Self-intro of Don Neeper - Cleveland, OH

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Don Neeper

dneeper@...

Cleveland, OH - Cuyahoga County

I am a shareholder in a Wayne county dairy herd.

I have been a member of the Ohio farm-direct movement for the past year

and a herd shareholder since we converted to a herd-share system this

past October. I handle the driver schedules for our herd-share group - we

rotate driving down to the farm each week to pick up everyone's order. I

obtain raw milk and cream from the farm, and make my own butter and

yoghurt. Raw milk sales are currently illegal in the state of Ohio, and

the Ohio Department of Agriculture has been actively cracking down using

undercover agents, raids and other intimidation tactics. The herd-share

system of ownership is currently in a grey legal area, and the ODA has so

far chosen not to challenge our contracts and bills of sale in court. We

have a bill currently in committee in the Ohio house that would legalize

on-site raw milk sales and herd-share contracts, and I have been actively

writing letters to our congressman and our local newspapers.

Sincerely,

Don Neeper

Don Neeper

Senior Software Engineer

SofTechnics, a METTLER TOLEDO Company

dneeper@...

don.neeper@...

http://www.mindspring.com/~dneeper