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| Greetings! August 31, 2009
We have the opportunity to shape the regulations that govern raw milk in Texas. At a recent meeting before the Department of State Health Services Milk Division and its governing Council, we were able to influence the state to stop the enactment of even more restrictive regulations regarding raw milk pick ups and to protect customers' privacy. At the same meeting, the Council requested that we provide information and a proposed draft of rules governing raw milk delivery and sales at off-farm locations, to expand people's access to raw milk. A group of producers and consumers has been working to prepare the information and proposed rules package. We plan to submit our package to the Agency and Council in September.
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What Can You Do to Help?
We want to include letters from customers, health professionals, and concerned citizens to show the Agency and Council the many benefits of raw milk on a personal level. The initial meeting before the Agency and Council indicated their general lack of knowledge about raw milk, and we will be providing facts and scientific studies. But personal stories of why individual people support raw dairy will have the greatest impact. Let's move our presentation from a theoretical discussion of potential benefits to the actual experiences of people drinking raw milk!
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What Should Your Letter Say?
The letter can be just a few sentences long or up to one page in length. The letter can touch on any point or points you want to make -- how raw milk has benefited your or your children's health, the support for local farmers, tastes better, provides food security for the community, the impact of requiring people to drive to the farm, or pretty much anything. Then sign and date it and return it to the address below.* Your individualized statement, whatever it says, will have a much greater impact than a form letter or petition. So, just wing it -- we're sure it will be perfect! Also, if you have friends who will help out with a letter on principle that raw milk should be available to consumers in our state, please forward this request to them as well. We will assemble all the letters together as part of the packet that we will deliver to the agency with our proposed rules.
* If you have any concerns about putting your name or address on the letter, then just use your first name and city of residence, and date the letter. You don't need to mention who you get your raw milk from, or how you currently get it - just focus on WHY it's important to you. |
When Do We Need Your Letter?
Please return your letter by September 15, 2009 to:
E-mail: jmcgeary@pvco.net
Regular mail: Judith McGeary,
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
8308 Sassman Rd.
Austin, TX 78747
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Sally Fallon is Coming to Texas!
To help in this raw milk campaign, Sally Fallon, founder and president of the Weston A Price Foundation, will be speaking about raw milk at the Farm and Food Leadership Conference in San Antonio on September 14-15.
The conference will also cover issues relating to the National Animal Identification System, genetically modified foods, organic certification, the food safety bills in Congress, and more. Go to www.farmandranchfreedom.org or call
512-243-9404 for more information.
Thank in advance for all of your help! Working together, we can impact our government in a positive manner. | |
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