NPR. Cow sharing

[ed/IL]

Listening to NPR on the radio they had a story on raw milk and cow sharing. I thought some of you would enjoy it so I went to their site and book marked the story. Here it is. Milk cow blues. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...tor---=4230005 Edited to say if you click listen you can hear more then they have in print.

[gray mouse]

Originally Posted by ed/IL

Listening to NPR on the radio they had a story on raw milk and cow sharing. I thought some of you would enjoy it so I went to their site and book marked the story. Here it is. Milk cow blues. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...tor---=4230005 Edited to say if you click listen you can hear more then they have in print.

Do you know if there is cow sharing in Canada too?

[GREEN_ALIEN]

Ed, thanks for posting this story.

I get so ****ed off when I think about the whole milk issue, I see red. Although not the case in the story you posted and not an attempt to hijack your post, I think something needs to be done here.

I can go to the store and buy booze, cigs, chew and chemical laden canned foods yet I cannot go to the neighbors and buy milk right from the tap because I MIGHT GET SICK..... My GD choice, I know I won't get sick and nobody elses business.

Maybe it is time for a new law on the books....like we need more. If we can label every other hazardous thing on the planet then allow raw milk and make the small producer label it as unprocessed. possible pathogen contamination or some silly thing.

GA

[Christina R.]

I seriously thought about cow sharing, but don't like the idea of having so many controls on what I do with the cow and her calves. I thought about drawing up papers that said something about 50+ % ownership gets to make decisions, and always maintain that % of ownership, but decided against it. The only reason I was heading in that area was to make it legal to sell the milk from my one cow. I have decided to use it as a history lessib with my students in writing and submitting a bill to allow milk sales from owners of 3 or less cows. I'm sure it won't fly in a dairy state like ours (we actually have the second strictest laws on the books... they did shoot sown adding coloring to the milk before selling it for pet use or we would have been tied for the strictest), but it'll be worth the effort educationally. I'll kepp you all posted.

[ed/IL]

Canada? Found this on web site link is below. Has laws for all states and few countries. http://www.realmilk.com/happening.html
CANADA Federal law prohibits the sale or giving away of any raw milk, and in many provincial laws reinforce this (in Ontario, farmers may be fined $250,000 and sentenced to three years in jail). Challenges to these laws are now underway (see Appendix 2). And in spite of onerous penalties, Michael and Dorothea Schmidt of Glencolton Farm provide milk to cow-share holders in Toronto.

Information on raw milk through a cow-share program is available through Consumer Health of Canada (416-490-0986). Gordon Watson is trying to get something going in British Columbia. He can be contacted at nuncio@canada.com . Virginia Salares and James McLaren are working to change pasteurization legislation in Ontario. See their website at www.raw-milk.com or email at info@raw-milk.com .

[GREEN_ALIEN]

One of my friends is one of them high power corporate lawyers and came up with a great way for us to cow share yet retain ALL control. INCORPORATE the cow as an entity of the farm... and then sell shares of said corporation. 51% controlling interest to be held by owner etc.. and sell shares on the 'private market'. Each share holder can the redeem their share for any of the corporations profits or products at any time. Since the profit/product is milk they are allowed to be paid with it.

Imagine it like this... Person A buys 25 shares of Bossy Corporation at $2.00 per share. Person A then redeems 1 bossy share for the equivelant value of 1 gallon of milk etc... Said shares can be traded up to say 2 or 3 times per week etc. as needed and they can always buy more shares.

Another side benefit of this is that the privately held shares become tradable by others as they have meaningful value. So person A trades 5 of his shares to non holder person X for a couple of laying hens and now person X can redeem shares for milk.

He is looking into all of the legalities and I will pass on more info as I get it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

GA

[RdoubleD]

Do you think that it is possible to sell the jar the milk is in. That way you are not selling milk but jars instead? If that works then no shares are needed.