This morning, I’ve been surfing the internet to find raw goat milk for sale. I want to try making my own chevre and mozzarella cheeses. It turns out it is legal to sell raw goat milk from a farm in Illinois, but not legal to advertise it. Hunh? Time to gas up the Guzzler and start driving around to goat farms, empty container in hand. If I manage to find a farm that sells raw milk, they cannot give it to me in a container, or they will be guilty of illegal distribution. I read the Illinois laws on raw dairy products as I surfed and it explained why I could not find any farms with raw milk listed as an available product. So it’s up to me to search it out.
The roadblocks small farmers and dairies must overcome are exceptionally creative and more than a little frightening. Now I don’t want this blog to become a place of fear and bad news. I want it to be a place to gather facts, to learn about local farms; a place that helps you, the consumer make good (or at least better) decisions about food. To do that, you need choices. Whether you are aware of it or not, state and federal agencies who side with factory farms are chipping away at your choices.
To learn more about what is happening, try to make it to this screening of the documentary Farmageddon, by Kristin Canty. A friend just let me know there is a screening at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, the last weekend in August. (I am going to learn more, and to try to find that farmer who will sell raw milk to me.) What began as Kristin Canty’s quest to buy fresh food and unprocessed milk for her four children became a journey that led to the making of this film about the attack on America’s small farms.
Here is a link to the information on the screening: http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/farmageddon?mini=node%2F2%2F2011-08 It is an eye-opener, folks. It is in our best interests to stay informed.
You can also click on the Farmageddon site via the link in the list to the right to learn more and to see a preview of the film.
Mental Farmer 
07/31/2011 at 3:29 pm
Yes, please.
Bravo to the brave farmers finding creative ways
to defy a system that isn’t working for the good
of the people
and bravo to you
for being such a beautiful voice for them!
-Jen
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07/31/2011 at 9:30 pm
Well, I have not done much yet, but thanks for the encouragement!
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08/03/2011 at 12:41 pm
Laura led me to your blog…hopefully will meet you at farmageddon on that sun. showing! I can get you that raw goat milk…Green Meadow Farms and Food Freedom both deliver to multiple Chicagoland homes monthly/weekly….hopefully my home will be a pickup point soon too! Email me if you want specifics 🙂 Other local resources can be found at traditionalnutrition.org
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08/03/2011 at 8:01 pm
Hurrah! Yippee! Eureka! I can’t wait to meet you, Tracy.
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08/03/2011 at 7:22 pm
Hi. Mozzarella is water buffalo. I am trying to convince The Man that we can raise these on the farm. I will keep you posted.
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08/03/2011 at 8:04 pm
Cool. Might I suggest beginning with goats? For one thing, they can’t accidentally trample you. For two, goat cheese mozzerella is alive and well. Try making some! On the other hand, should you decide to purchase buffalo, I think it will make for some very interesting blog entries. You will have to MILK them.
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11/14/2011 at 8:33 am
Raw goat’s milk is the BEST!!! My Aunt has four alpine goats and their milk is “heavenly”! Makes great cheese and yogurt……. and insane ice cream…… 🙂
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11/14/2011 at 8:52 am
Ooooh, I have never tried the ice cream! Sounds yummy!
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09/15/2012 at 4:29 pm
My friends always have a surplus of the sweetest raw goat’s milk I have ever tasted. I am looking forward to making some cheese. Best thing to happen to me in Champaign Illinois
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