[Fwd: Re: What would you farmers want if it were a bill happening in your state?]

[Guest guest]

----------------------- more input needed on TN bill

>

> Hi all o'yus,

> Dare I open this up again? Last time I did this I got a lot of email

and I'm not complaining, it was good, but it was just a lot. Hmm, yes I

think I shall open it up, because I need to.

>

> I need help with modifying our raw milk bill for TN. I met for about 3

hours up at our state capitol building here in Nashville hammering out

this raw milk bill with the state legislator here who is helping me and

pushing the bill in the House Ag. Committee. We worked and worked,

pondered and pondered, took things out, discussed, put things in, took

notes, made huge to-do lists, people to call, etc. It was truly

exhausting, yet exhilarating at the same time. Good stuff. This

legislator said that really, the House Ag. Committees in states all over

this nation get little puny bills here and there, and things get

discussed back and forth etc. But THIS bill to him, was one of great

import and magnitude--a very important thing to society, farmers etc.

He's a Republican and also our greatest ally in the fight for raw milk

here in TN.

>

> But anyway, he said that a few of the legislators were wanting to see

ways to ensure the safety of the raw milk in the bill. It boils down to

2 issues.

>

> One, if the state tests the farmer's milk, how can we trust the state

not to contaminate it before it gets to their lab? The state Ag. dept.

is so hostile to the issue that he said he would not put it past them.

He wondered if there was any way to safeguard the samples.

>

> And secondly, the legislators were wondering if we could include

something in the bill about ensuring grass feeding. Like asking farms

to comply with USDA organic standards. I can;t wrap my mind around if

this is a good thing or a bad thing. If you have in there that the

ruminants should have access to pasture at least 120 days out of the

year, then what does that do to the farmers in VT or ME if they were to

require something similar in a bill like TN's? Thats pretty far north

and I don't know how many days of grazing they have. And really I had

one farmer say, no just make RAW legal and then the rest will work out.

Unfortunately lawmakers don't see it that way. They are all scared and

worried about safety. What do you farmers think? Should the bill just

be about RAW, or should some standards be mandated, like organic

handling and grass feeding etc.etc. Course there are ways to make a cow

clean, comfortable, and pathogen-free with alfalfa and imitate grass

feeding...it's all so confusing to me....wonder if I should call up

Salatin.

>

>

> What would you farmers want if it were a bill happening in your state?

>

> Thanky,

> D.

>

> Carolyn Hunter

> Oroville, CA.

>

> hunter10039@...

> hunter10039@...

Carolyn Hunter

Oroville, CA.

hunter10039@...

Carolyn Hunter

Oroville, CA.

hunter10039@...