Over the years I have seen people desire the health benefits available
from clean, raw milk, but they have been at a loss as to "how to know"
whether the source is one to be trusted. Finally, we have a major raw
milk producer publishing standards that other producers could embrace
and become "RAW USA Certified".

The irony is that these standards are so much more stringent than
anything the government pretends to do. They even call the bluff on the
way that the "Organic Standards" have now become "Pseudo-Organic". Just
this week the USDA moved to eviscerate the trust people have placed in
the Organic label by allowing the major dairy interests to call their
products organic, even though the cows will never see a blade of grass.

I have taken the liberty of posting a piece of their website below.
You can see the entire website at http://www.rawusa.org/index.html

Best wishes,

John Langlois



RAW•USA STANDARDS
Quality, Purity, and Ethics in Raw Milk Production
Raw Milk Production Standards for Human Consumption

Only raw milk produced and sold under the following 20 conditions and
standards may bear the RAW•USA Raw Milk Certification:

No antibiotics may be used on a cow or other mammal from which milk is
drawn within one year of producing raw milk intended for human consumption.

No growth or milk stimulating hormones may have been used at any time
within one year of RAW•USA certification.

No pesticides may be used on a raw milk cow or in her environment unless
OMRI listed or USDA NOP compliant.

All USDA NOP standards apply as binding guidelines to the pasture
environment care and conditions. All dairy pastures shall be USDA
certified organic or USDA certified transitional.

All lactating animals that are producing raw milk for human consumption
must be allowed access to pasture 150 days per year at a minimum and
100% of the time when possible.

Lactating animals must be provided a clean place to lie down and rest.
All bedding areas should preferably be natural pasture or be something
that the cow would find in a natural environment. Sawdust, straw, rice
hulls and sand are examples that meet this requirement. Rubber and
concrete do not meet this requirement.

No free stalls or loafing stalls are allowed.

Lactating animals must not be kept in crowded conditions and must be
allowed to range freely, seek solitude and undisturbed rest.

There must be ample clean fresh water available and at no time may there
be crowding occurring for competition to water access.

There must be adequate space available for the animal to experience all
natural behaviors including: birthing, breeding etc.

All natural feeds shall be fed to the lactating animal. That includes
only feeds that the animal would naturally eat in nature. This includes
natural corn, barley, wheat or forages but not soy or cottonseed or
other unnatural processed feeds. RAW•USA standards emphasize green
pasture as a major part of the ration and dried alfalfa and or dried
grass forages as supplements.

Some haylage made from available pastures or forages are permitted. Feed
should be raised and certified organic if possible and if available. All
feeds shall be of natural origins and part of the natural diet eaten by
cows. For example, organic donuts, organic soybean meal and organic
potato chips are not permitted.

Bacteria standards for RAW•USA certified milk includes monthly testing
for pathogens including the presence of Salmonella, Ecoli 0157 H-7,
Listeria Monocytogenes. If the local regulatory agency performs these
tests then no additional tests are required.

Bacteria standards for raw milk includes testing for SPCs which shall be
less than 15,000 SPC on a three out of five samples basis. Tests shall
be completed one time per month. Any time a test is higher than the
standard then tests will be increased in frequency to one time per week
until tests show compliance with standards.
If the test sequence fails the standards then raw milk will not be sold
to the public for human consumption until a test shows compliance with
standards.

Testing results must be kept for a minimum of three years

There are no Coliform, LPC or Somatic Cell Count (SCC) test standards
for raw milk under these standards. All RAW•USA standards meet or exceed
the same standards as Grade A Raw Milk for human consumption in
California under CDFA.

All animals in the herd must test negative for TB and Brucellosis on
initial test and then once every two years. Any new additions to the
herd must be tested prior to being added to the herd. All positives must
be removed from the herd immediately.

All raw milk must be chilled to below 40 degrees within one hour after
milk is drawn from animals. Immediate Flash or heat exchanger chilling
is recommended. No RAW•USA raw diary product will ever be exposed to
heat above 102 degrees F at any time, assuring that enzymes and bacteria
are undamaged, alive, active and healthy.

All stored or packaged raw milk to be kept at or below 40 degrees until
consumer sale (34-36 degrees is preferred).

All milking parlors and equipment, milk houses, milk handling and
bottling equipment shall be kept clean according to the standards
required by the local county or state milk sanitation standards for
Grade A milk production.

No sterilizers may be used including quaternary ammonias. All hot water
washes and cleaning of equipment and tanks shall be documented on a
daily records log. If possible, a recording chart should be used to
document temperatures and cleaning procedures.

All operations shall be rooted in social and environmental awareness.
Fair wages and benefits, support of family and community life, investing
in employee skills, and developing pride of artisanship are encouraged.

RAW•USA dairies should engage in environmental stewardship through
ongoing development of sustainable, petroleum-independent farming
methods, and strive to pioneer positive solutions specific to the
bioregional needs and resources of the local community.