Bill Attempts to Ban Retail Raw Milk Sales
Senator Pat Woods (District 7) expects to present Senate Bill 286 to the Conservation Committee on Thursday afternoon or evening, February 28th. The Senate Conservation Committee is chaired by Senator Peter Wirth (District 25).
SB 286, as written, calls for a ban on the sale of retail raw milk in New Mexico. See more information and action points below.
The Conservation Committee will meet on Thursday, 30 minutes after the floor session ends, which could be as early at 2 p.m.
To join the Raw Milk Opportunity and Choice Protection Team, please contact Steve Warshawer at [email protected]
Please pass this alert on and ask others to do the same.
Action
Your calls are important; this bill needs to be stopped at the committee level.
1) Call Senator Wirth’s office at 505-986-4861 and say that you oppose SB 286. If your Senator is on the Conservation Committee, please call his Capitol office as well.
2) Attend the Committee Meeting
Would you be available on Thursday afternoon or evening to stand with other supporters at the Conservation Committee meeting? The committee meeting time is 30 minutes after the floor session ends (or as early as 2 p.m.).
Room 311, New Mexico State Capitol
490 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM [directions – Parking at 420 Galisteo Street]
3) Unable to attend? Be counted as a supporter of legal, retail raw milk, production and sale. Send an email to Steve Warshawer at [email protected]
More Information
Senator Woods’ district includes an area with a preponderance of larger, family-run dairies, many of which are members of the Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) cooperative. SB 286 is a threat to consumer freedom of choice and the ability of dairy farmers to make a living. Under current law, raw milk can be sold by licensed producers on the farm and at retail outlets.The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) has a long and successful history of effectively monitoring New Mexico dairies, including retail raw milk dairies. Statewide, New Mexico producers of all scales have confidence in NMDA’s ability to effectively oversee the production and distribution of any and all dairy products, including raw milk. NMDA accomplishes this through effective enforcement and regular improvement of existing rules.
With that rich history and confidence in mind, please consider standing for:
- consumer choice (i.e., the right to legally purchase raw milk) and
- farmer/producer opportunity (i.e., the right to build a successful business around this healthy and highly valued product).
Read the bill at www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0286.pdf
Protect your access to raw milk in New Mexico.
Senate Conservation Committee Members
If your Senator is on the Conservation Committee, please call his Capitol office:
Sen. Peter Wirth, chair (District 25) at 505-986-4861
Sen. Benny Shendo, Jr. , vice chair (District 22) at 505-986-4310
Sen. Joseph Cervantes (District 35) at 505-986-4385
Sen. Phil A. Griego (District 39) at 505-986-4513
Sen. Richard C.Martinez (District 5) at 505-986-4487
Sen. William H. Payne (District 20) at 505-986-4703
Sen. John C. Ryan (District 10) at 505-986-4373
Sen. William E. Sharer (District 1) at 505-986-4381
Sen. William P. Soules (District 37) at 505-986-4856
Sen. Pat Woods (District 7) at 505-986-4393
View the district map for each legislator at www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/districts.aspx
by clicking the number or click on the Senator’s name to see which counties are listed.
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, 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.
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Donations to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund are always appreciated though not tax-deductible. Prefer to make a tax-deductible donation? Go to www.f2cfnd.org/donate to earmark it for “public interest litigation” (PIL). Or contact us by email at [email protected] or call 703-208-FARM (3276).
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.
