A future for raw milk?

A Future For Raw Milk:
Bill would lift limits, establish oversight

By WENDY HATOUM
The Essex Reporter (April 30, 2009)

Dairy farmer Adam Wilson begins each morning milking his cows by hand. The New Jersey native owns Essex Creamery, likely one of the smallest dairy farms in the state of Vermont. Located in the rear lower barn at Chapin Orchard, off Chapin Road in Essex, it has four heifers, only two of which are currently being milked, currently producing just six gallons a day. Wilson, who leases the pasture and the barn, can afford to operate on such a small scale because he sells raw milk directly to his customers, for a premium price – $10 a gallon.

“It allows me to take really good care of the animals,” said Wilson of the price he charges, noting that organic milk in the store often costs $8-$8.50 per gallon. Though not certified organic, the herd is mainly grass-fed and managed organically. “The cost and scale would be prohibitive for a farm of this size,” said Wilson, but he said he sees organic certification as an important symbol for larger farms with greater distance from their customers.

Though Wilson would like to expand his production, current state regulations limit sales of milk directly from dairy farms to only 50 quarts a day. There is legislation before the Vermont House agriculture committee that could change this. House bill H.125, which has a number of sponsors, including Essex Rep. Debbie Evans and Westford/Essex Rep. Martha Heath, would expand the measure of milk that could be sold by dairy farmers directly to consumers to unlimited amounts. It would also establish an oversight board and certification process.

“The farmers are wanting this oversight process. They want to show they are using good practices and meeting criteria for animal health and cleanliness,” said Wilson. “Two of the most revolutionary things about this bill are it allows me to sell directly to customers and to set my own price. It is huge for the continuation of the dairy industry.”

Wilson came to the area to attend school in Dartmouth and worked on a small farm in Norwich. “I just fell in love with having fresh milk, cheese, cream cheese, butter, buttermilk, and yogurt,” he said.

Wilson said many people prefer raw milk to pasteurized for both health and taste reasons. “Raw milk contains the enzyme lactase which aids in the digestion of lactose and is destroyed by pasteurization. The taste they find is so different and so good,” said Wilson. “The milk Omega 3 to Omega 6 (fatty acid) ratio is more optimal when cows are grass-fed. It’s the same reason people are taking fish oil.”

It should be noted that the Vermont state health department recommends against drinking raw milk, and warns in a press release on its web site that raw milk potentially contains a wide variety of harmful bacteria – including salmonella, E. coli, listeria, campylobacter, and brucella.

“Illnesses caused by pathogens found in raw milk can be especially severe for pregnant women, the elderly, infants, young children and people with weakened immune systems,” reads the news release, the full text of which can be found at: http://healthvermont.gov/news/2007/030707milk.aspx.

“People drank raw milk for thousands of years and did pretty well. From healthy cows it is a pretty safe product,” countered Wilson, who added that he periodically has his milk tested for bacteria. “I feel confident in it or I wouldn’t be selling it. My customers feel confident in the quality. I estimate there might be 10,000 people in the dairy industry (in Vermont) consuming it every day. It is an extremely small number of people who become ill.”

Wilson currently has 24 households who purchase shares from him, (typically between one and three gallons) stopping in once a week. Customers bring in their empty containers, switching them for freshly sterilized stainless steel containers full of milk.

Wilson milks his Jerseys only once a day, explaining that they produce less total milk, but it is higher in solids. “I once had it tested. It came in at 7.9 percent butterfat and 4½ percent protein, double whole milk in the grocery store,” said Wilson, describing the butter made from Jersey milk as bright golden yellow, unlike anything one would find in the grocery store.

On Sunday, May 3, from 1 - 4 p.m. Wilson will be offering a class through Rural Vermont, on using raw milk to make butter, yogurt, and cream cheese. Though the class is already full and has a waiting list, Wilson hopes to offer another class if there is interest. Call Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 for more information.

Milk from Essex Creamery can be purchased by calling Adam Wilson at 922-2808.

Photo top right: Adam Wilson strolls among the heifers he milks at Essex Creamery. Photo left: Likely one of the smallest dairy farms in the state of Vermont, the creamery is located at Chapin Orchard, off Chapin Road in Essex. Photos by WENDY HATOUM