How Does the President-Elect Feel About Raw Milk? Let’s Say He’s a Babe in the Woods
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 08:00AM 
The movement to convince President-elect Barack Obama to name a reformer as secretary of agriculture (or a re-named “secretary of food”) just got some clout, with a New York Times columnist now pushing it.
It could be he will—he seems very much the pragmatist. At the same time, though, many raw milk consumers and producers alike have been wondering how the President-elect feels about raw milk, one of the more contentious food/agriculture issues around. And in this arena, I’m afraid I have bad news: he sides with the FDA. Or let’s put it this way: he did as of the summer of 2007.
That summer, a number of raw milk advocates, led by Aajonus Vonderplanitz, spent much time in Washington, lobbying legislators. They eventually succeeded in convincing Rep. Ron Paul to introduce legislation lifting the ban on interstate shipments of raw milk--a story I recounted here.
One advocate wrote to then-Senator Obama asking for his support. Aajonus provided me with the text of the response, and Obama’s answer actually begins hopefully:
“As you well know, raw milk is rich in protein and fat, and research continues to demonstrate the necessity of a nutrient-rich diet for good health.”
Then comes the “but” material, and the crux of his answer: “However, the potential risks presented by disease-causing bacteria, from E.coli to salmonella, raise serious concerns about raw milk's viability in commercial markets. I understand your distaste for unnecessary federal regulations. At the same time, the FDA has a responsibility to provide consumer protection.”
Now, you can say that a staff member likely wrote this, and that Obama probably didn’t give it a lot of thought. Yet, as my original posting on Aajonus' summer campaign makes clear, Obama wasn’t responding to an isolated request, but as a result of a concerted effort in which all legislators were contacted, and some eventually did express support.
You can also argue that he might change his mind. After all, he does seem like a reasonable guy. And miracles do occur every once in a while. Unfortunately, they’re not something you can count on.
All Obama’s statements and all his appointments thus far suggest he’s a big-government guy. We can’t allow the American auto industry to fail, he says. Why not? We just can’t. Same for the banking industry, the insurance industry, the mortgage industry, and every big industry that comes hat in hand seeking a multibillion dollar handout.
The President-elect may even be a super-big-government guy. There’s a movement afoot in Europe for a “world government” to tackle the big problems of climate change and financial collapse. According to a senior correspondent at the Financial Times, Barack Obama is favorably disposed.
If you think the FDA and USDA are tough, I suspect they’d look downright soft and cuddly next to a world government making decisions about what we can, and can’t, eat.
I hate to be super negative about this guy before he takes office, and I’m sure he will push constructive initiatives on energy and a few other areas. His predisposition to favor the regulators, though, isn’t encouraging.
Reader Comments (31)
9 years ago the organic community asked the USDA to clarify organic standards, their answer finially arrived in a draconing proposal that will eliminate small organic farms. WAPF has sent out a call to action letter. If history repetes our going begging before our oppessors will not provide relief but what else can we do?
Is our best or only hope maybe something llike a nationwide CARE program simular to here in Pa. So someway or somehow we can be independent of the system that brutalizes peaceful farmers and their families.
Any thoughts? There has got to be an answer our present approach is failing is it not?
Because it is a Trojan horse. All the government needs to do is be 'environmentally friendly' and require all farms to be certified organic and now they've got what they want: total control of production agriculture. In other words the collectivization of American Agriculture. Don't forget what Stalin did in Ukraine to accomplish that.
Don't get me wrong, I farm organically and think everyone else should to. But what we need is small family farms selling directly to customers. Eliminate the middle men, ALL of them. All these food safety rules are simply about control, empowering the middlemen and consolidating agriculture; nothing more. If it weren't for pasteurization TBTB holding back raw milk wouldn't even exist.
The FDA interfering in private contracts is something he can understand. The need to support small farmers.
There are aspects of this battle I trust Obama and his people would understand and fully support our perspective and appreciate the expertise with which it is offered.
I'm not in favor of raw milk for everyone. i don't think it is a safe thing to do on a large scale. If you asked me theat blunt of a questin - that simple of a question years ago I'd say the same thing. And besides, you have to have pasteurization with CAFO farming. That is a horror show and no one in their righ tmind would use raw milk form those cows!
I've had dozens of people hear me out and become raw milk fans - but only with education. And context. So let's re-frame the questions, do the education, put it in ways that go along with other core beliefs of this new administration, and get the support we need. I think that is totally doable.
I still say....the work is all about building the grass roots raw milk market and let the truth of nutrition and the testimonials about healing saturate the internet. Then we win but this will take time.
David, on the subject of hormones and milk. I have not seen a University study that did not require a tremendous amount of money for funding. "Research equals funding".
Who spent the huge amounts of money to fund the studies about gestational lactation and its phases and levels of hormones...not to mention the different types of estrogen hormones. Follow the money and you find the agenda.
I know of many male consumers that have told me that our raw milk and or raw colostrum has been a sexual viagra....and that their male anatomy finnally works after years at half mast...there wives also report that their level of health and sexual interest has been rejuvinated. Male or female....this is all about our human bodies working better and properly.
I do not think that anyone studied raw milk and its estrogenic hormones as a whole food from cows on green grass pastures. I bet the studies where on pasteurized milk which is a partial food that comes from the most unnatural sources.
Mark Mcafee
You can remove the words "raw milk" and insert-meats, produce, etc. TSK TSK, I am shaking my head. Raw dairy is such a small market. Yet there are those who wish to dictate what we consume.
I was reading the other day, those who are using alternative medicines (herbs/accupuncture, etc) are the more educated. And the story quoted some supposed govt person stating that the herbs use was fraud and accupuncture was a placebo. Guess all those 1000s of years of using it was make-believe. I had thought that most medicines derived from plants before becoming synthetic. I must have missed that in pharm class years ago.
http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/advice-for-the-next-farmer-in-chief/
For one reason, Pollan has said he wouldn't take the job. Read his comment at the bottom of this article:
http://www.ethicurean.com/2008/11/15/ag-sec/
Amanda
Re: the change in the federal register on colostrum, donde esta?
Amanda
Wow, that sounds like a close relationship between a farmer and his/her customers. Can you enlarge on the details? lol - the visual of someone buying milk, experiencing a "difference," then making a phone call to the milk producer to describe it is....priceless.
Good idea. This gets old:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T27oOfoZPg0
As far as how close OPDC is to its customers....we are extremely close. We get calls every day about every thing.
I have had porn stars call and ask about raw cream and its lubricating qualities....
I have had people call and ask every medical question that can be imagined including questions about why certain physiologic things have happened in the bodies after drinking raw milk. I just listen mostly...
I hear so many of the same things over and over I have the responses memorized. People can not get answers from their doctors becuase their doctors do not know nutrition or immunology very well. Their doctors seem to know lots about FDA drugs and surgical proceedures....thats it. Their doctors almost uniformly turn a cold shoulder at the first mention of raw milk. But yet their patients quietly continue to drink it and their doctors are astonished at the results.
Lots more stories of prevention and strengthening from whole foods. Sexual performance seems to be the excitment of this thread....but it is just the tip of the FDA iceberg on this subject.
I would love to do a comic piece on all the viagra and depression advertizements shown on TV. If you really listen to then...they say things like: you may die or have seizures that can not be controlled or you stand increased chances of fatal and rare cancers.
People that fall for these drugs and the doctors that push them are unconsciuos. Darwin would say let them pass and save the oxygen for the consciuos. I am not quite that hardened yet....I am trying my best to discover that magical key that awakens the brain dead. So far... it seems to take a near death experience and abandonment by doctors to get people to wake the heck up.
Mark
Don't be such a tease. What did you tell the porn star? Have you gotten any placement in films that we may have otherwise too distracted to notice?
I simply can't imagine what The Observer is implying with that YouTube video but perhaps David will analyze it in his book.
Amanda
It is "hard* being a regulator. That video clearly depicts the problem with airport screening,. and that was pre-911
"I have had porn stars call and ask about raw cream and its lubricating qualities...."
Mark, that's excellent. The porn industry is very proactive in signage and prophylaxis. Per the idea for discussion thrown out a couple posts ago, how would you like the pathogen warning signs to look on your website and dairy case doors?
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_ nais
It's a comment thread on the transition team site. There is an opportunity vote for ideas you think are important. In less than a week since the Stop NAIS thread was started it has risen to the #3 spot. It would not take a lot more votes to get it into #1. I hope folks around here take an interest.
Maybe an investigation of how these types of "grassroots participation" effect politics and how they are used to shape public opinion would be interesting.
-CG
http://haphazardgourmet.blogspot.com/