAGRANGE An organic food business accused of selling meat products without a license is the subject of an investigation by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Lorain County Health Department.
The Manna Storehouse on state Route 303 could face charges of operating without a license, according to Lorain County Assistant Prosecutor Scott Serazin. The charge is a third-degree misdemeanor.
There have been no reports of anyone getting ill from consuming meat or other products sold by the business, Serazin said.
The fact that the business deals in organic food has no significance at all in the investigation, Serazin said.
This is just about getting a license. Its a question of, have they met the criteria required of everybody else in Lorain County who sells eggs and meat and other perishable items? If they have no regulations on them at all, the results can be very serious.
Serazin said the business owners, John and Jackie Stowers, maintained they were exempt from having to be licensed.
They blocked every effort to try to get information, including ordering two county health officials off their property prior to the Dec. 1 execution of a search warrant by Lorain County sheriffs deputies.
Sheriffs Capt. Rich Resendez denied online reports of a SWAT team being part of the search.
There was no SWAT team there. They had one uniformed patrol officer who wore a black-style uniform who is assigned to a warrants unit, but thats his daily uniform. There were no guns held to anybodys head.
Jackie Stowers said SWAT officers accompanied state agriculture officials to the familys home, but she declined to detail the episode, saying the family planned to issue a statement later this week following a meeting with the familys attorney.
We have not been given the complete facts yet, she said.
According to an account posted Dec. 5 at http://www.digitaljournal.com, SWAT police, armed (with) riot control weapons (and) packing automatic rifles stormed a family food cooperative in Ohio.
I saw that Digital Journal story, Resendez said. It was absurd. All we did was secure the residence and the Department of Agriculture did the rest.
Items confiscated as the result of the search warrant included 61 boxes of beef, lamb and turkey, and a number of cell phones, and computers that related to retail sales and had accounts on them for the Manna Storehouse, Serazin said.
Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.
According to the indoctrinated, government licensing and attendant control of private activities between fully informed, consenting adults, is not only allowed, but NECESSARY, and the government may employ violence to get the compliance they demand. Can we understand the implications of this?
Folks, we have slipped way, way down this slope. Every American should now carefully consider what we have done to the American ideal …that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
(And by the way, local officials’ statements made in response to claims of this being an armed raid, like All we did was secure the residence, and They had one uniformed patrol officer… are pregnant and revealing enough.)
I fear we are reaping the results of the DUMBING down of America via the public schools that have not taught what the Founding Father did or why but more important WHAT THEY WARNED AGAINST!!! Hence the lack of outrage?
"A NATION OF SHEEP WILL BEGET A GOVERNMENT OF WOLVES" EDWARD R MURROW
We as a country only respond to video and emotion. If it bleeds it leads…..As farmers we will be shot if we use guns ( like our forefathers did ). We must use video cameras to document these outrageous events and have the guts to stand up and speak truth to power and post these videos on the internet with our stories.
We can not be passive. we must know our rights and demand them. If an officer demands that you sit in on your couch for 8 hours that is not a lawful demand. You simply ask…am I free to go officer? if he says no then he has arrested you. If he says yes get up and leave. get a camera and return and start documenting.
If you are arrested demand to speak to an attorney. If you are arrested they must have cause and charges. False arrest is a crime against the cops.
If you are arrested you have rights. If you are held with out charges that is called kidnapping.
Mark McAfee
Google Public Servant Questionaire to read about the form and download the form if you like.
Great advice for the modern day raw milk dairyman…. yesterdays…. Rogers Rangers.
At OPDC, we now have a clip board with 20 copies of the Public Servants Questionaire.
They sit right next to our fully charged video camera.
Mark McAfee