Report from Raw Milk Rally Yesterday

January 17, 2008

Some really good news! :-)Cyndi

P.S. Nicole Parra is a Democrat, for those of you interested.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/todevnt/committee_codes/HZZZCX01.html

For some background to today's events -- read today's San Francisco Chronicle article:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/16/BAEBUFL9G.DTLIn short, Nicole Parra, the Chair of the Agricultural Committee proved to be our champion claiming that she would not agree (quite passionately in my mind) to leaving the law as is -- which would require 10 coliform bacteria per milliliter of milk. In fact, during final negotiations she said that would have to happen "over my dead body". As a legislator, she took full responsibility for the fact that the process that the law AB 1735 was enacted was unjust and undemocratic ... that she intended to make a wrong right by her proposal AB 1604, which she authored. AB 1604 was intended to reverse AB 1735.While the law AB 1735 was not reversed -- a negotiation took place before our eyes whereby the committee unanimously agreed that the law be suspended until July 1, 2008 at which time the two raw milk dairies will be required to have a 50 coliform bacteria per millimeter of milk at the tank -- which Organic Pastures was amenable to. Ron Garthwaite testified that any restriction of coliform was unnessary being that it is not unsafe and need not be regulated but, Claravale agreed to the amended terms nonetheless. My understanding is that 50 coliform is something both dairies could maintain at the tank.Besides Nicole's impassioned stance, there were others on the committee who were clearly distressed by the fact that the law was passed without an opportunity to hear any objections and spoke with emotion about the travesty of that. One committee member told us about her childhood memories of drinking raw milk -- even recounting the names of the dairy cows on her relative's farms.The proponents of AB 1604 who testified after Nicole Parra included Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures, Ron and Collette Garthwaite of Claravale and who we think was the owner or founder of Whole Foods who has been drinking raw milk for 30 years (and let us all know he was still here) and whose grocery is selling raw milk throughout the state of California. He let us know that Whole Foods was the largest commercial distributor of raw milk in the state. Does anyone who attended know his exact title and name? I was very impressed with the testimony of all.No one from the California Department of Food and Agriculture was present to testify. I believe they will be asked to account for themselves at some point though. There was opposition -- I didn't take their names -- whose arguments about the safety of raw milk we are well aware of but, who didn't seem to convince the members of the Agricultural Committee.This will now leave the committee, go to the assembly and then to the governor.The crowd of raw milk supporters was overflowing ... every single seat taken in the chambers and the gallery -- with folks lined up in the hallways outside. It definitely had an impact as the legislators acknowledged us as an overflowing audience on several occasions before allowing us to "testify" directly. Despite folks' desire to share more, we were repeatedly limited to stating our name, where we came from and simply stating that we were in support of raw milk and/or AB 1604. Folks even came as far as Los Angeles by plane -- others driving for hours.I was deeply, deeply moved! I introduced myself to Nicole, as many of us did at the conclusion of the hearing, and thanked her for her courage on behalf of our whole community. The members were all made well aware that we represented many, many more.This is by no means over as AB 1604 now needs to go to the assembly and the governor -- yet, it seemed like the consensus was that it was clearly a victory and a critical foundation for the next step.

Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.