Yesterday Champoeg Creamery welcomed a visit from Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy in Fresno, CA and also the founder of the Raw Milk Institute. He and his lovely wife, Blaine, flew their small plane into our local airport and had a “grass to glass” tour of our farm. Beginning in the 24 hour green grass paddocks, we visited the girls and Mark admired our lush Willamette Valley Pastures that are in their prime right now.
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| Mark and Blaine McAfee flanked by Charlotte and Brielle |
It was not completely without trepidation that I invited the nation’s largest raw milk producer into my micro-dairy milking parlor to see how we do things on a small scale. Since Mark is working alongside international experts to develop national raw milk standards on sanitation, among other things, my heart raced even more when he pulled apart a few hoses and looked into the dark crevices of our equipment. I am completely confident in our impeccable sanitation practices, and he reinforced that we are doing all the right things. Whew!!
During our home-grown lunch of pastured pork on the patio accompanied by tall glasses of raw milk and fresh Oregon strawberries we also discussed the state of raw milk in Oregon right now. Oregon Dairy Farmers want to tighten raw milk laws, and yet the health department correctly fears that this will spur a black market. Oregon does not have resources for expensive regulation, so the timing is right for Oregon’s raw milk producers to unite and create our own transparent, self-regulated group of producers.
As a member of the Executive Advisory Committee to the Raw Milk Institute, I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure we have continued access to safe raw milk in Oregon. This may involve providing education for raw milk producers, farm visits to review practices and provide suggestions for improvement and the resources to make these improvements. This will also involve consumer education so Oregonians can be equipped with the resources to seek out safe raw milk. In my opinion, raw milk producers working together and becoming transparent in our practices is the best way for Oregon’s raw milk dairies to guarantee their future existence providing safe raw milk for the public.
Keep Raw Milk Legal in Oregon. Do not cave to big toxic dairy! Please…
Thanks for your support!! We will not cave!!
Keep up the good work! I hope to visit your creamery soon