Help Improve Access to Raw Milk In Texas!

Check out our new website dedicated to raw milk in Texas!  It has all the latest updates, background information, and raw milk sources in Texas

May 2011: HB 75 Has Died This Session  But the fight is not over!  We will continue to work to expand raw milk access in Texas.  Stay tuned for plans for the 2013 Legislative session!

Special thanks go to Representative Dan Flynn, who authored the bill and worked hard to get it passed.  Representative Flynn and his entire staff were committed to fighting for the rights of our farmers and consumers, and we are very grateful to them!

Special thanks also go to the 24 legislators who co-authored HB 75:

David Simpson

Dennie Bonnen

Eddie Rodrigues

Jodie Laubenberg

Jose Aliseda

Jimmie Don Aycock

Marva Beck

Cindy Burkett

Warren Chisum

Garnet Coleman

Allen Fletcher

Kelly Hancock

Charlie Howard

Bryan Hughes

Jason Isaac

Phil King

Lyle Larson

Larry Phillips

Jim Pitts

Chente Quintanilla

Debbie Riddle

Paul Workman

Bill Zedler

February 2011:  Thank you to everyone who came to the Family Farms & Local Foods Education Day!  We had a great turnout, and educated many legislators about raw milk and local food concerns.  If you haven't contacted your legislator yet, call him or her today!  Ask to speak to the staffer who handles food and agricultural issues, and follow up by emailing them our one-page fact sheet.

January 2011:  The bill to expand access to raw milk in Texas now has 4 authors, drawing bipartisan support in the Texas Legislature!  On the downside, the Big Dairy industry has started to run radio ads to scare people away from raw milk.  Please help us get the word out about the truth about raw milk by donating today!

November 2010:  We have an important opportunity to expand access to raw milk in Texas!  Representative Flynn and Senator Deuell have filed HB 75 and SB 237, identical bills that would legalize the sale of raw milk at any "location where producers customarily sell their products directly to consumers, including a farmers’ market, farm stand, flea market, food cooperative, or fair."  The farmer may also deliver the raw dairy to the consumer at any agreed-upon location.

Background

Texas law authorizes the Texas Department of Health to regulate the grading and labeling of milk and milk products.  Under the Department’s current regulations, Grade A raw milk “may be sold by the producer directly to the consumer only at the point of production, i.e., at the farm.” 25 TAC §217.32. The Department staff has interpreted the regulation to require that each customer drive to the farm each and every time the customer wishes to purchase milk.

Texas legislators need to step in and protect Texas consumers and family farmers by removing this unnecessary and burdensome regulation!

Key Points for Legislation

• Keep the direct farmer-to-consumer relationship (i.e. no wholesale sales), to ensure that raw dairy is available only to those who intentionally seek it out and that the consumers know the source;
• Keep the sanitary requirements for raw dairy;
• Remove the unnecessary marketing barrier to the sale of Grade A raw dairy products by allowing farmers to bring raw milk to farmers markets, farm stands, and other agreed-upon locations.

Benefits

• Improves the safety of raw dairy by allowing producers to transport it
  to the consumers under safe conditions;
• By allowing a producer to make a single trip to serve multiple customers, rather than having each customer drive to the farm, this proposal reduces vehicle miles, benefiting air quality, traffic congestion, and public safety;
• Addresses the needs of elderly, disabled, and low-income consumers who wish to purchase raw dairy products and who have difficulty, or who are unable, to drive to distant farms;
• Improves farm bio-security.  While the farmers welcome visitors, it is an unnecessary risk to have dozens or even hundreds of people coming out to the farm each and every week;
• Benefits rural economies because direct farm-to-consumer sales of raw milk can mean the difference between a net loss on the farm and a reasonable income for the farm family.  When family farmers can make a fair living, the economy of the entire community benefits!

Previous Developments: 

At the summer 2009 meeting of the Department of State Health Services, we were able to convince the Council to stop the enactment of proposed regulations that would have further restricted access to raw milk and invaded consumers’ privacy. Not only did the Council reject the proposed regulations, but they invited us to submit our own proposal to allow farmers to deliver raw milk to consumers! A group of producers and consumers then submitted a proposal to the agency to do that. 

The Council decided not to act on our proposal, and said that this is a legislative issue.  So we've taken it to the Texas Legislature!

Keep up with the latest developments with raw milk in Texas on our special campaign website, TexasRealMilk