WOW! Goat's Milk on CL

http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm

http://www.realmilk.com/happening.html

some links to clear any confusing info on your own state.

here's one of those catch-all things--I can sell raw goat milk, BUT I must have a licenced bottling facility. I have not looked into it as I highly doubt I could afford to do it, and I don't want the hassle anyhow. i figure if I bottle my fresh milk in my kitchen for my family, that should be enough proof I trust its quality!

It makes me glad to live in Oregon. Our laws are becoming more lax for small farmers. They've passed it recently that we can process up to 1,000 poultry for sell as long as we raise them. All that without USDA inspection.

The non advertising thing isn't such a problem because just mentioning that you make cheese at home in the grocery line at the store and the word spreads like wildfire. One of my customers is a cashier at the grocery store I shop at just because I was buying a small thing of buttermilk to start up some new batches and I like to chit chat while I'm waiting in line.

You see, though, chewie, that map is misleading.

If you look at it, you would think that On-the-Farm sales of raw milk in Texas is actually something you can do. In actuality, as of 2 years ago, people such as you and I cannot sell or buy raw milk from the farm.

In all of the state of Texas, 13 companies have raw milk licenses. Of those, only four of them are actually selling any raw milk at all. Notice I said "companies", not "people". That is because, to qualify for a raw milk license that allows you to sell milk from your farm (not even retail, JUST from the farm, with no advertising, no more than X amount per month) you HAVE to have a Grade A dairy.

Who the heck is going to put the bucks into building a Grade A dairy for their goats so they can sell a couple hundred gallons of milk per month?

Investigate the laws for yourself. Just because something is, technically, legal doesn't mean it is practical or something you can actually do.

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Peace,
Caliann

"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck

What on earth am I legally allowed??!!

You are allowed to suck on the government tit. And you are allowed to do what the government allows you to do, which is usually NOT in our best interests. Hence the whole homesteading movement, anyways. So point in case... I think we are best represented by a nice oiled up 12 guage, a couple of big dogs, a good fence, and a meaningful look at the next government wanna-be that thinks he wants to set foot on my property and tell me what the heck I am "allowed" to do.

This is correct. AND you cannot sell more than 100 gallons per month averaged over the year.

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so what's with the misleading map? are they trying to trap ppl? geesh! i think ours is a bit misleading too--that site says i can selling IF i have a licenced bottling facitiy. like you said, there is no way to make it work if i have to go thru all that to sell a few gallons of milk each week!

BUT, when i called our state dept about this, they told me no sales of raw milk. hmm? i would love to call them and ask more questions, but i am scared to try calling them again, that they may think to pay me a visit, so i just keep my mouth shut.

Standard $4-5 here. This is one of MO's poorest counties, too.


Make sure it is chilled properly. It should taste exactly like raw cows milk.

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I'm an environmentalist, left wing, Ron Paul loving Prius driver with a farm. If you have a problem with that, kindly go take a leap.

Last I checked raw milk sales were illegal in KY. Which is a shame. My Alpine/Nubian girl is milking over a gallon a day. I personally drink two quarts everyday, but it takes some doing! It is the best milk ever, much, much better than any cows milk. The other 1/2 gallon is used by DH, for cooking and goes to my cats and chickens. People ask all the time will I sell them milk, but I do not want to get in that legal mess!
I only know what milk sells for in my grocery store, here it is about 4.00 a qt. And tastes similar to my goats milk, just not as creamy and rich.

Sort of, Oregon allows you to sell raw goats or cows milk (9 miking goats or 3 milking cows maximum per farm), this does not have to be "pet food" but for human consumption. It does have to be sold on farm only. The State of Oregon feels that selling as "pet food" is just a sham, so they don't allow it last I heard. You are right, no advertising though of any kind, if you do you will get a friendly call from the State. I do believe you can put a sign on the road at your farm that that says "raw milk" and a phone number.

Oregon also allows larger goat farms to become Grade A Raw Dairies and sell in retail stores (last I heard Fern's Edge Dairy is the only one in the State that is certified to sell retail).

$6 a half gallon seems to be about the going rate around here too (Willamette Valley).

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

I forgot to add that we have a Legislature Bill right now in the State of Oregon to increase all our limits for on farm sales (I think it would increase milking goats to 30 and 10 milking cows but I'd have to check).

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

morningstar- Do you know much about herd shares in Oregon? I'm just now looking in to that but I haven't been able to find a solid answer. I want to know if by using a herd share the milk can be sold off farm/transported? For example, the farmer transports the milk to a central location where the herd share members then pick it up.

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Linda

A lady I know posted this on her FB page today:

"Rent Your Goat Today!
To the Lessee:
When leasing a doe from ****** Farm, the lessee pays for the actual pasturing and feeding of a doe. It will include any maintenance that the doe requires, including shots, stall cleaning, milking and storage of the milk, etcetera.
Our milking is done in a clean environment, strained, then quickly chilled. It is naturally homogenized but not pasteurized. Our does produce on average a gallon of milk per day. This will be measured on a daily basis and you will only get the milk from the doe that you are leasing, produced on that day. The current average cost for maintenance per animal is approximately $6 per day. You, the lessee are responsible for supplying your own container, or you can purchase one from me. Food grade jugs are $2, water gallon jugs $1.
Lessee agrees to pay for pasturing and upkeep of the goat in return for the milk the doe produces. Lessee is also welcome to come visit their goat and milk it, clean it’s stall themselves anytime they would like, with prior notice given to me.

***Raw milk is illegal to sell in the state of Ohio.

Lessee:

Date:
Days of Rent Paid For:
Next Rental Period Requested Ending:
Days of rent requested:"

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As far as I understand or know, no, we don't do farm shares and all raw milk must be sold on site. Everyone I know that sells raw milk in Oregon have an area on farm with a frig and payment jar or payment register, so that eliminates you having to be there to deal with milk customers. It woks out really well for most folks.

The State of Oregon watches raw milk sales really closely, they crack down really fast on anything such as advertising, selling as "pet food", or selling off farm. I've never talked to anyone that has had any real "problems" but they do give a friendly call and follow up to make sure you are following rules.

You could go the raw milk dairy route but it is usually not worth it unless you have a huge farm and $$$ to put into it (Ferns Edge has about 250 goats l believe).

Another note for Oregon, you can't sell raw fresh cheese, even registered dairies (like Ferns Edge). You can only sell raw fluid milk.

We will see how that legislature comes out, that would increase our limits to 30 milking animals (goats), and really you could do a lot with 30 milkers.

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

Well, we don't have a huge farm-17 acres, and certainly not lots of $$$. We will be milking jerseys & sticking with 3 for now. I will be following the legislature for the new guidelines, but won't hold my breath. We've considered going the route to be a grade A dairy in the future. I looked at one(grade A) in WA, Blue Rose Dairy. She runs dairy goats, but the set up seemed fairly straight forward. I'd like to do that on a small scale with cows, if it wasn't cost prohibitive. And that's the rub.

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Linda

A quart of goat milk at the local Walmart was $3.65/quart the last I checked. Family and friends get my surplus for $6/gallon and feel it is a fair price.

I was also looking at the Real Milk milk laws article at http://www.realmilk.com/milk-laws-1.html and noticed they were last updated Dec. 1, 2004.

Like everything government controlled, it seems there is no one convenient place to find easy to understand and up to date information regarding the laws and regulations of selling dairy products.

~Jenn

chewie > You can sell raw milk in SD ,or at least it was legal a few years ago as I used to buy it when we lived in Belle Fourche ! I think the lady had to have her place inspected ,and all containers had to be labeled "raw milk" . She even delivered it to our door like the old days ! LOL

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-Amy
~Helpmeet to my best friend~
~Keeper at home with 6 little blessings~

No reg here. WE sell for 7.00 per gal and when I was visiting my dad recently in Oklahoma city at the feed store there were 2 adds for 8.00 per gal. Brad

I've wondered myself what it would take to do set up a small cow dairy but with all the commercial equipment needed, and you still couldn't sell it raw, it didn't seem feasable, not that I made it past some internet searches. I really couldn't find a lot on micro-dairies.

Remember though you can have more then three milking cows on the farm, it is just that you can only have three in milk at once.

We have LaMancha goats and one Jersey Cow. We are only milking the Jersey right now, we have two LaManchas that gave birth last month but they are raising their kids right now.

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed