Perusing the news recently, I ran across an interesting press release from Massachusetts about milk buying clubs.

In the state of Massachusetts, it’s illegal to sell raw milk in the store, but it’s not illegal to go to the farm and purchase raw milk from the farm. So, raw milk lovers have formed milk buying clubs.
Here’s how it works: A designated member travels to a distant farm, usually in a vehicle with refrigeration capabilities, buys large quantities of raw milk, and returns to distribute the product to local members at a pick up spot. Some clubs require a membership fee to pay for transportation, refrigeration, and other costs. A gallon of raw milk ranges in price from $6 to $9, say club organizers.
There are about 107 dairy farms in the state, but only 27 are licensed to sell raw milk on site.

The state of Massachusetts is not happy though. Because of the supposed health risks involved in drinking raw milk, and the fact that the laws of milk inspection are in place at the farm level, and there are no sanitation requirements after it leaves the farm with a milk buying club, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources wants to shut the whole on-farm raw milk sales down.
I sit on the fence of this issue. I know people can get sick from raw milk, but the fact is, I’ve been drinking it most my life without incident and I know I’m not the only one.

And as a dairy producer when you flash that $6-$9 per gallon price tag in front of my face, I can only imagine what fun it would be to milk cows twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and actually make money.

I have a sister in Montana who is milking half a dozen cows, twice a day, seven days a week and selling milk this exact same way.
Once a week she heads to the city with a truckload of milk, where she meets her club members and they pick up their milk at the tune of $7 per gallon. In the meantime, my husband and I milk seven times as many cows, twice a day, seven days a week and we receive about a buck a gallon. (She was always the smart one in the family!)

I’m just not understanding why the state of Massachusetts wants to shut down raw milk sales. It seems like a great compromise and one that makes sense.

The fact they don’t want designated agents to pick up the milk for a buying club is pretty silly.

That is solidified by the comment made by a lawyer at a recent hearing over this issue.

“I can designate an agent to pick up Oxycontin from CVS,’’ said Harvey Schwartz, of Ipswich, Mass., who said he belongs to a buying club. “But I can be prosecuted for picking up milk? Now that doesn’t make sense.’’

Seems like there are bigger fish to fry in this world than worrying about a consumer’s right to drink raw milk.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.