Support Legislation to Improve Access to Raw Milk
Call your Senators and Representatives today
Monday, January 24, 2011
ACTION ALERT
Legislation has been introduced in the Massachusetts Legislature that would allow licensed raw milk dairies to deliver raw milk to their customers. This move will help preserve small dairies in Massachusetts.
The bill would also allow licensed raw milk dairies to sell their milk on land that they own or rent which is not necessarily contiguous to the land where they milk their animals. This is important for farmers who have farm stores in or near towns, but milk their cows in more remote areas. Currently they are not allowed to bring milk off the property where it is produced.
Senators and Representatives have until February 4 to sign on to the bill. Please call your elected officials and ask them to sign on to "An Act relative to the distribution of raw milk," docket #02523, submitted by Representative Anne Gobi.
Ask them to please support "An Act relative to the distribution of raw milk," introduced by Anne Gobi, because:
- It will help preserve small dairies in Massachusetts.
- It will help ensure that consumers have access to the fresh, safe raw milk they want.
Please contact Winton Pitcoff, Coordinator of the NOFA/Massachusetts Raw Milk Network, at winton@nofamass.org, to let us know who you have contacted and what response you have gotten from their office.
For updates and other raw milk news, please join our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Massachusetts-Raw-Milk-Network/354041680738.
An Act relative to the distribution of raw milk
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1 Section 13 of chapter 94 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following new section:
Section 1A Licensed raw milk farmers will be allowed to deliver raw milk directly to the consumer, off-site from the farm, provided that the raw milk farmer have a direct, contractual relationship with the consumer. The raw milk farmer may contract with a third party for delivery provided that the raw milk farmer shall maintain the contractual relationship with the consumer. The raw milk farmer may deliver raw milk through a community supported agriculture (CSA) delivery system provided that the raw milk farmer shall maintain a contractual relationship with the consumer. Delivery may be made directly to the consumer's residence or to a pre-established receiving site; said sites shall not be in a retail setting with the exception of CSA delivery. In such instances, raw milk shall be kept separated from retail items for sale and will not be accessible to the general public.
SECTION 2 Raw milk farmers may sell raw milk from their farm stands even if not contiguous to their raw milk dairy and shall comply with section 3 of chapter 40 of the General Laws.
SECTION 3 Non-mechanical refrigeration shall be allowed where mechanical refrigeration is not practical or cost prohibitive.
SECTION 4 The Commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources shall adopt and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations governing the handling, packaging, storage and transportation of raw milk, non-mechanical refrigeration shall be permitted.
This page was last modified on January 25, 2011 at 7:49:46 AM.
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