Feds shut down Amish farm

File this under: "are you freaking kidding me".

Feds shut down Amish farm for selling fresh milk

The decision has enraged Mr. Allgyer’s supporters, some of whom have been buying from him for six years and who say the government is interfering with their parental rights to feed their children. But the Food and Drug Administration, which launched a full investigation complete with a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and a straw-purchase sting operation against Mr. Allgyer’s Rainbow Acres Farm, near Lancaster, said unpasteurized milk is unsafe and said it was exercising its due authority to stop its sale from one state to another.

First, I've drank raw milk.  It tastes different than pasteurized.  I'm not a big milk drinker anyway, and I don't particularly like the stuff.  Second, who gives a flying milk pail what kind of milk other people choose to drink?  A not too careful review of the story reveals two facts: #1 everyone involved in the illegal milk ring wanted to drink, and were going out of their way to get, unpasteurized milk.  They do this presumably for health benefits derived from the product and the bacteria in it. Presumably they have made this decision after considering the differences and risks, if any, of drinking unpasteurized milk.  #2 The FDA is out of control and has way too much time and money to spend if the best use of their resources is pestering people about buying and drinking milk from some Amish farmer.

Pasteurization of milk came about as a way to both preserve the product longer and as a way to prevent illness associated with drinking spoiled milk.  In a mass industrialized food market, it makes perfect sense.  I have nothing against pasteurized milk products.  However, if a handful of people want to specifically choose to drink raw milk, and they take responsibility for the quality controls, handling, transportation, storage etc, I can't see why anyone would make a federal case out of it.

I understand, don't agree with, but understand why alcoholic beverages were made illegal.  I understand why recreational drugs are illegal.  I get why we have speed limits.  In a country where you can drink your own piss, and other peoples as well, apparently there are porn sites dedicated to this sort of thing, having the federal government prosecuting Amish farmers for selling milk to people that come for miles around to buy it, seems like a giant waste of time.  Truly we live in a giant totalitarian mommy state.  The FDA probably choose to go after Mr. Allgyr because of the historic tie between the Amish and violent revolution against the state.