New Wisconsin law allows direct sales of raw milk

A new law in Wisconsin would push the state into the sale of raw milk. Advocates hope the law will encourage other states to legalize raw milk sales, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. "It's the best state this could have happened in for us," Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Washington-based Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit group that advocates drinking raw milk, told reporter Scott Bauer.

Pete Kennedy, a lawyer with the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, which is affiliated with the foundation, told Bauer bills in four of the six states considering expanding raw milk sales died this year. South Dakota joined Wisconsin as states allowing sales after it liberalized its regulations to allow sales at farmers' markets, Bauer reports. If Gov. Jim Doyle signs the bill into law as expected, Wisconsin will become the 20th state to allow direct sales of raw milk from dairy farmers to individuals. Nine other states allow retail sales.

The federal government banned interstate sale of raw milk in response to fears of food-borne illness.  Laurie Fischer, executive director of the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association, which has 760 members, including dairy farmers, cheese-makers and others in the dairy business, said the group "opposed the legalization, fearing an outbreak of disease could damage the state's reputation for providing a healthy, good product," Bauer writes. (Read more) Earlier this week we reported the battle between western traditional dairies and raw milk dairies.