Raw Milk Dairy Challenges Restrictions on Sales in Wisconsin

A Wisconsin organic farm was reportedly scheduled to argue in court this week that state restrictions on the sale of raw milk do not apply where the sales are made to consumers who are part owners of the farm. While the legislature recently attempted to change a law that regulators contend allows incidental raw milk sales only, the state calls the farm’s sales in excess of $80,000 yearly to consumers, who each own a $10 share in the farm, well beyond what the law allows. Wisconsin’s governor vetoed the popular bill, which would have allowed on farm raw milk sales, apparently concerned that E. coli outbreaks purportedly linked to consumption of the unpasteurized product could affect the state’s entire dairy industry. Raw milk proponents dispute that any such link exists.

Meanwhile, public health officials investigating a recent E. coli outbreak that has allegedly sickened eight Minnesota residents including school-aged children and an infant, reportedly associated the E. coli strain with dairy products from a farm that sells raw milk. See msnbc.com, June 11, 2010; StarTribune.com, June 13, 2010.