Massachusetts Raw Milk Hearing
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| Hearing on Monday, Nov. 25th 7:45 p.m. in McGinty Room 8 Chestnut Street, Foxboro, MA 02035 Attend the hearing and write letters to the local newspaper editor and to the Board of Health members. More info here. |
Raw Milk Regulations Threaten 300-year-old Heritage Farm
Attend November 25th Hearing
Mon. 7:45 p.m. Eastern
McGinty Room
8 Chestnut Street
Foxboro, MA 02035 [directions]
(508) 543-2112
The Lawton Family Farm, a provider of raw milk (OKA Real Milk, LLC) and cheeses (Foxboro Cheese Co.), faces a draconian slate of local town regulations to be voted on Monday, November 25 at 7:45 pm in Foxboro, MA.
Passing these unnecessary and expensive regulations will make this small family farm financially unsustainable.
Your action is needed NOW!
Highlights of Proposed Regulations:
- Vaccinating the cows for rabies
- Switching the water supply to municipal water (which is fluoridated and chlorinated)
- Weekly testing of the milk by an FDA accredited laboratory (currently, the milk is tested regularly by the State of Massachusetts). If the mandated counts are exceeded, the farm must shut down and only the Board of Health will be able to authorize its reopening.
- Liability insurance: the farm must carry general liability insurance against losses of $1 million per occurrence, and with an aggregate of $3 million per year, MINIMUM.
- Obtaining an annual permit from the Town of Foxborough Board of Health, for an annual fee that has yet to be determined
For more info on the regulations visit www.foxboroughma.gov.
Read what you can do!
Please share this alert with friends and family.
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About Foxboro Cheese Co:
Foxboro Cheese Co. is located on Lawton's Family Farm, which has been owned by Ed Lawton's family for nearly 300 years. The farm was a part of a land grant to the family by King George in 1732. Currently the 25-acre farm is primarily used to graze a herd of 25 Ayrshire cows, which supply milk to OKA Real Milk (a raw milk retailer) and Foxboro Cheese Co. The cheese room, and aging cave, is located in the 1830's hand-hewn timber-framed barn. Cheese sales began in the summer of 2009.
Terri Lawton, who runs the OKA Real Milk, graduated from Purdue University with a double major in Animal Agri-business and Agricultural Communications in 2002. After a year's service with the Americorps *Vista program, Terri became a state Dairy inspector. While with the state, she learned about the raw milk movement. She visited many raw milk retailers in all stages of the licensing process. Specializing in food safety and sanitation in the dairy industry helped Terri become an expert in the field. Terri used the information she learned as a FDA certified Dairy Inspector to develop a raw milk program that exceeds all legal food safety requirements.
There have been no reported illnesses by consumers of raw milk from the Lawton Farm. In addition, milk is not sold to the general public. To purchase milk from OKA Real Milk, the consumer must submit an application, attend an orientation session conducted by Terri Lawton to learn about the process of raw milk production and the methods by which the consumer must handle the milk. Following orientation, the consumer orders her/his milk, and milk pickup must occur on the day for which it was scheduled. The cows are milked that morning, and that day the consumer must pick up their milk.
Who is behind the regulations:
Health Agent, Pauline Clifford, who holds no degree in science, public health or policy, and was a former secretary for the town of Foxborough, was appointed as Public Health Agent by the Board of Health: Paul A. Mullins, Chairman; Paul Q. Stevens, Vice Chairman; Eric S. Arvedon, Clerk.
Read about Ms. Clifford here.
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1. Write a letter to the editor of The Sun Chronicle, the local newspaper.
Contact: Mike Kirby at [email protected]
Note in your subject line that this is for Foxboro.
2. Attend the public hearing scheduled for Monday, November 25, 2013 at 7:45 p.m. in the McGinty Room, 8 Chestnut Street, Foxboro, MA 02035.
3. Write a letter to each member of the Board of Health:
Paul A. Mullins, Chairman
Paul Q. Stevens, Vice Chairman
Eric S. Arvedon, Clerk
Town of Foxborough
Public Health Department
40 South Street
Foxborough, MA 02035
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Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit [EIN 20-8605130], defends the rights and broadens the freedoms of family farms and artisan food producers while protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient-dense foods. Learn more About Us or FTCLDF 2012 Summary.
Membership benefits include the possibility of representation in court; the Fund typically pays for all court costs. The Fund is not an insurance company and cannot guarantee representation on all legal matters. Your membership fees and donations help to keep local food sources available and preserve family farms facing unjust enforcement actions.
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Please forward this alert to others who are concerned about protecting locally-sourced nutrient-dense foods and preserving sustainable small family farms and artisan food producers as well as defending the rights to sell and to access the foods of one's choice from the source of one's choice. 
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