The California Legislature has passed a law which effectively outlaws raw milk
• The California State legislature has recently passed a new law changing how raw milk is regulated. This law was introduced to the legislature by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) as a Consent Item. A Consent Item means that there is no issue or controversy around it, that it’s like a routine, housekeeping detail. There was no controversy, because no one who produces, sells, or drinks raw milk was informed! We trust that you will let your representatives know just how misinformed they were concerning the controversy surrounding this bill.
• The CDFA maintains that this is a public safety law. It is not. Raw milk is already highly regulated with respect to bacterial content and is tested directly for all pertinent pathogens. These existing regulations are more than sufficient to protect the public. The new regulation adds nothing whatsoever which is pertinent to public safety.
• This new law will make the production and sale of raw milk on any meaningful scale impossible. For a detailed description of why this is so see Ron’s letter.
• After this law goes into effect on January 1st of 2008 it will be essentially impossible for you to get raw milk in California.
We oppose AB1735. We are fighting this legislation on a political, legal and grass roots level.
• Write to your representatives and the Governor
Don’t underestimate the power of your voice!
Let them know how much you value this milk and the right to freely buy it. Let them know loud and clear (but respectfully) that you don’t appreciate how this new legislation was passed in secret. We believe that most of the legislature was unaware that there was any issue surrounding this Bill.
CALIFORNIA RAW MILK ACTION ALERT
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED TO STOP AB1735
Calling all Raw Milk Consumers!
We have been given very specific "political marching orders" to win reversal of AB 1735 without a lawsuit and hearings!
YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY
Our political associates in Sacramento have strongly advised us to send letters and make calls immediately to the six people listed below. This group of leaders holds the future of your raw milk in their hands. Please contact them right now!
AB 1735 will be in political play during the next few days. With your passionate and immediate support via phone calls and mailed letters, we can overturn AB 1735 without a lawsuit.
When calling, simply say you oppose the bill because it threatens your supply of raw milk, and you support a reversal. The friendly phone personnel will take your name and city, register your comment and that's it!
The message points for your letter are:
• California Raw milk is safe with a PERFECT RECORD of zero pathogens detected at Claravale Dairy since 1927 and Organic Pastures Dairy since 2000. That's 80 years of raw milk testing history.
• AB 1735 creates a new raw milk standard that does not improve safety and will eliminate raw milk sales in California. Coliform bacteria (if high or low) do not equal pathogenic bacteria. Current laws provide for testing of pathogens and NONE HAVE EVER BEEN FOUND IN RAW MILK produced at Claravale or OPDC.
• Demand AB 1735 BE REVERSED immediately.
• Make it clear why raw milk is important to you and your family, how it has changed your life and improved YOUR HEALTH.
CALL NOW, THEN WRITE LETTERS TO:
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*IMPORTANT* |
Assemblyperson Nicole Parra |
Doug LaMalfa
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Mike Villines |
Bill Maze |
Fabian Nunez |
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Senator Abel Maldonado |
AB 1735 ACTION ALERT
The Final Push
NEXT STEP :
Get Serious with the Secretary of Agriculture
As a direct result of your actions last week, we now have the support of all key assembly representatives to overturn AB 1735.
However, your assemblymen have expressed concern that we do not have the support of the California Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. A.G. Kawamura. He appears to be the last raw milk challenge standing.
It is critical that we create an avalanche of political pressure like last week, only stronger in message (see below). Please focus all of your efforts on A.G. Kawamura. Contact the CA Secretary of Agriculture immediately!
Please call him today and send out as many letters and faxes as possible.
A.G. Kawamura
Secretary of Food and Agriculture
1220 N St., Suite 400
Sacramento, Ca. 95814
Phone: (916) 654-0321 or (916) 654-0433
Fax: 916-654-0403
The message to him should be very strong, yet respectful. The talking points we suggest may sound harsh but they reflect the truth (see "Background" below). The Secretary needs to know what has happened on his watch:
- Certain corrupt staff members within CDFA have personal prejudice against raw milk. They have participated and conspired in an illegal, secret, and silent process to deny California consumers their access to raw milk.
- Demand that the Ag Secretary use his power to immediately suspend or reverse AB 1735 and the “less-than-10 coliform” standard for raw milk in California.
- Demand that the CDFA staff who misrepresented raw milk science and snuck the groundless coliform standard into AB 1735 be dismissed immediately.
Background:
We have discovered that certain staff members in CDFA actually committed crimes by “introducing negative language into a bill which would be applied to an industry which it regulates.” This is outrageous illegal activity; it defies written administrative policy and must not be tolerated within CDFA. The normal legal process requires CDFA to bring any legislative language to the attention of the governors office prior to contacting an assembly committee. CDFA misrepresented facts, claiming AB 1735 was so insignificant that it could be handled “as a consent item” and did not require discussion or debate. Other substantial and material misstatements of fact also occurred to keep AB 1735 secret and silent.
This is the big event we have all been working towards. It may be the last effort needed to overcome AB 1735. Please call today and send your letters.
• Contribute to our legal and political expenses related to this legislation.
We are fighting this legislation both politically and legally. Both of these efforts, of course, cost money. On the political side, our costs will be over $30,000 for the next 6 months.
- • If you would like to donate anything towards this effort it would be greatly appreciated.
- • Please send a check directly to us at 33320 Panoche Road, Paicines, CA 95043.
We have also joined the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. The FTCLDF will be pursuing this as a violation of our constitutional rights on several counts. To contribute to the legal opposition to this new regulation donate at FTCLDF and designate your contribution to Claravale Farm defense.
• Send us your contact information and testimonials. Contact Us Now
Sometime within the next 30-60 days we anticipate hearings before the legislature and CDFA. We need every person who values our milk to join us there for support and to possibly testify. We don’t know the venue yet, but we’ll update you as soon as we do. Towards this end, we need you to send us your contact information and testimonial, if you have one — even if you’re just drinking it for the freshness and great taste!
• Tell your friends what’s going on.
Even if they don’t drink this milk, it will affect them. Every time one of our freedoms is taken away, sooner or later it affects everyone.
• Also visit these websites:
We are so thankful for the support and encouragement of our customers and friends. We love what we do in providing this milk to you and are committed to doing it as long as we can.