Posted: 03.11.2010

Listen to more raw testimony from the Eau Claire hearing below.

Madison small business owner, Margo Redmond's testimony.

Dr. Keith Poulson, representing the WI Veterinary Medical Association

More then 170 people registered to testify Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education, and the Assembly Committee on Rural Economic Development in Eau Claire.

Emotions ran high - coupled with scientists that brought research and history to their presentations.

The issue of selling unpasteurized, raw milk directly to consumers needs to be fully examined before the law is changed on the emotionally-charged, says Melvin Pittman, a Pierce County dairy farmer who spoke on behalf of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation at the hearing.

“The primary reason for our opposition to Senate Bill 434 is our overall concern for our $26 billion dairy industry,” said Pittman, who chairs the Farm Bureau’s Dairy Committee and milks 75 cows near Plum City with his wife, Pat.

“If a person becomes ill from drinking raw milk - it is not only unpasteurized milk that gets a bad image – but all milk and dairy products.  Dairy farmers have invested millions of dollars promoting milk and dairy products and we can’t afford to have an incident adversely affect consumption.  Whether food scares are real or perceived, farmers are the first to see a decline in the prices they received for the livestock, crops or commodities they produce,” said Pittman.

On the other side of the fence was testimony from the WI Farmers Union.

Darin Von Ruden, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union testified that consumers and dairy farmers should be allowed to make on-farm direct-sales transactions for unpasteurized milk.
 
Von Ruden said, “There’s an inherent issue of personal rights in this matter. “If someone wants to consume raw milk, that person should be allowed to do so at their own risk – or, if you listen to another side of research, to their own benefit.
 
“I find it interesting that anyone can go to many restaurants to find raw meats, fish and other seafood on menus. Our society has chosen to allow people the right to eat sushi, steak tartar or raw clams on the half-shell. Why can’t we allow people the right to drink raw milk?”
 
Von Ruden said people from some of the 25 states that allow some levels of raw-milk sales have expressed surprise that Wisconsin doesn’t allow such on-farm sales.
 

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