A Raw Milk Raid Leads to a Special Thanksgiving

BusinessWeek.com ^ | 11/22/06 | David Gumpert

[davidgumpert]

The story of how Gelhaus and her family came to spend this holiday working and frolicking on a farm isn't about charity, but rather about how a seemingly straightforward business investment turned into a legal crisis—and then evolved into something much bigger, something involving community and caring. Because the legal part wasn't resolved until earlier this month, Gelhaus and others involved in the story didn't want to talk about it until now.

[davidgumpert]

At first glance, this is about a farmer who distributes raw milk to owners of his cows, and runs up against a government bust. But it turns into an ugly abuse of an honest individual's rights. He's so badly abused by the FDA and state investigators he suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome for months after the event. He has no health insurance, so hospitalizations run into the thousands. He pleads no contest in court just to get the government off his back. See a copy of his "confession" as part of the article.

[Monterrosa-24]

This reminds me of the crack down on restaurants that serve eggs sunny side up (with runny yokes). The nanny state must protect us.

I can sorta see crack downs on cure-all quack medicines and of course crack downs on products that do not contain what they say they contain. But this was just raw milk sold as raw milk.

[kenth]

Nothing like the government to keep us safe from ourselves. They should just go ahead lock us all up. We'd definitely be safe then.

[PAR35]

He's so badly abused by the FDA

He was prosecuted by the State of Ohio, not the Feds.

[DB]

Raw milk can be dangerous. There are several nasty bateria that can make you seriously ill. I would really avoid giving it to young children as it can kill them.

As long as the families consuming it know the risks. It's their business what they do.

[Nathan Zachary]

"This reminds me of the crack down on restaurants that serve eggs sunny side up (with runny yokes). The nanny state must protect us."

How can anyone eat eggs any other way? If it's not sunny side up, or at least "over easy" and the yoke runny, it's ruined, not worth eating. You'd have nothing to dab your toast in, and wiping up the last of the runny yoke off the plate is tradition. Hard fried eggs- yuck! rubber.

[Cinnamon]

I grew up on a farm drinking raw milk straight from the cow's tits to my glass. I never got sick.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Stupidity can be dangerous too, but is protected by your First Amendment Right. If the First Amendment was as infringed as is the Second Amendment, would we have to read such drivel, indeed, be able?

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns. KMA NRA

[justche]

wrong thread huh?

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Uh no, not for me. DU is over there, farther on the left for you DUmmie newbies.

I do believe in the culture of the gun as solution to many problems, either as tool or as action that speaks so much more loudly than words.

For instance, "An armed society is a polite society." You might read his kid's books.

I was reared on raw milk.

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns. KMA NRA

[allen08gop]

http://www.realmilk.com/

[lucky american]

I grew up on a farm drinking raw milk...."
I did too! I believe that a lot of the health problems that children have these days are directly attributed to the lack of these organic foods. My grandchildren are constantly at the physicians getting treatments for various maladies my children never had. Children are directly affected by not introducing them to the foods organisms and enzymes that will protect them later in life. This includes playing in the dirt.Here is something to ponder. Does anyone remember a peanut allergy 40 years ago?

[RoadTest]

I rolled at your tag line. It seems a lot of us are numerically or mathematically challenged.

[RoadTest]

"As long as the families consuming it know the risks. It's their business what they do. '

Know the dairy. I drank unboiled milk for years. It's better! But I knew the dairy.
It was my Dad.

[RoadTest]

"I grew up on a farm drinking raw milk straight from the cow's tits to my glass. I never got sick."

Of course you didn't. Why should you? Cows are state inspected and TB and Bangs innoculated, and if the area and utensils are sanitary, there'll be no Undulent Fever or anything else but excellent nutrition.

[freedomfiter2]

Raw milk can be dangerous. There are several nasty bateria that can make you seriously ill. I would really avoid giving it to young children as it can kill them.

The homogenization process is store milk turns butterfat into a transfat.

[freedomfiter2]

I grew up on a farm drinking raw milk straight from the cow's tits to my glass. I never got sick.

A good squirter can skip the glass.

[freedomfiter2]

The homogenization process in store milk turns butterfat into a transfat.

Sorry, I fixed it.

[Moonman62]

Of course you didn't. Why should you? Cows are state inspected and TB and Bangs innoculated, and if the area and utensils are sanitary, there'll be no Undulent Fever or anything else but excellent nutrition.

Why can't people drink milk from cows that aren't inoculated? I'm sure there are several people who can come up with anecdotes about how it's perfectly safe.