I am deeply disturbed today by the news of a state-wide ban on raw dairy. Ted and I have supported Organic Pastures for a long time, and we believe in what this company (and other grass-fed dairy companies) are doing. In fact, it’s one of the things we consider to be the pride of California.
So, to have this taken away, with ZERO EVIDENCE that this milk has caused ANY cases of E. Coli, is an extreme injustice. The cases were probably caused by milk from grain-fed cows, which has been tested to be unsafe and nasty. However, the milk from grass-fed cows, like those at Organic Pastures, has been tested to be safe. By the state. The same state, if you remember, that is now saying that the milk is unsafe. Have they forgotten the testing they did? Or, and this is more likely in my opinion, is this a case of “selective memory” caused by hasty decisions made by our state government that are completely uninformed and uneducated?
Like THAT’S never happened before.
If you would like to read more about the benefits of grass-fed raw dairy, go to a site called Real Milk and read about it for yourself. This is the milk our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents drank, you guys. And they never got sick from it! You know what the difference is between now and then? Cheap-ass factory farms started feeding their cows grain, because it fattens up their cows better than allowing them to graze on their pasture. In fact, most of these “dairies” have no pasture left, it’s all a giant crap-pile that the cows wallow in before being led to their death. THIS is why milk must now be pasteurized: cows are not meant to eat grain, they’re meant to eat grass. And, putting cows in this situation leads to a dilemma that was best put into words by Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation: “THERE IS SH*T IN THE MEAT.”
Don’t take my word for it. Read the Real Milk site, and decide for yourself. And if you feel as I do, like we’ve been CHEATED by the California government, do something about it. Call your state representative. Send him or her an email. Just do something. Below is my own letter to my district rep, Joe Nation. I’ve posted it here in the hopes of inspiring some of you to do the same.
Hello,
I am outraged today by the recall of raw dairy in our state, particularly of Organic Pastures products. So far, there has been ZERO evidence shown to prove that Organic Pastures’ dairy was directly related to the cases of E. coli in California, exposing this recall to be as unfounded as it is hasty.
There is a huge difference between raw milk from cows that are GRAIN-FED versus those who are GRASS-FED. The grass-fed cows produce milk that is exceptionally safe. In fact, testers from the state have even introduced pathogens into the milk from Organic Pastures, and the milk effectively killed those organisms.
Grain-fed milk, however, is extremely unsafe. Raw milk from grain-fed cows should not be sold. But this distinction is absent from legislation as well as the media. As a result, people who want to buy raw milk from grass-fed cows, such as that from Organic Pastures, must suffer through the lumping together of all raw milk, denying us a product that has been tested to be safe over, and over, and over again.
This “lack of memory” of the test results by this government is disheartening, and an injustice to Organic Pastures and its customers. PLEASE don’t let our voice go unheard. I live in Sonoma County, and raw milk products from Organic Pastures are in very high demand here, so there are lots of people in your district who need a voice in this overpowering shouting match.
Sincerely, and with hope,
Kerry Robb
Santa Rosa, California
*If you’d like to write your own letter to your district representative, click here, and navigate to find your local district in California, if you live here.
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Kerry Robb 09.25.06 at 11:55 am
UPDATE: Here are a few words from Mark McAfee, founder of Organic Pastures, that could be found on the company’s website during this recall.
To our dear friends and wonderful customers,
On Sept 21st Organic Pastures received word from the California Department of Food and Agriculture of possible bacterial contamination of our milk and milk products. As of 9/22 all pathogen tests by state investigators, outside labs and OPDC have proven negative for the suspected human pathogen Ecoli 0157-H7.
However, to ensure the absolute safety of our customers, OPDC is working in full cooperation with CDFA and has recalled all our products as a “precautionary action” until the state ( CDFA ) has had a chance to double check negative test results on all products. These products include:
Whole Milk
Skim Milk
Cream
Butter
Colostrum
Whey
We fully expect our products to be back on store shelves within four days. In the meantime, we urge all of our customers to follow the State’s health departments recommendations. If you have recently purchased Organic Pastures products, you may return them to your retailer for a full refund.
Organic Pastures Dairy has rigorous safety and testing procedures in place to ensure the purity of our milk. We are confident that further investigation will prove Organic Pastures products to be safe. Until that time, we are cooperating to the fullest extent possible with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Thank you for your support and your thousands of emails containing your heart felt encouragement and gratitude. We are blessed to have such wonderful consumers.
I am sorry I can return all your emails…there are thousands. Please keep an eye on the website for updates and details.
Only living milk brings life!!
Mark McAfee