I have to admit, I went into the Groton Board of Health hearing last eveningits fifth session on a farmers request to eliminate a 60-year ordinance essentially banning raw milkwith less than overflowing optimism.
My concern stemmed from a posting by the boards chairman, Jason Weber, on a town list serve Sunday, where he stated: There’s no question it (raw milk) is riskier to drink than unpasteurized milk, as the CDC and FDA sites will attest. Whether there are any potentially compensating benefits is less clear.
My concerns deepened once the hearing began last evening, and the second of the three board members, Susan Horowitz, declared, I personally believe raw milk is a terrible idea.
With those less than hearty endorsements behind them, though, the Groton Board of Healths members took the pragmatic approach, and agreed in principle to accede to goat farmer Helene Cahens request to begin selling raw milk, under state auspices. In the end, the Board of Health decided to wipe its hands clean of the raw milk question by allowing its farmers to apply for state permits. (In Massachusetts, about half the towns have laws on the books dating from the 1950s that prohibit raw milk sales; state permits can only be issued to farms in towns that dont prohibit raw milk.)
I think we should do the state certification process whereby the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) issues permits and performs monthly inspections on the states raw milk producers, Horowitz concluded. I just dont want to see people be sick.
To which the chairman, Jason Weber, added, While I have some personal misgivings, I agree with Dr. Horowitz that it makes the most sense to have the state regulate raw milk.
The third board member, Robert Fleischer, seemed not to have the same misgivings as the other two: I am fine by the state program.
To which Weber stated, The consensus view of the board appears to be to allow this to go forward with minimal regulation. That was a huge statement, given that the Board of Health has been agonizing for more than four months about the request to overturn its long-held raw milk restrictions (which included having a town-appointed board of physicians oversee any raw milk production and sales).
The Board of Health seemed to be reacting to a steady rise in overall support for farmers in the prosperous rural town about an hour west of Boston to sell raw milk. Statements were read at the meeting from two local agricultural organizations in favor of raw milk.
An increasing number of people want raw milk, said a letter from the Groton Agriculture Commission, a town-appointed organization charged with encouraging agricultural interests. Removing our outdated ordinance is the best approach.
The Board of Health members indicated a willingness to begin the process of rescinding the old prohibitive ordinance, which could involve further hearings and a Town Meeting vote. In the meantime, they invited Helene Cahen and a second goat farmer, Cyndi Labbe, to each file for a varianceessentially, an exemption from the existing town ordinance, so they can seek state raw milk permits.
Why did it take the Groton Board of Health and its elected board so long to make a decision on loosening the towns raw milk restrictions? There definitely was an educational process that needed to occur. The towns members were initially uninformed about the controversy that swirls about in the U.S. on raw milk. Early on, the members appeared to have been informed mostly by what they read on the web sites of the U.S Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that raw milk is inherently unsafe.
It was only when proponents were able to clearly explain the other side of the issue at the fourth meeting two weeks ago, and communicate that many town residents agree with the notion that people should be able to make their own food choices, that the elected members of the board began to come around to the idea that raw milk isnt inherently dangerous.
As a result of all the fear mongering from opponents, though, the members felt weighed down by the potential enormity of their decision. As chairman Weber said at the end of the hearing: The raw milk (being sold in Groton) may be perfectly safe, though there are a variety of interpretations .But what happens if you sell milk to someone and they get sick, have their kidneys malfunction?
As Weber made his statement, the boom of Groton’s July 4 storm-delayed fireworks display could be heard a couple blocks away. They seemed an appropriate answer to his question about risk.
Sylvia, there is a lot to that. I was thinking as I was writing that this is just one small step in one small town in one small state–who cares? But the longer I am involved in this, the more convinced I become it’s going to take a lot of small steps in a lot of places, because food rights are going to have to be taken back at the local level, not in Washington.
I’ve butchered many chickens over the years and never had a need to spray anything on them, nor was anyone made ill from them.
http://www.foodwhistleblower.org/blog/30-2014/619-whistleblower-concerns-about-chemical-drenched-chicken-featured-tonight-on-dr-oz
Uh-huh. Raising concerns? To whom are they raising the concerns and why is there no follow-through? That’s the part of the story Tyson nor the USDA is willing to, or ever going to, tell. The USDA whispers when it should be absolutely screaming, yelling and kicking.
Once we get this idea in our head that we can control something such as a microbe its a slippery slope.
Ken
Ken, this from today’s Wall Street Journal on the future of medicine, and how our microbiomes will be individually customized and adjusted:
“In this new world of medicine, DNA sequencers also will likely be used to identify and analyze the trillions of microbes that live in and on each of our bodiesour “microbiomes.” Researchers already have uncovered some tantalizing clues about how microbiomes may affect individuals’ susceptibility to obesity, cardiovascular disease and other conditions, and are now hard at work formulating ideas about how to adjust microbiomes, potentially using individually designed probiotics, to improve health.”
Don’t our microbiomes come individually adjusted and formulated? Aren’t there things we should be doing to maintain what nature has given us? I don’t see any of that in this projection.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/francis-collins-says-medicine-in-the-future-will-be-tailored-to-your-genes-1404763139
Our last child Isaiah was born at home in a swimming pool filled with spring water from the farm well, (non chlorinated, no chemicals added).
Aldous Huxley sums up well why you dont see any of what you referred to in the projection,
“Modern man no longer regards Nature as in any sense divine and feels perfectly free to behave toward her as an overweening conqueror and tyrant.”
Ken
I watched a story recently at a local Pow-Wow about how Native American women dealt with childbirth, past and present. It was truly fascinating and they knew a lot more (or should I say they were more aware in many respects) than most people realize. They honored not only their bodies, but their surroundings, their Gods, their fire rituals, etc. Everything played a part in the birth of a baby for them, it wasn’t scheduled around someone’s tee-off time.
http://grist.org/food/the-15-things-i-underlined-in-dan-barbers-smart-new-book/
And this is interesting and scary too:
http://www.boston.com/business/news/2014/07/10/impotent-chickens-sending-poultry-prices/ZU3EWnV667oRbdzfljNTcM/story.html?rss_id=Top-GNBZ&google_editors_picks=true
Re this: “Don’t our microbiomes come individually adjusted and formulated? Aren’t there things we should be doing to maintain what nature has given us?”
Those little statements-in-the-form-of-questions are some of your most cogent writing.
The very rai·son d’ê·tre of our microbiomes, and even of all things in this grand universe, is individual adjustment and formulation. Of course scientists and businessmen receive neither money nor power nor accolades when those processes occur naturally.
Undoubtedly action will precede understanding in their quest to make their own adjustments. And if history repeats itself (as it always does) the guinea pigs will praise their masters all the way.
http://www.upworthy.com/genius-germans-invent-supermarket-so-radically-simple-you-dont-have-to-speak-german-to-get-it?c=tkp1
“an ecosystem of unimaginable proportion. Much like the vastness of the cosmos, ”
Enjoy:
http://www.helladelicious.com/our-food/2014/07/the-birth-of-a-biome/
In the 70s & 80s in Germany, you used your own bags and/or baskets when shopping. In the Stuttgart area, we lived in Neuhausen auf den Fildern, I carried a wicker basket to market every few days for groceries. The refrigerators over there were small and at that time, most shopped daily or every few days. Food was fresh. By the time we left in the mid 80s the big grocery stores in Munich seemed like they were becoming Americanized with all the processed over packaged stuff. You still brought your own bags. I preferred the small neighborhood stores, Metzgers and bakeries.
And as for Groton, MA —- all that really happened is the City passed the buck to the State.
D, the state does have in place a licensing and inspection program that has worked pretty well for 20 years now. The MA Dept of Agricultural Resources gave some buying clubs that deliver milk a hard time four years ago, and when raw milk supporters held a big demonstration in Boston Common, MDAR backed off (despite internal divisions among the protesters). So Groton was essentially beginning a process of doing away with its local restrictions on raw milk, so local producers could sell under state auspices. That is what the farmers wanted, so I’d say it was a win.
“community organizing 101. You need bodies. You need organizing.”
http://civileats.com/2014/07/11/faces-and-visions-of-the-food-movement-farmer-michael-foley/
“What needs to happen for the regulatory system to be more friendly to small food producers?
Im really discouraged with the legislative process at the state level and of course nationally. Its just broken, broken, broken.”
State authority is, no doubt, much better than the larger bureaucratic rule. However, once all the small towns and cities have given over their authority to the State, then the State would have no problem, with one edict, to shut the whole thing down whenever they decide to do so, or are told to do so by the bureaucrats. When cities give up the little bit of control they DO have, they lose and so do the citizens, eventually.
But, if it’s what the farmers wanted . . .
When the MDAR “backed off” after a big demonstration by the people four years ago, did they (MDAR) actually change the laws or did they simply back off for the time being?
D, generally I agree with you that small town rule is the way to go. It’s what lots of people wanted in Maine for Food Sovereignty. The situation in Groton was unusual, though–an old poorly conceived law on the books that would have made raw milk sales very difficult. Neither the town nor local farmers wanted to try to work under that. And existing MA law has been working reasonably well, and reassured town fathers that there was no need to hold onto the unworkable town law.
Now, after that 2010 demonstration in MA, governor got rid of MDAR head, as well as state public health head. Of course, he didn’t link it to raw milk flareup. Laws haven’t been changed….yet. There are ongoing efforts to liberalize raw milk availability, and also to legalize herdshares. So the state situation not perfect, but has moved in a positive direction.
Dave, it’s an unfortunate reality of our economic system that providing information on nature’s way doesn’t net health care providers with obvious financial gain. I think that’s why medical schools haven’t bothered to teach about food and nutrition. Gradually, though, as more people learn bits and pieces about the possibilities, the health care system is figuring out ways to charge us for information on how to use nature. I’ve seen examples of doctors hiring “nutritionists” to counsel patients on reducing obesity, for example….for extra fees. Or doctors and hospitals offering classes in meditation, to help reduce stress…for extra fees that are collected from insurance companies and patients. For many people, it just feels better to pay lots of $$$ to get info about ancient philosophies and techniques from “professionals.”
Back to reality… When healthy people and those things that make them healthy becomes the profit motive America will begin to heal. Kaiser had the right idea… They make money when patients don’t get sick! That is closer to the paradigm that will drive America to a better place. The current madness of profiting from illness is truly sick.
To quote a doctor on the CNN “escape fire ” documentary… They do not want you to die, they do not want you to get better….they just want you to keep coming back!!! That is our sick America.
Being high in Sierras was a great centering and orientation place for me. Nothing like skinny dipping in clear mt lakes with nobody but a few bears and a deer watching. Nothing like OPDC running perfectly with less than 2 coliforms all the while.
Just to follow up on this idea, I heard an NPR report this morning about a doctor who provides “prescriptions” for obese children to walk to school and play in parks, as a way to reduce weight. Nice wholesome approach, but I wondered….what have we come to when we need doctors to “prescribe” walking and playing to counter health issues….and is the doctor paid for those prescriptions?
You have to hand it to the medical profession, though, for marketing itself as the “official” purveyor of health advice….and to be taken seriously!
http://www.infowars.com/mother-jailed-kid-taken-by-social-services-after-playing-at-park-unsupervised/
Ken
Have a cow as Bart would say:
http://www.naturalnews.com/046055_natures_vaccines_allergies_dairy_farms.html
http://sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/news_and_events/news/News_Detail//children-on-dairy-farms-less-likely-to-develop-allergies.cid1227420