Massachusetts dairy lovers may find themselves having more access to raw milk in the coming months thank to proposed legislation that would reform the state’s dairy policies.
Raw milk is a controversial agricultural product, one that has divided consumers along increasingly belligerent lines. Supporters of unpasteurized dairy products argue that the taste better and contain beneficial bacterium and nutrients that benefit digestion. Opponents of raw milk say that pasteurization, essentially the rapid heating and cooling of milk, does little to change the taste of dairy products, but only make them safer for human consumption.
In the middle of these debates are the demands of modern dairy farming. Across the Northeast, fluctuating prices and an unstable market have hammered dairy farmers. Selling raw milk to local consumer through community-supported agriculture programs has offered dairy farmers a major new form of income.
“There’s increasing public demand for raw milk, and it is a way that farmers can add value for their product, selling direct,” said Stephen Kulik, a Bay State legislator. “There’s certainly a public health component to this. It can be dangerous if it’s not well handled. But there are many other states that permit this that don’t have problems, and I think farmers are going to be responsible about getting into this.”
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer