Raw milk sales ban in Maryland under review by local lawmakers

The issue of allowing raw-milk sales in Maryland is under scrutiny again with Republican delegate J.B. Jennings' Bill, now under review in the Health committee of the Annapolis legislature. HB 080 would allow Maryland farmers to distribute raw milk.

The controversial issue of allowing raw-milk sales in Maryland is just not going to go away after it was made illegal in 2006 by emergency regulations by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - and passed without hearings or debate. Jennings' Bill HB 080 would allow Maryland farmers to return to their herd-share arrangements whereby consumers can obtain raw milk from animals they own. Supporters seek to restore 'cow-shares', made illegal in 2006. These contractual arrangements, referred to in English law as agistments, have sparked a rural raw-milk sales revival in other states, including Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana. Cow-shares, or agistments, are boarding arrangements commonly also used by horse owners, who pay someone to feed, pasture and care for their animals. To prevent cow owners from drinking the milk of their boarded animals, however, the DHMH emergency regulation declared such an arrangement to be 'a sale of raw milk', thus making it illegal. In the United States, Maryland state residents now are forced to find fresh milk in other states, have actively supported this proposed legislation for the last two years to try and restore their access to fresh milk in Maryland. Yet despite strong bipartisan support, these bills were thus far not even allowed out of committee. Its latest hearing in the Health committee of the State legislature takes place on Tuesday 17 March 2009. Millions of dollars in commerce and taxes Advocates cite the benefits to Maryland’s economy and environment, as well as to themselves if this Bill were passed. They say that the legislation will restore millions of dollars in commerce and taxes to Maryland rural communities. "These consumer dollars currently leave the state to benefit farmers in Pennsylvania and Virginia.” said Liz Reitzig, President of the Maryland Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (MICFA). “I think it will become obvious at the hearing that it is especially important right now that farmers be able to take advantage of all economic opportunities available to them,” noted Jennings. The Maryland Independent Consumers and Farmers Association says its mission is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown and home produced food products. MICFA is one of the 18 state affiliates of the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (Nicfa.org) which works on a national level toward the same end. see