Across America, small farmers and food freedom fans are asking a simple question: Why can’t we buy milk straight from the cow?
In North Carolina, a bipartisan push is on to legalize raw milk sales, ending a long-standing ban on unpasteurized dairy. Supporters argue it’s downright hypocritical – you can slurp down raw oysters or a steak tartare that could kill you just as dead as any bacteria in milk, yet the state has been treating raw milk like plutonium. “We don’t ban sushi, we don’t ban raw oysters — so why are we banning raw milk?” one advocate told lawmakers, noting this is really about trusting local farmers and giving consumers choice.
Opponents (fueled by decades of now suspect public health warnings) list off a horror registry of pathogens that could lurk in raw milk.
But the heroic raw renegades counter that underground markets already exist and that legalization would actually make it safer and open up a niche economic opportunity for family farms. Several states have loosened up in recent years, and NC may join the herd.
This food sovereignty skirmish isn’t just about dairy; it’s part of a larger “let us produce and eat what we want” movement. From backyard chicken eggs to home-raised beef, folks are fed up with rules that favor agribusiness and chain supermarkets.
Legalizing raw milk is a thumb in the eye of Big Dairy – and a potential lifeline for small farmers who could command a premium for the natural stuff.
Economic development sometimes means getting out of your own citizens’ way. If customers are literally crying over un-spilled raw milk, maybe it’s time to let them drink it.