In April 2010, federal agents descended on the dairy farm of Dan Allgyers in Pennsylvania. The Amish farmer produces unpasteurized milk on his farm and sells it to families who prefer dairy products in their natural state.
The sale of unpasteurized milk has been illegal under federal law since 1987, but that doesn’t keep clever farmers and customers from making it work, usually by forming private clubs where raw milk is a benefit of club membership. Selling unpasteurized milk is legal inside 10 states.
Raw milk advocates swear by its health benefits, saying the pasteurization process kills off good bacteria as well as bad. The FDA says raw milk should never be consumed— that drinking it is “playing Russian roulette with your health.”
That didn’t stop me, because I love the taste of freedom. Yum. We joined a group protesting the FDA’s heavy-handed approach to raw dairy. Most of the protesters get their products from Farmer Dan, and are hoping a Ron Paul-sponsored bill will prevent the FDA from getting in theirs and Dan’s business in the future.