Jumping the Moon Dairy - the next chapter

[OneFineAcre]

Don't know the particulars of the laws there, but Va is also an "anti-raw milk state" and very adamant about it. You can sell milk for pet food, and there was talk about making it mandatory to put a "charcoal colored dye" in it so that it would not be drunk by humans. In fact I believe there is a state that requires that. Anyway, there were some people that had goats and were making cheese and selling it at a few farmers markets. They had a real good following. The "milk police" cracked down and said that by law they couldn't sell it. So they researched it and there is nothing that says you can't give away what you make as long as it is disclosed what it is made of. There are several cottage bake industries that allow this and that but not something else. Really convoluted.
So this couple goes back to the farmers markets and starts giving it away and by law you can take donations. They actually made more by getting donations than when they were selling it. There wasn't a single thing that could be done because any of the donations were for the "packaging" and the actual product was free. There was no signs or anything, just if people asked why it was really free, like non-customers, they were told that it could not be legally sold in Va but that the goat owners really liked making it and wanted people to be able to taste cheese made from goats milk. If anyone asked about the jar with the money in it, they were told that some people were making donations for the expensive packaging that they used.
They went to court twice over it and the second time the judge said to not bother bringing them back into court, that they were not breaking any laws and if they wanted to give it away they were free to do so; and there were no laws that said a person couldn't make a donation to someone else. If that was the case then they would shut down every fire dept and police charity organization and even the salvation army for the bell ringing.

That's kind of like how it is here
"Pet Cosumption" is just an end around
We couldn't possibly end up in the black with out our our cheese and milk sales

 

[babsbag]

I may not even end in the black with the milk and cheese sales.

In CA we can not give the milk away, its in the code. I was giving milk away for some pigs and the inspector was nice enough to look the other way. We are not allowed pet sales either.

@Baymule, thank you for the well wishes. I hope you have a good 2018 too.

 

[Mini Horses]

So they researched it and there is nothing that says you can't give away what you make as long as it is disclosed what it is made of. There are several cottage bake industries that allow this and that but not something else. Really convoluted.

Some of the cottage laws are really odd here....you can sell from the farm but NOT from your house....build a little shack for pickup. You can/can't deliver. ETC.

In my area there are at least five farms that sell "herd shares" which allows you to "own" a portion of the herd/animal (they buy a share, pay a monthly board fee for the animal & receive a set amount of milk) and THAT MEANS you are using your own animals milk and they cannot prevent that. Raw milk use by owners is ok. I'm waiting for them to say that I cannot consume my own animal milk raw!

I often make cheese & share with others.

 

[farmerjan]

Herd Shares are in the "grey area" but are allowed at this point and time in Va. A couple of farms here do real good with it. Cannot make deliveries supposedly, but there are farms that do make deliveries directly to the "herd share" or "cow share" owner. I am not so big on alot of the laws; and they say they are to protect the public, but again, it would be a whole lot better if they just had these small "dairies - farm shares " just have to meet minimum "MILK QUALITY" requirements and let them share - sell - give away their milk.
There are many states that allow the sale of raw milk and if Va had some minimum regulation /requirements as to the cleanliness of the milk we would be better off.
There are many dairies that I test for that I would not drink the milk raw out of their tank because I don't agree with the way they follow the rules. And there are a few that I would shut down in a minute even though they are doing all that is required by law.
I am not as concerned about the ones that want to drink raw milk as I am about the ones who depend on the GOV'T to keep them safe and then scream that something is not "good for them" when they are eating and drinking themselves into obesity oblivion.

 

[farmerjan]

If you have questions or concerns about some of the laws, "REAL MILK . com" with the Weston A. Price Foundation is a good place to start. Also "Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund" has information and even video "classes" on how to procede for raw milk sales.

 

[babsbag]

No legal herd shares in CA but there are a few here and there that have survived but only because they haven't been found. But CA for all of its craziness does at least allow raw milk sales if you are licensed for it, some states don't allow it all. I am not selling raw milk, never will, e-coli and salmonella can't be seen and I could never live with myself if I unknowingly sickened or killed someone, especially a child. Some of those disease can have some serious consequences.

 

[Mini Horses]

I often visit Raw Milk.com. They keep up with most changes and challenges for raw milk. I have NO issues with pasteurizing but, I just don't. I use my own goats milk. If making cheese, the temps actually pasturize it most of the time. Some not so but, most.

 

[babsbag]

I don't pasteurize what I drink but all the rest goes in the pot.

 

[misfitmorgan]

We have similar rules. No milk sales to the public allowed, raw or otherwise but you can do herdshares. You have to be very careful doing them as some farms have been caught "selling" milk thru herdshares. As in someone came along asking for info and in explaining the herdshare they stated something like "yes they would sell them the milk after they paid a herdshare" after being asked over and over to explain it aka the person faking they didnt understand. Which legally is not how it works.

I believe we should be allowed to sell milk raw or otherwise or cheese, etc so long as it comes with information on how to pasteurize it and a warning that it is not pasteurized and what could happen. people also "sell" yogurt, cheese, butter, ice cream etc...as parts of the herdshares.

 

[babsbag]

Lyla is my mystery goat. We did a sonogram on Lyla and she is pregnant and you can see kids moving. She is a mystery as I am sure I saw her in heat twice when Jumanji had a broken leg. I really wanted to breed her to him so I waited and I wrote down the dates she would be in heat again. When those dates came I never saw evidence of heat but I did have Jumanji with her on those dates. I am hoping that she is only 2.5 months bred but this morning she had a mucous string and I don't think that they lose the plug this early. No kidding season would be complete without a mystery...or 7.