Today was the public hearing at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) over raw milk buying clubs. Raw milk is legal in MA, but can only be purchased at the farm. As part of the day’s festivities, they held a Raw Milk Drink-In this morning in Boston Commons!

Here in CT, raw milk can be sold in retail stores and I am quite grateful. My milk comes from Stone Wall Dairy in Kent, which is an hour away. I don’t know if I could make the trip every week. I only know of four raw milk producers in the state, and none of the others are any closer. Besides, after three years, I am fond of these cows and their farmer.

To deal with precisely that kind of situation, raw milk consumers in MA organize buying clubs. Members take turns driving to the farm to collect the milk for the group.

Because these clubs are unregulated, MDAR wants to make them illegal. But these are contracts between private citizens, which do not require regulation.

Of course, if the buying clubs get shut down, the small dairy farmers will effectively be put out of business. Qui bono?

Thanks to David Gumpert (author of “The Raw Milk Revolution), Mark McAfee, of (Organic Pastures Dairy), and others for taking the time to testify and support those who did.