I remember visiting my Uncle Lewis and Aunt Edith on their ranch/farm just outside of Henrietta, Texas, during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Uncle Lewis was my dad’s uncle who spent his entire life working ranches in Clay County, Texas.
When we visited them, I remember having to help with the chores which consisted of milking their cow, feeding the hogs and chickens, and even feeding the giant catfish who called the cement tank his home! I also remember looking forward to Aunt Edith’s wonderful meals of cornbread, beans, tomatoes, and peppers (from their small plot) along with her great fried chicken, steaks, and bacon (all also from their ranch). With each meal, Aunt Edith provided us kids with milk directly from their milk cow and all of the butter and cream also came from her.
Today, the Federales insist they know better and will not allow raw milk sales. Why? OMG, it might actually have cow hair in it! I went to a county fair in Fort Bend County in the past couple of years and the fair actually had a dairy farmer who provided an excellent brief about the benefits of milk for the local school kids. His presentation consisted of demonstrating how a milk cow is milked and he provided an excellent display of the benefits of dairy products in general. But, … he was NOT allowed, BY FEDERAL LAW, to provide any samples of raw milk. I mean, really, he might have been Typhoid Mary and killed everyone in the county if someone might actually tasted what real cow’s milk tastes like.
The Washington Post covered a grassroots protest this week about raw milk. (The blog is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-buzz/post/raw-milk-advocates-have-a-cow-on-capitol-hill/2011/05/16/AFLhG64G_blog.html) Evidently, raw milk is BAD for you. It must be pasteurized, processed, and --- of course --- TAXED before you can drink it. You know, the Federales government knows better than you.
People have been drinking cow’s milk even before cows were domesticated. Today, our milk has nothing of the taste or nutrition that was commonplace even when I was a kid.
Again, I remember Aunt Edith pouring a big glass of fresh milk including nice chunks of milk fat. Nothing tasted better and, probably, nothing was better for me. Yes, on occasion there was a bit of cow hair in my drink and even sometimes too much cream (well, probably not that!), but I (and my parents) KNEW where that milk came from!
Why in the world?
OK. I understand some people may be allergic to the milk or may be lactose intolerant. So what? Even when pasteurized those same people have the same problems.
My main complaint is that the Federales are putting people in jail and fining them just because they sell raw milk. Is that right?
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