Raw Milk

FAQ About Raw Mik

Answered by the Raw Milk Institute:


Real Milk vs. Modern Milk:

Traditional People consumed Real Milk.  Real milk is fresh from the farm, unprocessed (full-fat, not pasteurized or homogenized), from healthy cows that are raised on pasture.  Real milk is raw and unadulterated.

The so-called “milk”, that you’ll find in stores has been pasteurized and homogenized, it frequently is reduced-fat and has synthetic vitamins added.  This substance usually comes from antibiotic-treated, hormone-injected, grain-fed, confinement cows.  This is not real milk.  This is a completely modern invention.

Organic store brands are little better.  All liquid cow milk sold in Oregon stores has been pasteurized (or worse yet Ultra-Pasteurized!), frequently they are also homogenized, and reduced-fat, and come from cows fed (organic) grains.  The natural diet of cows is based on grass, not grains.  There are some brands which do not homogenize their milk, and there are a few brands that are starting to market grass-fed milk in stores.  It is still pasteurized, and we do not recommend it, but it is an improvement and a sign that our message about grass-feeding is starting to reach mainstream!


Some Interesting Facts About Raw Whole Milk:

RAW MILK contains an enzyme called lactoperoxidase, which kills bad bacteria; this enzyme doesn’t work very well after pasteurization.

RAW MILK contains an enzyme called lacto-ferrin, which prevents anemia; this enzyme doesn’t work very well after pasteurization.

RAW MILK contains special substances that help strengthen the digestive tract; when milk is pasteurized, these substances don’t work very well and the milk can be very irritating to the digestive tract.

RAW MILK contains special bacteria called lacto-bacilli, which are good for you. When we have a lot of these good bacteria in our digestive tract, we digest our food very efficiently.

RAW MILK contains white blood cells and many other important compounds that are found in blood; for this reason, raw milk supports the immune system. These compounds don’t work after pasteurization.

RAW MILK contains many important fats, which support our health in many ways; these fats are damaged during the process of pasteurization and homogenization.

Read More >> Download Healthy 4 Life


Safety of Raw Milk:

Properly produced and handled raw milk is an extremely low-risk food.

Laws in Oregon:

Oregon law allows for on-the-farm sale of raw cow milk.

Raw goat milk may be sold directly on the farm with similar restrictions as cow milk (with a larger number of goats), and may also be sold in stores from licensed goat dairies.  Raw goat milk is sold in many of our local natural food stores.

For more information read the Oregon Raw Milk Statutes on realmilk.com

Articles on WAPF websites about Raw Milk in Oregon:


Recommendations:

MILK

BEST

Clean raw whole milk from certified healthy grass-fed animals, cow milk preferably from old-fashioned breeds that produce high-fat milk, such as Jerseys and Guernseys.

We are pleased to announce that raw milk is available for sale in stores in ten states (CA, WA, AZ, NM, ID, CT, PA, NH, ME and SC). Over the past few years, sources of retail raw milk have become too numerous to list. To find high-quality, unprocessed milk in your area, either in a store or from the farm, visit realmilk.com or contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation (westonaprice.org or 202-363-4394).

GOOD

Full-fat pasteurized, non-homogenized milk from grass-fed animals, without added vitamins.

AVOID

Lowfat and skim milk; ultra-pasteurized milk; homogenized milk; flavored milk like chocolate milk; milk from animals that are not grass-fed; milk with added vitamins; processed imitation “milk” made from soy, rice, almonds, oats, hemp, etc.

Read more in our Shopping Guide Categories


Raw Milk

Local Milk:

Local Raw Milk List:

The Eugene Chapter maintains a list of Eugene area farms that produce milk.  These farmers are operating within Oregon law, but for the safety and privacy of the farms we do not post this list online.  We do not accept any payment for this service.  If you would like to be listed, just let us know.

Please Contact Us for the raw milk list.  We also recommend checking realmilk.com, as we do not have the same lists.


Important Message to All Raw Milk Producers and Consumers:

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) protects your right to provide and obtain raw milk. All raw milk producers should be members of the FTCLDF and we strongly encourage all raw milk consumers to help protect their access to raw milk by becoming consumer members as well. Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.


Raw Milk Institute:

The Eugene Chapter, WAPF encourages raw milk consumers to look for RAWMI listed farms, and to encourage your farms to become listed with RAWMI.

Learn more about RAWMI: rawmilkinstitute.net


RealMilk.com

RealMilk.com is a project of the Weston A. Price Foundation.  On this site you can find much information about the health, safety, and laws about raw milk.  They also maintain a list of raw milk suppliers.  If you are searching for real milk, check out the Real Milk Finder on RealMilk.com.  We do not have the same lists.


Health Benefits & Traditional Uses:

Traditional Use:

Out of the 14 cultures that Dr. Weston Price found to be extremely healthy with a low incidence of dental cavities, two obtained the majority of their calories from raw dairy products.  They were:

  • Village in the Swiss Alps
  • Masai African herding tribe

Not all of the people studied by Dr. Price consumed milk.  Those who didn’t have milk in their diets obtained minerals from fish and shellfish, and made broths with the bones of animals.  Traditional people who consumed milk had access to real milk, raw and unprocessed from animals who consumed their natural diet.  These healthy people consumed milk for thousands of years before anyone had ever conceived of pasteurization.  Pasteurization was invented a mere 150 years ago, and was not in widespread use until the 1950’s.  Ask your oldest friends and relatives about their diet when they were young and you will likely find many who grew up on raw milk!

The Rural Electrification Act of 1935 provided federal loans for the installation of electrical distribution systems to serve rural areas of the United States.  Before this time refridgeration was not widely available.  Without refrigeration raw milk will quickly transform itself into naturally soured dairy products.  Traditional people primarily consumed cultured milk.  Around the world raw milk comes in many forms, from yogurt, kefir, buttermilk and other fermented milks, to soft cheeses or aged aged hard cheeses.  In traditional societies, only a small amount of the milk was consumed in its fresh liquid form.   The Eugene Chapter has included culturing kefir in several classes.


Articles, Videos & Podcasts:

Health Benefits and Uses of Raw Milk:

Additional Articles and Video:


Elsewhere on the web:


 

Join these Organizations!

Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund:

We encourage everyone to become a member of the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF).  This is great not just for farmers, but for consumers as well!

The FTCLDF protects the rights of the nation’s family farms, artisan food producers, consumers and affiliate communities to engage in direct commerce free of harassment by federal, state and local government interference; it protects the rights of farmers and artisanal producers to make their products available and the rights of consumers to access the foods of their choice from the source of their choice.  Read more about the FTCLDF mission.

 

Raw Milk Institute:

The Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) was launched in 2011, and already Oregon is the leader in RAWMI listed farms!  The Eugene Chapter, WAPF encourages raw milk consumers to look for RAWMI listed farms, and to encourage your farms to become listed with RAWMI.

“The Raw Milk Institute provides training and leadership through its common standards to safely guide the growing raw milk market. The process involves scientific research, farmer training, the publication of listed farmers’ test results, and continuous education.”

Learn more about RAWMI: rawmilkinstitute.net


 

Articles in the Eugene Chapter, WAPF Newsletter:

Post is the Eugene Chapter Newsletter with the tag: “Raw Milk”


 

For Raw Milk Producers & Wannabe Cow Owners:


Note – Up until recently Oregon did not allow raw milk farmers to advertise.  Your chapter leader said: “In my opinion, Oregon’s law against advertising raw milk is a crazy restriction.  I cannot figure out how advertising effects the quality of the milk.  Do the cows just know it?  Does advertising make the cows feel cheap?  Does the cows state of mind make more pathogens appear in the milk?  And if it is not for the safety of the milk, then what is it there for?  The only thing I can figure is that the restriction against advertising is NOT about safety, but is designed to keep small raw milk producers from having enough customers to be profitable.  And that is just wrong.”