Raw milk has become a major topic of discussion on social media with influencers touting raw milk’s benefits and the establishment media sounding the alarm about potential health risks, even though raw cow, sheep, goat and other animal milks have successfully fed human beings on farms, in cities and other communities for generations.
Recently, a raw milk farm in rural Pennsylvania was raided by government officials as part of an event that has alternative and local media talking about government overreach, and the farm fighting back for its right to sell raw milk and other raw dairy products in a state that bans their sale.
Penn. State Police Spring Into Action
The original incident occurred in Upper Leacock Township farm owned by Amos Miller this January. The raid has since led to court hearings, grassroots rallies in support of the raided farm = and debates about whether the police’s actions were justified.
Miller is an Amish farmer who sells raw milk and has resisted federal and food safety regulations according to the website Terfarming.com based in Lancaster, PA. Critics have fired back on government oversights of raw milk ever since, noting the long, safe history of use of raw milk along with the many health benefits it provides, especially when the animals are grass-fed and raised in traditional ways like on Miller’s farm.
Government officials say that Miller must get a permit, but are ignoring his side of the story according to his attorney.
The Jan. 4 raid happened after New York and Michigan officials traced alleged illnesses to raw dairy products from Miller’s farm.
Miller has been involved in litigation for years and cited for violations. He reached an agreement in 2022 for the second time to avoid jail time according to the LancasterOnline.com newspaper.
Miller Farm’s Pledge for Milk and Raw Milk Products
Miller’s products are sold through a private buying club. According to Miller, his religious beliefs are the main reason why he has not ahhered to federal food safety guidelines in past years.
The Miller Organic farm was fined $250,000 for violating government procedures for processing its raw milk, meat and other products in 2021.
The Miller case has brought many supporters out of the woodwork who say that raw milk rules are unnecessary. According to Martin Bucknavage, a food safety professional at Penn State Extension, raw milk does not fall under the categorization of ‘basic sanitary standards’ for food or drink.
Federal law prohibits the sale of raw milk, even if it is done through a members-only buyer’s club.
It is legal within the state of Pennsylvania if purveyors have a permit for its sale.
Photo via Amish America
Protesters Support Miller Family Over Raw Milk Hearing
Photo via LancasterOnline.com.
Protestors came out in large numbers to support the Miller Family during a hearing on Feb. 29, 2024, as reported on by LancasterOnline.com.
After three hours of testimony, the judge, Thomas Sponaugle, came to one conclusion that was directed at Miller and his attorney Robert E. Barnes.
“Why doesn’t Amos Miller just go get a permit…just like every other Amish farmer in the county and commonwealth does if they want to sell raw milk?” Sponaugle asked.
The judge joked that Miller’s application would go to the ‘top of the pile’ if he did apply for a permit. Barnes had a retort.
He said that “obtaining the permits would mean that Miller could not sell his other raw milk products, such as butter, soft cheeses (Penn. only permits hard cheeses), kefir and colostrum (the first substance produced by cows’ mammary glands after giving birth) because Pennsylvania doesn’t allow their sales.
Miller felt he had no choice but to sell raw milk without the permit, if he wanted to sell the many other health, life-giving substances he sold through his raw dairy farm.
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Protestors in Lancaster County PA.
A March 1 order from Judge Sponaugle limited Miller to providing raw milk and products made from it only to family and attempted to put a halt to any commercial sales, in state or out-of-state, while the lawsuit continues.
The raw milk farm, located in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County, has a website that remained operation as of spring 2024. It says that its mission is to provide the best, most nutritious food on a farm that has ‘not been touched by chemicals.’
Products include raw milk, cheese, sprouted grain breads, camel, goat, sheep, beef, buffalo, mutton, yogurt, and cheese, and everything is entirely grass-fed.
“Our farmer’s mission is to provide nutrient dense, chemical and cruelty-free foods, grown according to God’s Law,” the Miller Farm website reads.
Despite government threats and fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, the farm is still standing and fighting against government overreach — a fight that is considered to be the ‘good fight’ among the farm’s many supporters, and a thorn in the side of local governments and laws according to those who administer and enforce them.
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