Support Our Right to Access Whole Food

Dear Editor,

Groton BOH is holding a fourth meeting Monday, July 7 at 8:15 p.m. at Town Hall. With the support of dairy farmers and raw milk consumers in our area, I am trying to achieve the reversal of a 50 year old ordinance that bans the sale of raw milk in our town. Winton Pitcoff, Coordinator at NOFA, sent a letter to our BOH, explaining the already visited controversial topic by the State of Massachusetts (MDAR) and they stand behind the MA laws and regulations that has already had a successful (well over) 20 year experience monitoring the sale of unpasteurized milk. To read the full letter, go to: www.facebook.com/helenes.stables/posts/785493118148138

Here are key points that this letter covered:

Our State laws and regulations (CMR 330) already allow the sale of unpasteurized milk. They monitor the process in each and every dairy farm in MA to ensure public safety, through a certification process.

The respective standards of cleanliness are very strict and they are higher than neighboring states.

Raw milk for retail sale is held to the exact same bacterial testing standards as pasteurized milk.

The State inspector makes at least, monthly visits (sometimes weekly) to make sure that the animals are well kept, well fed, and that keeping of the milk is done in a sanitary fashion.

This certification process has been in place for over 20 years. There has not been one report of illness due to the consumption of raw milk in our State.

The industry has grown to sales of more than $1 million in 2013 and the demand is increasing. More and more dairy farms are seeking support of our State and more and more towns and allowing our State to handle this practice.

The increasing demand for raw milk helps preserve the agricultural land (nothing compared to the feed lots at farm factories) and supports directly the local economy.

Allowing raw milk dairies in Massachusetts to sell their products under the watchful eye of MDAR is the best way to ensure that consumers continue to have access to safe, healthy, farm-fresh milk. Additional regulations will only serve to force more consumers to turn to unregulated, unsafe sources for raw milk, a practice which we feel is dangerous and could be injurious to the entire dairy industry.

Please attend this meeting and support our right to access whole food, and let us be the ones to decide what we want to consume and what we believe is right for us

Hélène Cahen-Easom

Farmer at 435 Martin's Pond Road.